Q. I have suffered with canker sores my whole life despite trying numerous remedies including rinsing my mouth with peroxide, salt and water or a benzocaine solution.
Eating is excruciating when they are present. In trying to stay hydrated and satiated recently, I bought a watermelon. At first, like all other foods, it burned. By the time I ate half a melon in a few hours, though, the pain in my mouth was greatly relieved, and the burning was gone.
It wasn’t the water because I drink at least six glasses of water a day. Have you ever heard of watermelon being good for canker sores?
A. This is news to us, and a quick check of the medical literature suggests most doctors haven’t heard of it either. Although we could find no research supporting this approach, we did see a few anecdotal reports suggesting that others have also found watermelon helpful for canker sores.
You will find many other remedies to help treat occasional canker sores in our book, The People’s Pharmacy Quick & Handy Home Remedies. In it, we also offer simple remedies for a wide range of other minor health problems.
Chronic canker sores could be a signal of a more serious condition. Ask your doctor to test for celiac disease. A blood test for tTG (tissue transglutaminase) antibody is a good place to start.
