Greatest19
1 post
Jun 24, 2011
8:10 PM
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Would like to know if there is anything that can help from getting canker sores when playing harmonica and anything that would help to prevent them....thank you
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boris_plotnikov
573 posts
Jun 24, 2011
9:30 PM
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It's a real problem for me! I don't think it's completely from harmonica playing, but some problems with local immunity. I noted that I can live without canker sore some months, any wound in my mouth heals in some hours (no matter how much I play). While for unknown reason sometimes for month or so any hurt becomes a canker sore (aphtose stomatitis). At least try to avoid any cures which have canker sore as side-effect (e.g. nimesulide, methamisol, ibuprofen)!
I use a big variety or cures for sores but actually they hardly help. I think they're not used in US, e.g. Stomatophit, alcohol-dissolved Matricariae flos, Quercus cortex, Salviae folium, Arnicae herba, Calami rhizoma, Menthae pip. herba, Thymi herba. It's for sanitizing. You can try to find Solcoseryl Dental Adhesive Paste by Valeant Pharmaceuticals Switzerland GmbH. It really helps, especially if sore not too big yet.
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Excuse my bad English. Click on my photo or my username for my music.
Last Edited by on Jun 24, 2011 9:31 PM
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nacoran
4234 posts
Jun 24, 2011
10:11 PM
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There are a couple things you should check just to make sure they aren't the issue. Do a little looking at your harp. Some harps are smoother than others. Some models are tougher on your lips than others. Wood combs can swell and crud can build up on the covers that can chew your lips up. Clean the covers with something that is hard enough to get the crud off and soft enough not to damage the cover. I like craft picks- they are like tooth picks only more heavy duty. I scrape along the covers near where my lips touch and then wipe them down with a polishing rag (not the chemically impregnated kind). A clean cover will make your harp slide across your lips smoother. Some people sand down corners and sharp edges to make the harp smoother. I've played a couple custom combs that were like kissing silk. In general, don't drink or eat anything that will be sticky before you play without rinsing your mouth out with water, since that can make gunk build up faster on the harp. Stay away from dairy right before playing too. It makes you produce more mucous. Stay hydrated. Dry lips don't slide as well.
The other thing to check is nickel allergies. Some people are allergic to nickel. It's an allergy that can develop over time and some harp covers use nickel in the alloy, although most modern harps don't. We haven't been able to find a list of which ones do and which ones don't. A nickel allergy can cause canker sores. A handful of people on the forum have had problems with it and it's not the sort of thing most doctors think to ask about- 'Have you been rubbing nickel on your lips?' So rule that out, especially if you seem to be getting the sores when you play.
If you think it's cold sores instead of canker sores there more medicinal treatments. Don't share your harps. They are contagious. (Don't share your harps even if they aren't cold sores. If you have them you don't want to give them to someone else. If you don't, you don't want to get them. I had a college roommate get them from his buddy when they shared a soda bottle!) A good rule of thumb is don't let anyone play your harps you don't want to kiss.
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Nate
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Kyzer Sosa
981 posts
Jun 24, 2011
10:20 PM
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canker sores, sore chapped lips, i used to get them all. i tell you, the one thing that i do today that helps me more than ANYTHING, is to wash my hands and mouth real good just before i play, and during your downtime, scrape the gunk that inevitably builds up on your harps. also, I recently bought a box of little alcohol wipes, like the kind restaurants give you when you eat ribs or hotwings. yessir...
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"Music in the soul can be heard by the universe." - Lao Tzu
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Aussiesucker
869 posts
Jun 24, 2011
11:17 PM
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I for one had considerable problems with nickel allergies. I started playing harmonica as a boy ca 60 years ago. I never got beyond starting to play as each time the unsightly allergy would appear. Not unlike cold sores but big red blisters. I couldn't touch a harp during a 50 year period without it causing almost immediate problems, and I always had harps in my bedside table drawer to look longingly at but not to use! Only in retirement, and on a trip to Asia I purchased a cheap copy watch and discovered the exact same blisters on my wrist. It was diagnosed as a nickel allergy. I did some research on the net and found that newer harps were plastic combed and used a lot of stainless steel on the cover plates. I had it confirmed from Hohner that they had ceased using nickel in diatonic harp production in the 1990's.
