Since childhood I have been plagued by a condition which can be summed up in two words in Chinese yet with no amount of Googling have I been able to find its neatly packaged equivalent in Western medicine and culture. The term “shang huo” (上火) translates literally to “on fire.” It manifests in the body as inflammation and what we often recognize as physiological stress responses: pimples, ulcers, sore throat. My nose bled on an almost daily basis but that was a mere pestilence compared to its eye-wateringly painful sidekick: the canker sore.
Canker sores are like the non-contagious, non-viral distant cousin of cold sores. As soon as one would resolve, another would spring up in a more painful location, almost making me wish for the previous one to return instead. Sometimes I would have multiple at once, and if they were too close together they would merge into a monstrosity. It hurt to laugh, smile, talk, and made an enemy of my first true love: food.
It also seemed that I rarely knew anyone who could empathize, aside from my mother who probably gifted me with this genetic predisposition in the first place.
I never would have imagined that I would one day end up with a caucasian husband who, despite having no idea what “shang huo” means, not only suffers from the same ailment but seems to have found a cure. Through years of desperation and trial and error, I present to you his findings.
Here’s the part where I warn the readers that I am not a medical doctor (much to the chagrin of my parents) and neither is my husband. This theory has been drawn from the personal experience of two individuals. Consult your doctor before beginning treatment.
I just want to share this golden nugget with others in hopes that it might save even one person from say, crying and bleeding into your rice porridge at summer camp because the styrofoam bowl with scalloped edges cut the crap out of your canker sores. Or something like that.
This treatment comprises three parts: two supplements and a patch. These can all be purchased over-the-counter.
Acidophilus
Lactobacillus acidophilus are a type of bacteria that live in our mouths, intestines, and man and woman’s best friend: vaginas. It is used as a probiotic – “good bacteria” like in fermented foods such as yogurt or sauerkraut. Interestingly, this little guy is also responsible for producing lactase, the enzyme that breaks down lactose into lactic acid.
Therefore, if you are lactose intolerant or immunocompromised, consult your doctor before taking acidophilus in case the supplement contains lactose or live bacteria.
Lysine
Unlike its above counterpart, lysine is an amino acid that the body does not naturally produce. It’s one of the nine essential amino acids which humans need for proper function but must obtain it from their diet. (I personally think this is a rude design flaw but that’s for a different blog entirely.) We primarily get lysine from protein rich animal products – meat, cheese, fish – and some grains, beans, and soy products for the vegan folk.
WebMd lists effectiveness of lysine on canker sores under “insufficient evidence,” citing, “Early research shows that taking 500 mg of lysine daily prevents canker sores and 4000 mg daily decreases how long canker sores are present.” Well that looks like evidence to me and count us as two more happy lab rats.
It also lists a handful of other conditions which may benefit from lysine, including the following: “Early research suggests that consuming 80 mg/kg of lysine in the diet daily for 8 weeks improves forearm strength in young men.”
That is very strange and specific…I guess if you’re a young man who’s been spending a lot of time alone during this pandemic you might want to take some lysine if you catch my drift.
Canker Cover Patch
Made by Dentek and Dentemp, this patch appears to be the holy grail of all the canker sore treatments we have both tried. However, we recommend only using it while you sleep and leaving time in the morning to carefully remove the stubborn sticky gunk from your mouth without causing unwanted damage.
Make sure to apply it carefully and firmly with a dry finger. As soon as the patch gets wet, it starts to dissolve and won’t stick correctly.
The Regimen
Morning: Take 1 dose of acidophilus and 1 dose of lysine
Night: Take 1 dose of acidophilus and 1 dose of lysine and if in pain, apply 1 Canker Cover Patch to affected area.
Repeat daily until symptoms cease.
Chris takes a double dose of acidophilus each time. I’m not recommending this…I’m just sayin’.
Prevention
The ironic king of cures, preventing these buggers is often futile. Many things can trigger canker sores including physical injury to the mouth, hormonal changes, vitamin or nutrient deficiency, stress, poor sleep hygiene, weakened immune system.
Taking it back to the concept of “shang huo,” traditional Chinese medicine views the cause as an upset balance between the forces of yin and yang in the body. Although this may be difficult to understand pragmatically, you may recognize many examples of this imbalance. Being stressed, overworked and under pressure, staying up late, and even eating too much spicy food have all been attributed to cause “shang huo.” Maybe you experience it in a different form like an acne breakout.
Stress relief is a mission I’m still figuring out for myself but for starters, check out this post on how to meditate when you just can’t f**king sit still.
Take it easy y’all – it’s better for your health!