Disclaimer: All herbal teas, medicinal soups, acupuncture and Tui Na described in this article are only auxiliary wellness regimens for traditional health maintenance, not formal medical treatments. They cannot replace professional physician diagnosis, prescription drugs or clinical therapies. Anyone diagnosed with physical diseases shall strictly follow the treatment plans formulated by licensed medical practitioners. All TCM terminology, wellness regulation theories and traditional health philosophies in this text are solely for the inheritance, popularization and cultural exchange of traditional Chinese medicine. No content herein shall be deemed guidance for clinical diagnosis or medical treatment. Read more
Oral ulcer is a common ulcerative lesion among oral mucosal diseases, which frequently occurs in areas such as the lips, cheeks, and edges of the tongue, and is characterized by periodic recurrence. This condition can be seen in individuals of any age, with a higher prevalence in females, and can occur throughout the year. The ulcers are self-limiting and generally heal on their own within 7-10 days. The etiology of this condition is currently unclear, but it is generally believed that common causes include gastrointestinal dysfunction, emotional stress, mental stimulation, allergic reactions, endocrine disorders, acute infectious diseases, and excessive consumption of spicy and aromatic foods.
The main clinical symptoms of oral ulcers are the recurrent appearance of small, round or oval ulcerative surfaces on the oral mucosa. These ulcers can occur singly or multiply in any part of the oral mucosa and are accompanied by severe spontaneous pain. Systemic symptoms are not very pronounced. The disease is often discovered during the ulcerative phase, when the ulcerative surface has a diameter of approximately 2-3 millimeters, is shallow at the base, has neat edges, and is surrounded by a red halo. The ulcerative surface is covered with yellowish-white fibrous exudate and causes severe burning pain. Stimuli such as cold, heat, sourness, and saltiness can exacerbate the pain, making speaking and eating difficult. After healing, no scars are left, but the condition can recur repeatedly due to factors such as weather, emotions, and fatigue. The disease can persist for several years or even decades without complete resolution.
In traditional Chinese medicine, oral ulcers are classified into two types: excess fire and deficient fire. The clinical manifestations of oral ulcers due to excess fire include aversion to cold, fever, headache, constipation, yellow urine, thick and dry yellow tongue coating, and occasionally accompanied by swelling and pain of the submandibular lymph nodes. Oral ulcers due to deficient fire may present with no obvious systemic symptoms or may be accompanied by low-grade fever. Some patients may experience dry mouth, dry throat, heat in the palms and soles, insomnia, dream-disturbed sleep, and peeling tongue coating.
1.Tea made from tea roots
Ingredients: 30 grams of tea tree roots.
Preparation Method: Wash and chop the tea tree roots, decoct them in water to obtain the juice, and use it as a tea substitute for drinking. Take 1-2 doses per day.
Efficacy: Clearing stomach fire. Used for treating oral ulcers of excessive fire type.
2.Bamboo Leaf and Rehmannia Tea
Ingredients: 15 grams of Lophatheri Herba, 15 grams of Rehmanniae Radix, 9 grams of Scutellariae Radix.
Preparation Method: Combine the above three ingredients and grind them into a coarse powder. Place the powder in an insulated cup, pour boiling water over it, cover, and let it steep for 30 minutes. Then, consume it as a tea substitute. One dose per day.
Efficacy: Clearing heat and purging fire, cooling blood and promoting dampness drainage. It is used for treating oral ulcers of excess-fire type.
3.Lotus Seed Core Tea
Ingredients: 3 grams of lotus plumule.
Preparation Method: Place the lotus seed cores into a cup, infuse with boiling water, and use as a tea substitute. Take 2 to 3 doses daily.
Efficacy: Clearing heart fire and purging fire. It is used for treating oral ulcers of excess-fire type.
4.Old Cucumber Tea
Ingredients: 1 old cucumber, 20 grams of white granulated sugar.
Preparation method: Wash the old cucumber, slice it, decoct it in water to obtain the juice, add white sugar, and use it as tea. One dose per day.
Efficacy: Clearing heat and detoxifying, promoting diuresis to alleviate swelling. It is used for treating oral ulcers of excessive heat type.
5.Lampwick and Bamboo Leaf Tea
Ingredients: 20 grams each of Juncus Effusus (medulla) and Lophatherum Gracile (leaf).
Preparation method: Grind the two ingredients above into coarse powder together, put them into a vacuum flask, pour boiling water over them, cover and steep for 30 minutes, then use it as tea. One dose per day.
