Mouth and Nose Ulcers

Table of Contents

Often one of the first signs of a Lupus flare is mouth and/or nose ulcers.  These are aphthous ulcers, better known as canker sores.  Basically they are sores in the mouth or nose, usually less than 1 cm in diameter, shallow and painful.  

They usually begin with a tingling or burning sensation at the site where an ulcer is going to appear.  Within a few days they progress to a red spot or bump and then an open ulcer.  They are usually a white or yellow oval with an inflamed red border. 

There are several things you can do to help prevent mouth and nose ulcers as well as speed healing and reduce pain:

• Early treatment greatly reduces the time the sore and pain last
• Reduce disease activity with Lupus treatment
• Reduce stress
• Get plenty of rest
• Practice good oral hygiene
• Do not smoke
• Rinse with salt water
• Pain relieving gels such as Anbesol, Bonjela, Campho-Phenique, Orabase B, Zilactin, or Kanka can be used
• Talk to your doctor or dentist about antiseptic mouthwashes
• Talk to your doctor about steroid lozenges or pastes for the mouth
• Talk to your doctor about steroid pastes or nasal sprays for the nose
• In more severe cases there are specialized drugs that can be prescribed