WARNING: The Embarrassing Bodies website contains images of an explicit medical nature and nudity in a medical context.

Embarrassing Bodies , 9:00pm Friday 19th March 2010 on Channel 4. Catch up for free »

Conditions

Mouth Ulcers and Cold Sores

In Kurt Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle he describes in detail the mysterious substance called Ice 9 which with one touch to the lips will kill a person instantly. It seems possible that Vonnegut took inspiration from oral herpes because it’s caught in exactly the same way – but don’t panic; this virus is far from fatal. Oral herpes is the most common cause of cold sores, small, fluid filled lesions that usually develop around the mouth and often burn, itch and tingle, and mouth ulcers – which are found inside the mouth. Further ailments can sometimes include swollen gums, bad breath, dehydration, a sore throat and excess saliva. Cold sores, most commonly caused by the herpes simplex virus, are highly contagious. The cold sore causing virus is easily passed on via skin to mouth contact, such as kissing, or through a shared object like cutlery, a seemingly innocent lollipop or that pen lid you just can’t resist chewing – in other words catching the virus is often unavoidable. Notoriously Liza Minnelli and David Gest publicly argued for months in the media over who passed the virus on to who (yes that really happened). But don’t get to the end of this article and panic buy a crate of bleach – there’s really no need to start sanitising everything before getting your mouth around it. Whilst the herpes virus admittedly does stay in your body forever its impact is normally pretty minimal with most people just having the occasional cold sore ot mouth ulcer. There are numerous non-prescription treatments available for they do decide to strike, most commonly taking the form of a cream which can be applied to the affected area and clear the sores up in a couple of days – if only Liza and David would vanish as easily. If you are getting constant mouth ulcers you should see your GP in case there is an underlying condition at work.

Comments and Questions

You can share your experiences and thoughts with other Embarrassing Bodies site-users below. Comments & Questions are reviewed by moderators, but if you see anything on the site that worries you, please report it and one of our moderators will look at it as soon as possible.
Please note: Unfortunately Channel 4 cannot respond to individual inquiries. If you have any concerns, you can check out NHS Choices, but ultimately it is always best to check with a health professional.

i'm always getting cold sores, they look so ugly and the pain is so bad which get me down, I've just got over two sore still have the scars, now today I've woke uo with two more, they are small at the moment but later on they will no doubt get bigger. I had tried Zovirax cream and other treatment people have adviced ie: ice, pure alcohol but nothing helps. i am 25 year old so i love to wear lipstick but obviously I can't. please help!





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your answer.


Please don't swear or be rude in your answers, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting answers. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

Try putting used tea bags on them. Something in the tea draws out all the stuff and it makes them go down quicker. Works when the blister is there.

i have recently had the flu, but during it i occured an unpleasent taste and pain on my gum behind my wisdom tooth i was given anti-biotics as it was infected yet i hav finished my course but it is still sore and the roof of my mouth is now also can n e 1 help?





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your answer.


Please don't swear or be rude in your answers, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting answers. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

i have been suffering from cold sores for over two years. i rarely have a month were my lips are clear. GP has perscribed aciclovir time and time again and yet i am still in the same position. i really do not like the look of my lips as even when they are clear there are signs of scaring. what can i do?





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your answer.


Please don't swear or be rude in your answers, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting answers. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

i have red dry skin around my mouth, abit like cold sores, i've had them for about 3-4 years now and i havnt had any mouth contact with anyone. what could this be?





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your answer.


Please don't swear or be rude in your answers, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting answers. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

I too have sufferd from mouth ulcers constantly. I have several at a time they are very painfull. I have been to my gp and the hospital who after having biopsys blood tests et,, that there is nothing they can do for me SURELY there must be something i can take please help me





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your comment.


Please don’t swear or be rude in your comments, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting comments. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

I have suffered with mouth ulcers from the age of 12, I get very large sore ulcers, around 5-6 a time and normally about a week before my monthly cycle, they are very uncomfortable and makes it difficult to even speak! Does anybody know the name of the tablet given to the girl, I am now becoming desperate!





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your comment.


Please don’t swear or be rude in your comments, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting comments. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

I've suffered with mouth ulcers and an incredible tiredness that seems to go with them, since I was a teenager. I am 54 now and have tried everything. I have even had biopsies on them, as they often last for over three months at a time. I missed the embarrassing bodies episode on mouth ulcers. I believe someone was prescribed some tablets that worked for them. Can anyone enlighten me? Also what did they give as a reason?





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your comment.


Please don’t swear or be rude in your comments, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting comments. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

Im 14 and when ever im on my period i have an ucler. Ive just starting to relaize that i have uclers in my mouth when ever im on. But this time i have 2 ulcers in my mouth i got one a few weeks before my period and thought it would go away but it didnt now i have 2 on either side of my mouth. I have had ulcers in the past as i was a young girl but now its horrible they wont go way and i cant talk properly. Ive tried salt water and Bonjela but they dont work. Can you help me please?





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your comment.


Please don’t swear or be rude in your comments, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting comments. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

can anybody tell me the name of the tablet the girl was given ? she had recurent mouth ulcers and was tested for everything but alas nothing was wrong but she was prescribed a tablet and she said things were better.I have suffered all my life at present i have around 14 and the normal thingsyour given to put on them just makes them bigger almost like its a food to the ulcer.





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your comment.


Please don’t swear or be rude in your comments, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting comments. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

what could be the cause of my re-accurring blisters on the inside of my bottom lip?





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your answer.


Please don't swear or be rude in your answers, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting answers. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your comment.



Please don’t swear or be rude in your comments, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting comments. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

It looks like no one else has asked this question, so please fill in the rest of your details below.





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your answer.



Please don't swear or be rude in your questions, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting questions. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines


Important Notice

The information provided on this website (including any NHS Choices medical information) is for use as information or for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical care by a qualified doctor or other qualified healthcare professional. We do not warrant that any information included within this site will meet your health or medical requirements. This Embarrassing Bodies site does not provide any medical or diagnostic services so you should always check with a health professional if you have any concerns about your health.


If you want to embed our videos in your site, read our embedding T&Cs here


More Information

  1. Doctor Responses: Chlamydia

    In Videos - Dr Christian answers your most frequently asked questions about Chl…

  2. Episode 3 - Brighton

    In Episodes - The doctors head to Brighton with their truck-stop clinic, whilst t…

  3. Quick Health Advice: Bad Breath

    In Videos - Dr McKenna gives out information on how to test for bad breath and…

  4. Quick Health Advice: Penis Spots

    In Videos - Dr Christian discusses how to check for penile spots and what warni…


Be on the Show

Have you been inspired by the patients in the current series to seek help for your problem? Apply to be on the show here >