Roof of Mouth Sore or Sore Palate- Symptoms, 6 Causes, 6 Home Remedies

If you have been suffering from a roof of mouth sore and have been looking around for answers, then you’ve come to the right place. A sore palate can be anywhere from barely noticeable to downright painful and annoying.

Palates are an essential part of the mouth, and they perform some vital functions which most of us aren’t aware. The palate consists of a hard and soft portion, while the hard palate enables the movement of food, the soft palate is a soft and flexible muscle tissue which separates the nasal cavity from the mouth.

An ulcer on the roof of mouth is an inflammation of the palate which causes the palate to underperform a few of its functions. A lot of us would consider having a blister on roof of mouth a very uncomfortable experience.

And it can result in palate pain and roof of mouth infection. It can also cause unease especially during the most enjoyable time for many of us, i.e. eating and at times even talking. Though it may sound like an alarming prospect for some, it is a somewhat common occurrence.

Table of Contents

Roof of mouth sore symptoms:

You could experience swelling of the palate or roof of the mouth in some cases along with pain.
You could feel a bit of dryness in the mouth which can also reversely be a cause of the roof of mouth sore, which we will discuss later.
You could experience visible blistering of the roof of the mouth. These mouth sores may grow bigger and become irritated and slightly painful.

Causes of roof of mouth sore:

There are many causes for roof of the mouth sore from mild to alarming ones. Let’s have a close look at them:-

Dryness of the Mouth:

We looked at the dryness of the mouth in the symptoms above for an irritated roof of mouth. But reversely they can be also be a cause. For example, people with nasal congestion often resort to breathing from the mouth which can cause dryness due to lack of airflow via the nostril.

There are also many other conditions which cause dryness like the Sjogren syndrome which leads to a reduction in saliva secretion resulting in dehydration and dryness.

Food Burn:

The skin around the hard palate is very delicate and can be very easily damaged if you ingest something that is too hot. So you might want to give that piping hot cup of tea or coffee a bit of rest before you take a sip. Even foods items like a very hot slice of pizza are responsible for roof of mouth sore.

Food Injury:

It’s rather funny to comprehend that food can be a cause of an injury but they unwittingly do at times. Take for example that sharp piece of wafer that you are desperate to munch, the sharp edges can easily injure the delicate skin on the palate.

Even food items like bones which tend to have sharp edges can become a cause. Injury can also be caused by mundane everyday things like a toothbrush.

Canker Sores:

Some people call them canker sores while some call them mouth ulcers but the scientific term for them is ‘Aphthous Stomatitis’. They develop mostly on the inside of the cheeks but they can easily be a roof of mouth sore.

There is no clarity as to why they appear, they can be triggered by certain foods or even factors like stress and changes in the hormones. They usually last more than a week.

Cold Sores:

Cold sores are most commonly seen on the outside of the lips, and sometimes even around the cheek area. It is usually confused with the above-mentioned canker sores but it’s not. They are caused by herpes simplex virus and are extremely contagious because of its viral tendencies. It takes about 8-10 days for them to clear up on their own.

Oral Cancer:

In rare cases, the roof of mouth sore might be a lump due to a palate tumour. If you notice the sores changing colour rapidly and they don’t heal in 2 weeks, it is advised to seek medical attention immediately.

A person with oral cancer will experience excruciating soft palate pain. But don’t worry with early diagnosis in most cancer cases you can have a good chance of treatment and recovery.

Home Remedies for roof of mouth sore:-

Baking Soda:

Baking soda is the excellent home remedy when it comes to the roof of mouth sore. All you have to do is make a paste by combining soda with a few drops of water. Apply this paste gently on the roof of your mouth and leave it on for 5 minutes. Rinse it with water and repeat it up to 3 times a day until healed completely.

Salt Water:

Another natural home remedy for roof of mouth sore is salt water. Salt and water are the only two substances that you need. Add a tablespoon of common salt to a glass of lukewarm water and stir it well until dissolved completely. Then take the glass of salt water and keep swishing around your mouth for up to a minute. Repeat this about three times a day to help in easing burning sensation and swelling.

Banana Peel:

All you need for this one is a banana peel to alleviate your roof of mouth sore. Take a banana peel and cut it into inch squares. Then gently rub the inside of the peel square on the sore area and continue until the peel turns dark. Rinse the mouth with cold water after about 5 minutes if needed. This remedy can be repeated up to 4 times a day.

Yoghurt:

Yogurt can be an effective way to treat roof of mouth sores. Take a tablespoon of cold yoghurt and place it in the impacted area of the mouth. Allow the yoghurt to sit on the sore area for about 10 seconds and then gulp it in or spit it out. This treatment can be done up to 5 times a day.

Vitamin E Oil:

The two things you need to perform this remedy is a couple of vitamin E capsules and a scissor. Take a small sized bowl and cut open the vitamin E capsule with the scissors and get all the content out into the pot. Using your fingers to gently apply the oil on the blistered area evenly.

Leave it in for a couple of minutes before rinsing it with water. This remedy can be performed up to 3 times a day and helps heal the discomfort and inflammation of roof of mouth sore quickly.

Honey:

Honey is another effective home remedy to treat your roof of mouth sore. Honey has anti-bacterial properties and has a soothing effect on the skin. All you need for this is a tablespoon of honey.

You have to swoosh around the honey in your mouth for about a minute. Be sure to use organic honey to witness the real healing properties of honey. You can repeat this remedy up to 3 times a day.

Prevention of roof of mouth sore:

It is advised that if the roof of mouth sore doesn’t improve or heal within two weeks, it is best to visit a doctor and get diagnosed. You can also implement preventative measures to avoid having them:-

Often people with Vitamin B12 deficiency complain of roof of mouth sores. In such cases replenishing the body with the vitamin supplement should do the trick.
Ensure that you avoid putting piping hot food in your mouth. This is the most usual of getting roof of mouth sores, so next time allow your food to cool down a bit.
Bad habits such as tobacco and alcohol are responsible for an ulcer on the roof of the mouth. Alcohol dehydrates your mouth which in turn causes sore upper mouth. And tobacco products can cause damage and may aggravate sores. So it would be good to try and avoid them as they offer the quickest route towards oral cancer.
Stress can do a lot of damage to your mental health as well as your physical well being in the form of canker sores. Hence practising calming exercises like yoga or even deep breathing should help bring your stress levels down.
If you suffer from any allergy, it is best to try and get them treated or keep them under control. Allergens will trigger immune responses in the form of flare up’s and inflammation, so to prevent roof of mouth pain keeping your allergy in check helps.
Snoring is a common problem faced by a lot of people, but it might interest you to know that vibrations caused during snoring might cause sore on roof of mouth and sore throat. And more profound health concerns like obesity, congestion of nose, sleep apnea and deviated septum often are the behind snoring. So try and keep these concerns in check to avoid snoring and in turn preventing the top of mouth sore.