Canker sores are a real pain in the mouth!

Having a canker sore in your mouth is painful and can drive you nuts! 

Fatigue, stress and diet can all set one off – as can a self-inflicted mouth injury. There are a few things you can do to ease the pain of a canker sore and speed the healing:

• Make your own remedy: Mix together equal amounts of Milk of Magnesia and Benadryl and apply by dabbing the sore with a cotton swab. Milk of Magnesia coats wet tissue and the Benadryl acts as mild anesthetic and anti-inflammatory.

• Don’t forget to rinse: Combine 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 2 ounces hydrogen peroxide. Mix and rinse your mouth with it four times daily. This can speed up the healing process considerably.

• Watch what you eat: Avoid hot foods and beverages for a few days. Those can irritate and undo any healing you’ve accomplished. If you're plagued with frequent canker sores, pay attention to whether an outbreak seems to be linked with any particular food. Likely offenders include nuts, shellfish, chocolate and tomatoes.