I got two annoying mouth ulcers three days ago and I don't feel like going to the pharmacist. My mom handed me a jar of cane honey, but it seems weird to just smear honey in my mouth like that.
Don't get honey all sticky and clay-like stuck on your canker sores, that's gonna be worse 😅 but yeah, put on a thin layer and leave it there for a few minutes, it works pretty well because it kills bacteria and speeds up healing.
What nobody mentions is that if the honey is too sweet or too thick, it might irritate you more at first, so try pure honey that's more liquid if you can.
I'd say it works, same as any home remedy, but if it hasn't improved at all in a week then yeah go to the pharmacy.
Honey has antimicrobial properties that work pretty well for canker sores, so your mom's not off base.
There are studies showing that honey speeds up healing by about 20-30% compared to doing nothing, so even though it sounds weird to apply it directly, the truth is it's worth trying.
The only thing is you have to apply it several times a day, especially after eating, for it to be effective. If it doesn't improve in a week or gets worse, then you should head to the pharmacy to get something stronger.
Your mom's on the right track, honey works pretty well for this. It has properties that help with healing and kills bacteria, so it's not random that she suggested it. The weird look of putting honey in your mouth is the least of your concerns, honestly 😅
What I'd recommend is doing it properly: first things first, take a moment to dry the canker sore with a tissue or something soft. It's important because if it's too wet the honey dissolves right away and loses all its magic. Once it's dry, apply a thin layer (doesn't need to look like frosting) and leave it there for about ten to fifteen minutes. If you can avoid swallowing saliva during that time, even better, though I know it's uncomfortable. Do it three or four times a day and in a couple of days it should start improving quite a bit.
That said, there's one thing nobody mentions: be careful what you eat afterward. If you have something really hot or really acidic (like juice, tomato) right after you take the honey off, it's gonna sting like hell because the area's sensitive. Better to wait a bit or eat something neutral. And if it's still just as bad in a week or gets worse, then yeah it's worth going to the pharmacy, but being honest, with three or four days of properly applied honey it usually clears up.
But what nobody mentions is that before you apply it you gotta dry the canker sore really well with a tissue or something, because if it's wet the honey just dissolves right away and loses its effect.
I do it like this: I dry it, put on a thin layer, and I can handle not eating or drinking for like ten minutes minimum.
Also if you've got baking soda at home, doing a quick rinse before helps a ton because it kills bacteria and prepares the area. The two times I've had canker sores in the last few years I got rid of them like that in about four or five days.
Did you already try saltwater first? Yeah, honey works, but what people don't mention is that it hurts like hell applying it straight on the canker sore without numbing it first, so rinsing with warm salt water for a few minutes will numb it and then the honey won't be as uncomfortable.
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