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Crises don’t only happen in midlife – they are constant

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Crises don't only happen in midlife - they are constant

I know that there’s more to a midlife crisis than mocking people trying to hang on to their youth. Occurring typically between ages 40 and 65 and affecting between ten and 20 per cent of adults, the condition, if I can call it that, is triggered by an awareness of ageing and mortality, prompting people to reevaluate their choices, achievements and missed opportunities.

It can affect people’s mental health, with sufferers experiencing anxiety and depression. But surely this midlife unrest is something that can affect people of any age? Crises which force us to question what we are doing, why we are doing it and what the future holds not only surface in midlife – they are with us throughout life.

I was interested to read that Gen Z – the 18 to 24 age group who nowadays seem to be at the forefront of every consumer research project – are experiencing quarter-life crises; worrying about studying, jobs, housing and other aspects of their young lives.

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Almost half are going through this, according to the research led by the University of Greenwich, involving 2, 247 young people from eight countries including the UK.

I’ve been there. In my late teens I had a massive quarter-life crisis. Starting a one-year course in journalism, I couldn’t help but think I’d done the wrong thing and should have gone to university, as many of my friends had done. They seemed to be having great fun and I couldn’t help thinking I was missing out.

And then there was the boyfriend I’d met at school – we had discussed staying at home and finding jobs to see how things panned out. Decisions, decisions, stress, stress.

The choice I made, bizarrely, to stay at home and find work, turned out to be the wrong one, and it was a fretful two years before I made the right decision – which I have never regretted – to go to university.

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As I hit midlife, with a husband and two young children added to the mix, I definitely suffered from a few Shirley Valentine moments. After everyone had gone to bed I would clear the toys off the sofa and watch Sex and the City, thinking ‘that’s the life I should be having’, although I must add the envy was more about the city than the sex.

Few things bring you down to earth faster than being stuck at home with small kids. During this period in our lives my husband would happily have ridden off into the sunset on a Harley- Davidson. In the end, no motorbike appeared on the drive and the crisis passed over.

When I told my colleague Emma what I was writing about she said: “Life itself is a crisis punctuated by some nice moments, which are what get you through.”

It’s true. Life is a series of crises, which start as early as your teens and, unless you lead a charmed life, never stop. And we don’t only reinvent ourselves in midlife, we do at various stages; as a student, for example, I suddenly opted to dress in black, join CND and become a vegetarian,

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In later life, the death of parents and, sometimes, friends, throws your own mortality into sharp relief. There’s plenty of rumination and not a lot we can do to change things, although I read recently that two-thirds of over-60s still harbour ambitions of making their mark. I’m not one of them – I’m too tired to head off on an Eat Pray Love-style journey, besides I’d hate the food.

My husband hasn’t dyed his hair or joined a gym. He stays connected to his youth listening to punk CDs as he cooks our evening meals.

So, for now, there are no later-life crises bubbling up in our home. I don’t, however, rule them out, because you really never know, do you?

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Right-wing firebrand Milo Yiannopoulos detained by ICE at Louisiana airport

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Right-wing influencer Milo Yiannopoulos, who used to be Kanye West's chief of staff and is now his publicist, has reportedly been detained by ICE; pictured 2024

Right-wing influencer Milo Yiannopoulos, who used to be Kanye West‘s chief of staff and is now his publicist, has reportedly been detained by ICE.

Sources claim the British firebrand was taken into custody at an airport in Louisiana, with inmate records indicating he is now at a detention center in the state, via TMZ.

Yiannopoulos, who was allegedly seized in the New Orleans area, now faces a final order of removal, per US officials and government records obtained by CBS.

His reasons for traveling to Louisiana remain unconfirmed, although West is scheduled to perform at the Superdome in New Orleans on Friday.

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Since his rise to fame as a political commentator, Yiannopoulos has been a staunch advocate of immigration restriction and mass deportations.

He said in 2017 that he was in America on an O-1 nonimmigrant visa, which is granted to aliens with an ‘extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics,’ according to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services policy manual.

The Daily Mail has contacted Yiannopoulos and ICE for comment. 

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Right-wing influencer Milo Yiannopoulos, who used to be Kanye West’s chief of staff and is now his publicist, has reportedly been detained by ICE; pictured 2024

West is pictured with Yiannopoulos in Beverly Hills in November 2022, the same month they visited Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago with Nick fuentes in tow

West is pictured with Yiannopoulos in Beverly Hills in November 2022, the same month they visited Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago with Nick fuentes in tow

O-1 visas, which require sponsorship by an ‘agent’ or employer, can also be given to individuals of ‘extraordinary achievement’ in movies and TV.

