What causes frequent tongue ulcers? Causes of frequent tongue ulcers

Tongue ulcers are the most common type of oral ulcers. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that ulcers are a manifestation of getting angry, usually called "mouth sores". It is a disease with ulcers of the oral cavity or tongue mucosa as the main symptom. It can occur in any part of the mouth, most commonly the gums, tongue and lips. At the beginning of the disease, it causes redness, swelling and pain, which affects eating. So what is the cause of frequent tongue ulcers?

1. Digestive system diseases and functional disorders

Patients with systemic diseases are prone to oral ulcers, mainly by affecting the immune system. Oral ulcers are related to gastric ulcers, duodenal ulcers, ulcerative colitis, regional enteritis, hepatitis, etc. Studies have shown that 30%-48% of patients with oral ulcers have digestive tract diseases, such as abdominal distension, diarrhea or constipation. More than 9% of them have gastrointestinal ulcers.

2. Endocrine changes

Some female patients often experience it during menstruation, which may be related to the decrease in estrogen levels in the body. Some women will experience oral ulcers during their menstrual period or before and after their menstrual period. Medication can only provide temporary relief, and the pain will reappear during the next menstrual period. At the same time, it is often accompanied by annoying symptoms such as dry mouth, upset, irritability, and dry stools. Clinical studies have found that oral ulcers during menstruation are mainly caused by increased progesterone levels and decreased estrogen (progesterone, etc.) levels in the body.

3. Mental factors

Some patients become ill when they are under mental stress, mood swings, or have poor sleep, which may be related to autonomic dysfunction.

4. Genetic factors

If both parents suffer from recurrent oral ulcers, about 80-90% of their children will suffer from the disease. If one parent has the disease, about 50-60% of their children will suffer from the disease.

5. Other factors

Lack of trace elements[2] such as zinc and iron, lack of folic acid and vitamin B12, and malnutrition can reduce immune function and increase the likelihood of recurrent oral ulcers. Viruses may be the initiating factors of oral ulcers, but relevant antibodies have not yet been found in patient serum, and there are no reports of isolating viruses from oral ulcer lesion tissues. The role of bacteria in oral ulcers has been proposed for many years. The bacteria closely related to oral ulcers include Streptococcus sanguinis and Helicobacter pylori. The imbalance of superoxide free radical generation and clearance rate, the imbalance of thromboxane B2 and 6-keto-prostaglandin ratio and the decrease of overall level can cause oral ulcers.