Indeed, the concept of 'heart and spleen heat' discussed in Korean medicine aligns surprisingly well with modern medicine. Frequent oral wounds are not merely caused by dental alignment or braces; they can be an SOS signal sent by our body's complex systems. The first factor to consider is 'stress.' Severe stress activates the sympathetic nervous system, putting the body into a state of tension. In this process, we may unconsciously clench the temporomandibular joint, grind our teeth, or even bite our tongue or cheeks while sleeping. These are subconscious actions arising from an oversensitized nervous system, similar to biting one's nails when anxious.
Stress also has a profound impact on our immune system. When cortisol, the stress hormone, is secreted excessively, the immune response declines, weakening the defensive barrier of the oral mucosa. Small wounds that would normally heal easily tend to become inflamed under decreased immunity, and the healing speed slows down noticeably. Furthermore, it affects the quantity and quality of saliva secretion, making the oral cavity prone to dryness and lowering the antibacterial and protective functions of saliva. It is comparable to small cracks forming easily on desertified soil.
Moreover, nutritional imbalance is a factor that cannot be ignored. A deficiency in nutrients essential for the health and regeneration of the oral mucosa, such as vitamin B complex, iron, and zinc, weakens oral tissues and makes them vulnerable to inflammation. In particular, vitamin B12 or folate deficiency can be a major cause of stomatitis. These issues can become more prominent when nutritional intake is uneven due to irregular eating habits or extreme dieting.
Additionally, physical irritation such as braces, ill-fitting prostheses, or sharp tooth edges can be the cause, but when these physical factors combine with stress and decreased immunity, wounds become deeper and more prone to recurrence. In other words, repeatedly biting the inside of your mouth is not a simple 'mistake,' but a complex warning signal from our body combining stress, decreased immunity, nutritional imbalance, and subconscious habits. All these factors interact to harm the health of the oral mucosa and aggravate the discomfort we feel. Therefore, rather than taking these small wounds lightly, it is essential to listen to the voices of your body and mind.