Yiannopoulos enjoys a longstanding association with West and acted as director of political operations on his 2024 US presidential campaign.

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In 2022, during his time as West’s political honcho, he helped arrange the rapper’s explosively controversial Mar-a-Lago summit with Donald Trump and the self-described ‘white identitarian’ streaming star Nick Fuentes.

Yiannopoulous has since dramatically fallen out with Fuentes, whom he now relentlessly derides on X, formerly known as Twitter. 

In 2017, he exchanged vows in Hawaii with a black man whom he publicly referred to only as ‘John,’ otherwise carefully concealing his identity.

As such, it remains unconfirmed whether Yiannopoulos became eligible to obtain American citizenship or a green card via marriage to a US national.

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Yiannopoulos has characterized himself as ‘ex-gay’ since 2021, and has commenced divorce proceedings with his husband.

His reported ICE woes come after his client, West, was banned from Yiannopoulos’ native Britain over the antisemitic diatribes that torpedoed his career, including praise for Hitler and a vow to go ‘death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE.’

Sources claim the British firebrand was taken into custody at an airport in Louisiana, with inmate records indicating he is now at a detention center there, via TMZ; pictured 2017

Sources claim the British firebrand was taken into custody at an airport in Louisiana, with inmate records indicating he is now at a detention center there, via TMZ; pictured 2017

West took out a full-page ad apologizing for the comments in the Wall Street Journal this January, three months before he was prohibited from entering the UK.

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He had been scheduled to a headline a music festival at Finsbury Park in London that was called off altogether after his appearance there became impossible.

West has also seen planned concerts canceled in Poland and France this year as a result of the continuing backlash to his tirades about Jews, as well as to a past embrace of Nazi iconography so extravagant that he released a single called Heil Hitler and sold merchandise splashed with swastikas.

He was set to perform at the Gazprom Arena in St Petersburg in October, which would have made him the highest-profile western artist to play Russia since the outbreak of the Ukraine War, but those shows were also scrapped amid blowback.

However he has been able to stage concerts in America, as well as in Mexico, Turkey and such post-Soviet countries as Georgia and Kazakhstan.

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In his Wall Street Journal ad, West blamed his antisemitic remarks on his infamous 2002 car crash, which he claimed left him with brain damage that went ‘unnoticed’ and led to the development of his subsequently diagnosed bipolar disorder.

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The Queen O’ T’Owd Thatch in South Milford has closed

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The Queen O' T'Owd Thatch in South Milford has closed

The closure of the award-winning Queen O’ T’owd Thatch in South Milford, between Leeds and Selby, was announced yesterday (Thursday) on social media.

The statement said the closure was with ‘a heavy heart’ but added there were many factors behind it.

It explained: “Running a pub takes a huge amount of time, effort and commitment, and it also relies on having the right support around it.

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“We have done our very best to keep the doors open and to provide somewhere for people to come together and enjoy. However, over recent months, the challenges have unfortunately become too much to continue as things stand.

“We have been trying since February to employ a new management couple or a chef but the industry is on a decline, we have been unsuccessful due both management couples & chefs are leaving the industry to do other jobs. High overheads are also adding to the hospitality industry decline.”

The statement thanked those who had supported the pub, calling it “incredibly sad” to close the pub until a “suitable tenant can be found.”

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The closure, which began today, comes despite the pub earning good reviews on social media.

Google awards the venue 4.9 stars out of five based on 31 reviews.

Tripadvisor awards 4.1 stars out of five based on 56 reviews, ranking it 488th out of 1,979 restaurants in Leeds.

However, the Press has reported the gastropub has previously faced challenges due to higher rents and other costs leading former managers to leave the pub in 2023.

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Last month, the pub commented on Facebook that business seemed quitter than usual, which might have been due to the holidays, or festivals.

The post continued: “Well, pubs don’t stay open on good memories and Facebook likes. They stay open because folk walk through t’door, have a pint and put the world to rights and keep the lights on.

“Your local isn’t just somewhere that sells beer. It’s where birthdays are celebrated, friendships are made, darts are argued over, politics get serious, and someone always knows someone who knows your dad!

“So instead of saying, “We really should go,” just go!!

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“One pint. One visit. It all helps.

“Because once your local’s gone, all that’s left is everyone saying, “It were a cracking pub, that.”

