* My husband, now 59, had mouth ulcers more or less constantly since childhood until I started him on digestive enzymes. The theory behind them is that the liver is not coping with toxins from incompletely digested protein reaching the colon. This can be due to insufficient digestive enzymes in the gut or to food sensitivity, or both.

It took about two weeks for the ulcers to clear up but, since then, he’s only had about two, both after particularly stressful weeks. - Helen Vinic

*‘Watermelon frost’, from Chinese herbal suppliers, works like a dream. It’s a brown powder that tastes disgusting, but it gets rid of mouth ulcers overnight! - Heather Heinze

* My advice would be to switch to a toothpaste free from sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS), a foaming agent found in nearly all toothpastes on the shelf. My son had a few bad mouth ulcers, and we found that SLS can considerably aggravate the condition. Try healthfood shops for some good alternatives. - Rachel Lewis

* Aloe vera juice is very effective. Just swill it around the mouth and then swallow. - Christine Johnston

* Mouth ulcers are often linked to coeliac disease or wheat allergy. As an undiagnosed coeliac for 47 years, I suffered with many mouth ulcers. But now I follow a gluten-free diet, and I have not had an ulcer for years. - Lynne Taylor