What are cold sores and canker sores?
Cold sores, also known as fever blisters, are small, fluid-filled blisters that crop up on or near your child's lips. They are usually caused by the herpes simplex virus. They can appear individually or in clusters.
For more information on cold sores, see www.abreva.com
Canker sores, also known as apthous ulcers, are crater-like sores that usually appear individually on your child's tongue, gums, or on the inside of his/her cheeks. They are painful and make eating certain foods very uncomfortable. Canker sores usually go away by themselves in about three weeks without any treatment. There are numerous over the counter forms of canker sore relief products such as Orabase topical anesthesia that can help alleviate your child's discomfort. Canker sores are not contagious like cold sores and are not spread to other people. The exact cause of canker sores is unknown, but may be due to many reasons such as stress, trauma, viruses, allergies, or nutritional deficiencies etc.
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