It added: “We’re open to any suggestions of things you’d like to see other than what we already offer!”

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9 photos show life at schools in Bolton in 1974

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9 photos show life at schools in Bolton in 1974

The nine photos from The Bolton News archive were taken in 1974, when flares were very much in fashion and Mud, The Rubettes and Paper Lace released some of the best-selling singles of the year.

Perhaps you were at school in Bolton at this time. You might even be in one of the photographs.

Hopefully they will bring back fond memories for some Looking Back readers who are probably wondering how those five decades have flown by.

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To share your memories of schooldays in Bolton, email bygones@nqnw.co.uk and don’t forget to include some photos, as we’d love to see them.

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90-year-old woman last seen at Swansea market goes missing

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Wales Online

Officers for South Wales Police have released a description of the pensioner and what she was last seen wearing

Police are appealing for help to find a missing 90-year-old woman last seen in Swansea Market. Margaret Gleeson went last seen at the market at around 3pm on Friday.

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Officers for South Wales Police have released a description of the pensioner and what she was last seen wearing in the hope that anyone with information will come forward to help with their search. They have encouraged anyone who has spotted her to get in touch.

A spokesperson for South Wales Police said: “Margaret, 90, has been reported as missing. She was last seen in Swansea Market, Oxford Street, around 3pm today.

“She is described as around 5’4, wearing a beige overcoat, jeans, and a peak hat. Anyone who may have seen Margaret, or who has information which will help us find her, is asked to contact us by one of the below means quoting occurrence number 2600283142.”

Police can by contacted online or by calling 101.

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Roman village Ribchester in Lancashire – history and food

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Roman village Ribchester in Lancashire - history and food

If it’s on your to-visit list, you’ll probably be thinking about what you can do there and where you can grab a bite to eat.

A restaurant in the village (Stydd Restaurant) was described as the “cutest little lunch spot in the world” by a customer, making it a great spot to try out if you fancy it.

From its history to the must-visit spots, here’s what the village has to offer.

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History of Ribchester

Ribchester Village Hall’s website explains: “The Village of Ribchester with the outlying hamlet of Stydd is situated in the picturesque Ribble Valley in the heart of rural Lancashire.

“Ribchester grew out of the ruins of the Roman fort of Bremetennacum Veteranorum, which comprised a fort and civilian settlement.

“The earliest Roman fort in Ribchester was established in the early 70s AD as part of a network of defensive forts across northern Britannia.

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“The Parish Church of Saint Wilfrid, and the Village Hall itself, stand where the principal buildings of the fort would have been.

“The church, for the most part, dates from the 13th Century.

“Always a farming community the Village grew significantly in the 17th and 18th Centuries through the expansion of the Lancashire cotton industry.

“Around the village can still be found many of the cottages used by the handloom weavers in the early part of the 17th Century – particularly in Church Street – but the weaving industry has all but gone.

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“Ribchester is still a busy place although most of its population work in the nearby city of Preston or the town of Blackburn.”



Amenities in Ribchester

Ribchester, located alongside the River Ribble, is home to eateries, including a cafe and a pub.

You can also visit Roman Baths Ribchester or Ribchester Roman Museum to learn more about the village’s history.

Food and drink in Ribchester

There are a few places you can stop for food and drink in Ribchester, including Potters Barn Cafe and the Ribchester Arms.

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Potters Barn has a 4.5-star rating on Tripadvisor from 203 reviews, with one customer saying: “Glad I booked a table as it was getting pretty busy even at 10am.

“Delicious brunch and wished that I could have stayed for lunch as specials menu looked delicious.”

This customer enjoyed breakfast at the cafe: “Treated myself to breakfast and this cafe was well worth the visit great value and delicious.

“Dog friendly as well. Going back again for lunch as menu looked appetising.

“Staff extremely friendly and great customer service.

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“Open at 9.30am and it was getting busy with customers coming in for hot drinks and cake”.


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Another shared that you can combine a stop at the cafe with pottery painting: “We enjoyed a lovely homemade lunch here, sat out in the garden.

“Great service, tasty food and good coffee.

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“The pot painting area looked great and fancy booking when we are in the area again. Lovely gift shop.

“The cakes looked delicious too but we were full!! Next time.”

Have you been to Ribchester? Share your favourite spots with us in the comments below.

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Hendy to support Hampshire athlete’s challenge in British Cycle Speedway Championships

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Hendy to support Hampshire athlete’s challenge in British Cycle Speedway Championships

Southampton-based Maddie Saunders is preparing to compete at the 2026 British Individual Cycle Speedway Championships this weekend and will travel to and from the race in style and comfort, with her bike at her side, thanks to a support vehicle provided by her employer, the family-run Hendy Group.

