What should you know about mouth ulcers and ulcerative colitis?

Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory condition affecting the lining of the large bowel. Some people with the condition develop tender sores inside the mouth, alongside bowel symptoms or during a flare. Mouth ulcers can also follow minor injury, irritation, infection, stress, nutritional problems or medicines, so the mouth finding needs context.

Tell a clinician about the ulcer's location, number, appearance and duration. Also mention Abdominal Pain, Diarrhoea, blood or mucus in stools, urgency, weight change, tiredness and fever. These details help distinguish an isolated mouth problem from broader inflammation or another illness.

Rinse gently with plain water or a recommended salt-water solution, use a soft toothbrush and choose cool, soft foods while the area is sore. Avoid tobacco, alcohol-based mouthwashes and foods that clearly irritate the ulcer. Do not stop prescribed bowel medicines without advice.

Arrange a GP Consultation if ulcers keep returning, last longer than expected, are numerous, or make eating and drinking difficult. A clinician may inspect your mouth, review medicines and diet, and decide whether bowel assessment or blood tests are appropriate.

Seek prompt care if you cannot drink, feel faint, have severe abdominal pain, heavy rectal bleeding or signs of dehydration. A mouth sore that is unusually persistent, rapidly enlarging, hard, bleeding without touch or associated with difficulty swallowing needs examination. Urgent symptoms should not be attributed to ulcerative colitis without assessment.

Ask whether the ulcer could be related to bowel inflammation, medicine or a nutritional issue; whether treatment is needed; and which bowel symptoms should trigger a flare review. Ask how to protect eating and drinking while the sore heals.