Efficacy: Clearing heat and eliminating restlessness, promoting diuresis. It is used for treating oral ulcers of excessive heat pattern.
6.Honeysuckle and Licorice Root Tea
Ingredients: 10 grams of Flos Lonicerae, 3 grams of Radix Glycyrrhizae Urens.
Preparation Method: Place the two ingredients above into a cup, steep with boiling water, and use as a tea substitute. One dose per day.
Efficacy: Clearing heat and detoxifying, moistening the lungs and eliminating phlegm. Used for treating oral ulcers of excessive heat type.
7.Cassia Seed and Anemarrhena Asphodeloides Tea
Ingredients: 10 grams of Cassiae Semen, 10 grams of Anemarrhenae Rhizoma each.
Preparation method: Coarsely grind Cassiae Semen and Anemarrhenae Rhizoma together, place the mixture into a vacuum flask, pour boiling water over it, cover and steep for 30 minutes, then consume as a tea substitute. One dose per day.
Efficacy: Nourishing yin and clearing the lung, relieving heat and eliminating restlessness. Used for treating oral ulcers of the deficiency fire type.
8.Hearth Soil and Bamboo Leaf Tea
Ingredients: 30 grams each of hearth soil and bamboo leaf.
Preparation Method: First, decoct the hearth soil with water to obtain the juice. Then, use this juice to decoct bamboo leaves, remove the dregs to obtain the juice, and use it as tea to drink. One dose per day.
Efficacy: Warming the middle jiao to dry dampness, promoting the discharge of the lower and clearing the upper. It is used for treating oral ulcers of the deficient fire type.
9.Rehmannia Tea
Ingredients: 30 grams of Rehmanniae Radix.
Preparation method: Process Rehmanniae Radix into coarse powder, place it in a vacuum flask, pour boiling water into it, cover and steep for 30 minutes, then use it as tea to drink. One dose per day.
Efficacy: Nourishing yin and clearing heat. Used for treating oral ulcers of deficient fire pattern.
10.Ophiopogon and Dendrobium Tea
Ingredients: 15 grams of Ophiopogonis Radix, 30 grams of Dendrobii Caulis, 20 grams of Rehmanniae Radix.
Preparation Method: Grind the above three ingredients into coarse powder together, place them in a vacuum flask, pour boiling water over them, cover and steep for 30 minutes, then consume as a tea substitute. One dose per day.
Efficacy: Nourishes yin and clears heat, moistens dryness and relieves restlessness. It is used for treating oral ulcers of the deficiency-fire type.
TCM Terminology Disclaimer:All traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) terms, descriptions, and wellness expressions including but not limited to nourishing lungs, soothing throat discomfort, supporting respiratory comfort, clearing mild internal heat, balancing qi and blood, harmonizing bodily functions, and regulating general wellness featured on this website are traditional TCM cultural descriptions and historical wellness theories only. These phrases are used solely for traditional TCM knowledge sharing and cultural interpretation. They do not constitute medical efficacy claims, have not been evaluated by the FDA, and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. All TCM wording describes traditional auxiliary wellness conditioning effects only and should never be interpreted as clinical medical treatment results. Individuals with confirmed illnesses must seek professional medical diagnosis and follow standard Western medical treatment.
FDA Mandatory Disclaimer：These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. Chinese herbal dietary supplements and traditional wellness practices are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease and serve only as daily auxiliary health support. If you have been diagnosed with any illness, please seek professional medical care and follow standard Western medical treatment regimens.
Great article! I’ve dealt with recurring oral ulcers for years, and it’s fascinating to see how TCM types can guide tea choices. I’ll definitely try matching my symptoms to these herbal options—thanks for the clear breakdown!
This is so helpful! I suffer from recurrent mouth ulcers and never realized TCM types could make a difference in treatment. I’ll definitely try matching my symptoms to the right herbal tea. Thanks for the detailed guide!
شكراً على المقال المفيد! أعاني من تقرحات الفم المتكررة، وجربت شاي البابونج فعلاً ساعدني. هل تنصحون بخلط أنواع معينة حسب نوع التقصف في الطب الصيني؟ 🙏
I’ve been struggling with recurrent mouth ulcers for years—this TCM breakdown is super helpful! I never realized different teas target different root causes. Going to try the licorice one next time. Thanks for sharing this!
Great article! As someone who suffers from recurrent canker sores, I’ve tried everything. Love that you linked the teas to specific TCM patterns instead of just a one-size-fits-all list. I’ll be trying the licorice and honeysuckle blend for my “heat” type next time. Thanks for sharing this!