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Crystal Palace vs Manchester City – Premier League LIVE: Enzo Maresca’s men travel to Selhurst Park in search of back-to-back wins

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Crystal Palace vs Manchester City - Premier League LIVE: Enzo Maresca's men travel to Selhurst Park in search of back-to-back wins

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Follow Daily Mail Sport’s live coverage for the latest updates of Crystal Palace’s Premier League clash with Manchester City at Selhurst Park.

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New energy plant could be built right next to existing one

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Cambridgeshire Live

The company is planning to use more than 200,000 tonnes of waste products a year to produce energy

A new energy plant could be built right next to an already existing site. Pretoria Energy has submitted plans to build a large anaerobic digestion plant in Chatteris.

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The plant would be located west of the existing Mepal AD plant, also run by Pretoria, and south of Grey’s Farm in Chatteris. If approved, Pretoria proposes to use around 220,000 tonnes of feedstock every year, consisting of chicken and poultry litter, straw and blended liquid food waste to produce energy.

The applicant said: “The primary use is to generate energy in the form of biogas which would be exported to the gas network via an existing connection point currently used within the applicant’s existing AD plant.

“The planning agent has advised the thermal output will be more than 50 megawatts, whilst there will be an estimated 100 HGV movements per day during the week.”

The land is currently an agricultural site. Pretoria’s current AD plant produces 120 HGV movements a day, including 60 vehicles in and 60 vehicles out. There could be an overlap in HGV movements between the existing plant and new one. However, the applicant said this would be for a “temporary period”.

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If approved, the construction of the site could have the “potential to create noise and light”. Construction is expected to take around 24 months, with work taking place between 7am and 6pm on Mondays to Fridays and 8am to 1pm on Saturdays.

Pretoria has produced a noise assessment for the applicant. This doesn’t provide an assessment on the effects of the construction stage, but it believes there “would not be a significant effect”.

The site is around 2.2km from the Ouse Washes, which is a special protection area and special area of conservation. An ecological air quality assessment submitted with the plans identifies that the site has the “potential to cause changes in pollution levels at sensitive ecological locations”.

However, the screening distance doesn’t include the washes and it’s “not likely to have any significant effects”. A new 530m access road between Blockmoor Drove and Short North Drove Byways has also been proposed.

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Pretoria has submitted a similar planning application to East Cambridgeshire District Council for another AD plant in Stretham.

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Wanted suspect arrested after cops spot him wandering into Panda Express during their lunch break

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Wanted suspect arrested after cops spot him wandering into Panda Express during their lunch break

Not even a fortune cookie could have predicted this arrest.

A California man who twice escaped police by running onto a freeway was finally taken into custody after he happened to walk into the same Panda Express where officers were eating lunch.

The unlikely encounter happened July 17 at a Panda Express on the 600 block of West Huntington Drive in Monrovia. Body camera footage released by the Monrovia Police Department Thursday shows two officers sitting down to eat when the suspect they had been searching for walked through the door.

The man, who has not been publicly identified, was wanted on a no-bail felony probation warrant. Officers said they had been trying to arrest him for about a month.

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In the footage, the officers are seen eating bowls of beef and broccoli when they spot the wanted man. After giving each other a nod, they quickly move in, tackling him and placing him in handcuffs.

A California man who twice escaped police by running onto a freeway was finally taken into custody after he happened to walk into the same Panda Express where officers were eating lunch. Officers noticed the wanted man, pictured in the upper right-hand corner, enter Panda Express while they were sitting down, eating their meals
A California man who twice escaped police by running onto a freeway was finally taken into custody after he happened to walk into the same Panda Express where officers were eating lunch. Officers noticed the wanted man, pictured in the upper right-hand corner, enter Panda Express while they were sitting down, eating their meals (Monrovia Police Department)
They approached the suspect, who has not been identified, at the counter, tackled him and handcuffed him
They approached the suspect, who has not been identified, at the counter, tackled him and handcuffed him (Monrovia Police Department)

“What did I do?” the man can be heard asking.

One officer responds, “You’ve been wanted. You’ve been running from me for like a month.”

Officers had previously tried to arrest the man while he was walking, but he fled both times, eventually running onto a freeway and getting away, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.

This time, the man did not make it to a freeway. Police took him into custody at the restaurant without another chase.

