(HealthDay News) - Canker sores are painful ulcers that develop in the mouth -- most often on the lip, or inside the cheek, tongue, gums or the soft palate. Most canker sores will clear up on their own, but they can be rather painful in the meantime.

Here are suggestions to help reduce the pain of canker sores and help them heal, courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine:

• Apply an over-the-counter pain medicine created specifically for canker sores.
• Rinse your mouth with a salt-water solution or mouth wash.
• Create a solution of one part hydrogen peroxide mixed with one part water. Apply it to the sore using a cotton swab.
• Dab milk of magnesia on the canker sore a few times each day.
• Avoid hot and spicy foods, which can aggravate a canker sore.

-- Diana Kohnle

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