I use Hohner SP20, Suzuki Bluesmaster & Harpmaster & Lee Oskar now for around 4 -5 years without problems except I had a minor flare up from a Harpmaster that had done a lot of work and the covers were very tarnished. I suspect the surface coating had broken down?
Although I have a Seydel 1847 I am cautious in its use. It's a really nice harp but with exposed reed plate edges & the reed plates supposedly being made of German Silver{German Silver = Nickel). I have not been bitten yet by the 1847 but am careful in rarely using it. I also have Seydel Session Steel with the new orange combs and concealed 'German Silver' reed plates & find them ok.
I have never suffered from cold sores but do get sore(dry) lips especially in dry colder weather. After playing I sometimes use a lip balm. I wipe my harps with Webcol Skin Cleansing Alcohol Wipes.
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Greg Heumann
1158 posts
Jun 25, 2011
12:59 AM
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1) Don't eat walnuts
2) Take Lysine - it is an amino acid, available at any drug store over the counter with the vitamins. if you have canker sores they will heal faster and spread less. If you feel one possibly coming on, take Lysine immediately. Hours make a difference.
I used to get them - they're awful and painful. Since I became aware of Lysine, I never get them any more -even if I get a sore in my mouth. If I even think there's a chance something might develop, I take 1-2000 mg a day - and I just don't get them.
Note that canker sores and cold sores are not the same thing. Canker sores are small white lesions inside the mouth. Cold sores are more scabby looking and are usually at the junction of lip and mouth tissue. This advice does not apply to cold sores.
I can find articles on Google confirming the above - and some say it is bullshit. I can tell you it has worked very effectively for me for years now. This article matches my experience exactly. However I've also seen quotes from people who tried it and it didn't work for them. It must depend on why you get them, or maybe there's more than one kind. I hope Lysine works for you because it is simple, cheap and has no side effects.
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/Greg
Last Edited by on Jun 25, 2011 1:12 AM
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atty1chgo
83 posts
Jun 25, 2011
7:09 AM
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I was going to make a silly joke about using harmonicas only to play music. I had no idea that this is a problem. Thanks for the post.
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KingoBad
774 posts
Jun 25, 2011
8:11 AM
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Stop sharing those harps and hypodermic needles...
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Danny
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Greatest19
2 posts
Jun 25, 2011
8:29 AM
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Thanks to all for the quick response about the canker sores..........great info and i am going to put it to use......i am a new player for 3-4 years and what great comraderie amongst players to share the knowledge...........aloha na hala
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joeleebush
263 posts
Jun 25, 2011
5:52 PM
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I am going to try and sneak this past the mods...I just can't resist the opening (no pun intended) that this provides.
The tongue needs more exercise away from the harmonica. Use your imagination.
(just dont be startled if you hear something like...."you un-romantic bastard, you're practicing those damn warbles, I know you are! God I hate you!"
lol
lol
lol
'nuff said...maybe too much already. LMAO
Regards,
JoeLee
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"The degree of someone's "open mindedness" will be in direct proportion to how much they agree or disagree with the issue being discussed"...William F. Buckley
Last Edited by on Jun 25, 2011 5:54 PM
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nacoran
4246 posts
Jun 25, 2011
6:44 PM
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Joelee, that's actually pretty funny, and it certainly has harp content. I'm actually working on a dirty song that is actually about playing harmonica.
One more thing for canker sores, although I'm not sure it's as useful on the lips as say for a bit cheek... pineapple juice. I actually keep a can of pineapple in my cupboard. You hold a piece of pineapple against it or swish some juice around. A doctor recommended it to me as a cheap folk remedy and it seems to work really well. I've never conducted double blind tests but I'm a believer.
edit: although a quick Google search suggests some people might be allergic to pineapple and it might make it worse, so try it in moderation to start if you use it.
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Nate
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Last Edited by on Jun 25, 2011 6:46 PM
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