Are mouth sores and COVID related? With all of the information surrounding the COVID-19 during the ongoing pandemic, you’d be forgiven for not knowing exactly what constitutes COVID-19 infection. This is especially true as the delta and omicron variants of SARS-CoV-2 threaten to cause another wave of infections. So if you discover mouth sores and have concerns about COVID, what should you do?
This article will explain COVID-19 symptoms and explore some of the current knowledge doctors have about the correlation between the virus and mouth sores.
COVID-19 Symptoms
First, let’s start by recognizing some of the most common symptoms associated with COVID-19. These are:
- Cough
- Shortness of Breath
- Fever
- Fatigue, tiredness
- Loss of smell and taste
However, as researchers further study the effects of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19, they encounter more possible symptoms. One of these is the reported presence of mouth and throat ulcers.
Mouth Sores and COVID: Are They Related?
Further research needs to happen to link COVID-19 and the presence of mouth ulcers definitively. But many reports link the appearance of mouth ulcers to the disease. In particular, a few dozen case studies have looked at COVID-19 patients who developed canker sores within two weeks of infection.
The studies found that people commonly developed canker sores, also known as aphthous ulcers, around the mouth and on the tongue and lips. Another observation was that older people with more severe infections were likely to develop more severe mouth sores.
But does this mean that mouth sores and COVID are related to each other? Well, the exact symptoms depend on the cause of the ulcer. It seems that COVID-19 weakens your immune system to the point that picking up other infections becomes more likely. Ultimately, it is unclear whether the coronavirus is directly responsible for the ulcers, but the infections may coincide.
Viral Infections Can Lead To Mouth Sores
While we don’t have any concrete information on whether COVID-19 leads to mouth sores, it is common for viral infections to cause them. For example, the herpes simplex virus, the ebola virus, and the measles virus can all cause mouth and throat ulcers.
While it isn’t clear that SARS-CoV-2 causes mouth sores, experts cannot rule the possibility out without further research.
Conclusion: See A Doctor If You’re Concerned
If you experience any symptoms associated with COVID-19, such as those mentioned above, you should visit a doctor immediately. This is particularly true if you are not vaccinated against the virus. Remember that since this is a new virus, there is still a lot of research necessary before scientists and medical experts can accurately predict the short-term and long-term effects of infection.
If you have mouth ulcers, a doctor will be able to diagnose and treat your condition appropriately and evaluate whether they are related to the coronavirus or another issue.
Aqeeq Internal Medicine offers the best primary care in Houston. We aim to give you personalized, compassionate, high-quality care, and our focus is always to put your health first. If you have any questions or would like to schedule a consultation or diagnosis, please give us a call at (832) 786-8195.