Mouth sores and spots can be painful, unsightly, and annoying and while some may appear inside the mouth such as one lips, tongue, gums, and roof of the mouth or palate, others could occur outside the mouth around the lips, on the chin, and under the nose. Presence of red spots on the roof of mouth might be a sign of different things and it is good to see a healthcare provider.
Causes of red dots on roof of mouth
The red spots on palate could be a sign of oral herpes or cold sores. These sores are caused by herpes simplex virus type-1 referred to as HSV-1. The herpes simplex virus 1 causes small but painful blisters on lips, skin around the mouth, and on gums. Cold sores are usually a group of painful and fluid filled blisters and they are at times referred to as fever blisters.
Oral herpes is an infection that is caused by primarily the HSV-1 or the type-1 herpes simplex virus. Oral herpes can be transmitted through contact with a person infected with the virus. If one gets in contact with saliva of an infected individual, he or she could contract the disease. Kissing and sharing of utensils could result to contracting the condition.
It is not typically an STI disease or sexually transmitted infection however, the HSV-1 could be passed from genitals to mouth and vice versa but in rare cases. People indulging in oral sex may risk contracting the virus from their partners, which could cause oral herpes.
If the dots or spots in your mouth precede a grey or white ulcer, they could be a sign of oral herpes. The ulcers could take some time to develop than red spot, therefore, you might have to wait for several days in order to see if you will develop the ulcer right in middle of the red spots. Another indication of red areas inside the mouth could be injuries to the roof of the mouth.
If you japed your mouth with something hard as a pretzel, it could cause injury that leads to a red spot. This is a temporary injury and might only last for a week or two, and it is less likely to be a good explanation of having several red spots on the roof of the mouth.
Lichen planes is a disorder that presents in form of chronic itchy inflammatory lesion or rash in the mouth and on skin. The lesions may present in white spots or lacelike. It is not a contagious disease and does not pose increased risk of turning into cancer, however, there is no cure and you need to seek for treatment of the discomforting pain and any other secondary infection that might arise.
Candidiasis, which is also known as moniliasis or oral thrush, may also be indicated by presence of the red spots in mouth. This is a fungal infection and it produces white and red creamy patches on surface of mouth. It can be pretty painful and could cause a patient to have bad breath and experience difficulties in swallowing or tasking food.
Another possibility is that the red spots on roof of mouth could be occurring due to thinning of the mouth lining. When the lining inside the mouth thins, the capillaries get closer to the surface and this makes them appear more reddish in color. The lesion areas called erythroplakia will tend to bleed easily if they are scraped and this is because they are raised to the surface.
The erythroplakia could at times be a predictor of possibility for developing cancer, therefore, it is important to seek help of doctor in order to have the red spots examined. Erythroplakia occurs as a red patch mainly on mouth floor and on gums but they could also affect the roof of mouth. The cause for erythroplakia is unknown but is most often associated with use of alcohol or smoking. It can also be contributed to by poor nutrition and chronic irritation.
Erythroplakia, though most less common in relation to leukoplakia, it is the common lesion that will be found in people in precancerous stage when observed using a biopsy. If you have red lesions that are not healing in a week, it is essential you be evaluated by a doctor.
Treatment and diagnosis of red dots on mouth roof
When you have the red spots in mouth, it is essential that you consult a medical practitioner because it is not easy to determine what might be causing them. There are many different conditions that can present in form of red dots within the roof of the mouth. Without proper examination, you might not know what you are suffering from.
The physician will examine the spots and discuss with you of the past health and medical condition. Besides, the physician will ask whether you could be experiencing any other symptoms that could help in identifying the condition. This can help in narrowing down the aspect of diagnosis in order to assist in identifying the cause.
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