red painful sores on gums

[kdbcelery]

i've always struggled with inflamed gums, but i've been sick with an unknown illness for 4+ months. I have several symptoms including sore throat and post nasal drip. my gums have also been swollen on and off, and occasionally develop these red sores near my teeth, sometimes on the roof of my mouth. they usually go away within a couple of days, but these are the worst i've had and are very painful when eating food/brushing my teeth. i noticed some white discoloration on the area as well. i only mention the other symptoms because i'm concerned it could be an ongoing bacterial/viral infection. any advice or guidance would be nice.

 

[Dr M]

Good day

It sounds like what you have is recurrent episodes of apthous ulcers. This is an auto-immune mediated condition, with flare-ups that last for 10-14 days. Triggers can be stress or, in your case, your weakend immune system due to the ongoing sickness for the past months. I would consider seeing a medical doctor about treating the cause of the ongoing illness, drink lots of multi-vitamins in order to help boost the immune system, and then apply some Kenalog in Orobase on the lesions, once they appear in order to limit the pain symptoms experienced.

 

[MattKW]

This is very unlikely to be apthous ulcers which normally develop on soft tissue. More likely this is a viral issue, probably herpes (HSV-1). If you have ever had "cold sores" on the lips in the past, then this is just another form of presentation. No treatment necessary. Image here: Palatal HSV-1