I understand why salt is needed, to dry out the sore and heal it. My doctor said: “gargle with salt water that is as warm as you can handle without burning yourself?” Why was the “warm” aspect of this emphasized so much?
In: Biology
I have read recently that, in salt water gargles, that the heat is not actually important. Yes, it can dissolve more salt, but you don’t actually want to use anywhere near the amount of salt that the water can hold. And the heat has negligible effect on the osmosis that “sucks” out the water from the inflammation.
The main thing is that the heat can actually feel good. But, if it doesn’t, it’s okay to back down on the heat. Personally, I would suggest going neither too hot nor too cold.
Note that this is general knowledge on salt rinsing, not specifically for canker sores.
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