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The Monrovia Police Department poked fun at the bizarre timing of the encounter in its Instagram post.

“At this point, we’re not sure if it was good police work, bad timing, or the irresistible smell of chow mein. Either way, an arrest was made,” the department said.

After taking the man into custody, the officers were able to return to the restaurant and finish their meal.

“Priorities,” the department added.

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why have I got them and how can I get rid of them?

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why have I got them and how can I get rid of them?

If you’ve ever had a mouth ulcer, you’ll know how much a tiny sore can take over your day. These small, painful patches that suddenly appear inside your mouth make eating, drinking and even talking surprisingly uncomfortable.

The good news is that most heal on their own within a week or two. But understanding why they appear and what you can do to prevent them can make a big difference.

Mouth ulcers are incredibly common. Up to a quarter of the population will experience them at some point in their lives, and they’re especially frequent in teenagers and young adults. Some people get one or two a year; others find they pop up every month. They’re not contagious and they’re usually harmless, but they can still be miserable.

So why do they happen? In many cases, it’s something simple. Trauma to the area – from accidentally biting your cheek, scraping your gums with a toothbrush, or irritation from braces or dentures – can trigger an ulcer. Certain foods, especially spicy, salty or acidic ones, can also irritate the lining of your mouth. Stress, tiredness and hormonal changes play a role too, and some people notice ulcers appear around their monthly period or during times of pressure at work or home.

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Sometimes the cause is less obvious. Ulcers may be linked to low levels of iron, zinc, folate, B vitamins or vitamin D, or to underlying conditions such as coeliac disease, Crohn’s disease or a suppressed immune system. If a deficiency seems likely, it’s worth asking your GP for a blood test so that you can get the correct supplements.

Medications, including some anti-inflammatories, heart medicines like beta blockers, and lung medicines like bronchodilators, can also trigger them. And for a few people, recurrent ulcers are simply part of their genetic makeup as they tend to run in families.

People who stop smoking often notice mouth ulcers appearing in the first couple of weeks. They are a withdrawal effect, and around two in five quitters develop them. They’re usually mild and settle within a month.

If you’re unlucky enough to get ulcers regularly, you might be dealing with recurrent aphthous stomatitis, a pattern of repeated ulcers. These ulcers can be tiny and short lived, or larger and more severe, lasting several weeks. They’re thought to involve an overactive immune response in the mouth, which makes the lining more vulnerable to everyday triggers.

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How to get rid of them

While there’s no instant cure and most ulcers clear up on their own within a week or two, there are several ways to ease the pain and help them heal faster. Rinsing with warm saltwater can soothe discomfort and reduce inflammation.

Over-the-counter topical treatments can help ease the pain of mouth ulcers and sometimes shorten how long they last. Local anaesthetic gels and sprays, such as lidocaine and benzocaine, numb the area for a short period, making eating and drinking more comfortable.

Antiseptic and anti-inflammatory mouthwashes, including chlorhexidine and benzydamine, can also help reduce discomfort and may slightly shorten healing time. For more stubborn or painful ulcers, you can buy steroid tablets that dissolve in the mouth. Doctors or dentists can prescribe steroid sprays or stronger mouthwashes to reduce pain, swelling and speed up healing.

If you keep getting ulcers, it’s worth looking at your toothpaste. Sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS), a foaming agent found in many brands, has been linked to mouth ulcers in some people. Switching to an SLS-free toothpaste may help reduce the pain and healing period of ulcers.

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Eating softer foods, drinking cool liquids through a straw and avoiding spicy or acidic meals, or rough, crunchy foods like crisps can also make life more comfortable while an ulcer heals.

Prevention is often easier than treatment. Using a soft-bristled toothbrush, keeping up with regular dental check ups and eating a balanced diet can all help protect the lining of your mouth. Managing stress and getting enough sleep may reduce how often ulcers appear. And if you suspect certain foods trigger your ulcers – chocolate, coffee, nuts and tomatoes are common culprits – keeping a diary can help you spot patterns.

Tomatoes can be a trigger.
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If your mouth ulcer lasts longer than three weeks, keeps coming back, or looks unusual, it’s important to get it checked. A persistent ulcer can occasionally be a sign of an underlying condition, including mouth cancer, so don’t ignore anything that feels out of the ordinary.

Mouth ulcers may be small, but they can have a big impact. The reassuring news is that simple changes, from switching toothpaste to managing stress, can make them far less frequent. And next time one appears, you’ll know exactly what’s going on and how to help it heal.

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