What The Hell Is A Mouth Ulcer?

Saturday morning I woke up with a terrible sore throat, and was convinced I had strep. Having had strep many times before, I was almost certain that was the case.

After a quick trip to the urgent care facility near my house, and a brief consultation with a doctor I could barely understand, I picked up on three things – not strep, ulcers, and something having to do with cold sores. When I got home, I Googled those three terms and discovered a wealth of information about the fascinating world of mouth ulcers.

Now most people are aware of canker sores and cold sores. They’re the nasty little sores that develop on the mouth and gums and on the lips respectively. Canker sores are generally tiny little things, but hurt much more than their size would suggest.

Mouth ulcers are like a canker sore’s really big, mean older cousin with a glandular problem and a short temper. They are likely to attack the throat or tongue as well as the gums. Mine is about the size of a dime and right next to my tonsils. It makes me pray for death every time I swallow. In short, they’re a lot of fun.

I’m sharing this for one reason and one reason only. I had no idea such things existed. I’ve never experienced the joy of a mouth ulcer and hope to God I never do again. They suck. However, I thought I’d throw this out there so anyone who Googles strep, ulcer, and cold sore will know that someone else feels (or felt) their pain.

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