Burning in the mouth is an unpleasant sensation on the tongue and palate, but can also occur in other places in the mouth or throat.
The burning sensation in the mouth can start for no apparent reason and persist for months or even years.
There may be moments when a person sits down at the table and is too hungry to notice the temperatures of the food on the plate.
The mucous membrane in the mouth can be burned if you eat foods that are too hot.
Even if the consequences are not serious and permanent, this can cause discomfort for a few days.
In addition to a burning sensation in the mouth, there may also be a metallic or bitter taste in the mouth.
Many people complain of dry mouth, but usually an examination of the oral mucosa shows normal salivation.
The burning pain can be very pronounced. This can lead to depression and fear of chronic pain.
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Burning mouth syndrome
Burning mouth syndrome (or mouth burning) is a condition characterized by chronic or recurrent burning of the oral mucosa.
The symptoms can affect the tongue, gums, lips, inside of the cheeks, palate or other areas of the mouth.
Burning mouth syndrome occurs suddenly and can be severe, as if the mouth was burned.
Causes of burning mouth
Usually, a burning sensation in the mouth is caused by food that is too hot.
Another reason that can cause tongue or mouth burning is drinking coffee from a heat-insulated cup.
There are coffee cups where the heat does not penetrate through the wall of the cup.
This makes it difficult to estimate the temperature of the coffee.
You can also burn your mouth while eating pizza.
Cheese on the pizza is very hot, and if you don’t think about the temperature, it can cause a bad burn in the mouth.
Causes of Burning Mouth Syndrome
Burning-mouth syndrome can be classified into primary and secondary.
Primary Burning Mouth Syndrome
If no causes are found clinically and laboratory-chemically, the condition is referred to as primary or idiopathic.
Some research shows that primary burning mouth syndrome refers to problems of the sense of taste or the sensitive nervous system.Secondary burning mouth syndrome Sometimes the burning of the mouth is caused by a medical pre-existing condition. In these cases, burning mouth syndrome is classified as secondary.
The underlying problems that can cause secondary mouth burn are:
- Dry mouth (xerostomia), can be caused by various medications, diseases, functional disorders of the salivary glands or by side effects of cancer therapy.
- As side effects of radiation therapy and chemotherapy, there is also nausea and vomiting, which complicate the situation.
- Other diseases of the oral cavity, for example, a fungal infection (oral thrush), an inflammatory disease called lichen planus orale, or a disease of the tongue called map tongue, which makes the surface of the tongue look like a geographic map.
- Aphthae: Aphthae are painful pale or yellowish ulcerations with a red outer ring. The sores develop on the lips and inside the mouth, especially on the sides.
- Stomatitis can cause aphthous formation and also affect children.
Aphthae are not contagious and can occur as a result of a cold or flu, stress or due to a vitamin deficiency. - Oral cavity cancer: a persistent swelling and bleeding, ulceration or prominences on the tongue with white or red spots in the mouth, which may be symptoms of cancer.
Anyone can get cancer in the mouth area, but the risk is increased in those who use chewing tobacco or alcohol. - Herpes sores: Herpes labialis forms small aching and fluid-filled blisters caused by the virus herpes simplex, which lives in moist areas of the body such as the mouth, lips, nostrils and groin.
These formations are extremely contagious and cause tingling and burning. - Nutritional deficiencies, such as the lack of iron, zinc, folic acid (vitamin B-9), thiamine (vitamin B-1), riboflavin (vitamins B-2), pyridoxine (vitamin B-6) and cyanocobalamin (vitamin B-12).
- Dentures, especially if they are not well fitted, put some muscles and tissues in the mouth under tension or contain materials that irritate the tissues in the mouth.
- Allergy or reactions to food, for example to food flavourings and other food additives, fragrances, dyes or substances used by the dentist.
- The pineapple can cause minor skin irritation due to its acidity.
When you eat this fruit or drink its juice, you may feel burning, itching and tongue pain. If significant pain, itching, burning or tongue swelling develops after eating pineapple, the presentation to a doctor is necessary. - Chili, the capsaicin contained in chili, can irritate the mouth and eyes and cause intense burning.
First of all, it is recommended to drink milk.
For the eyes, you can apply milk with a cotton ball with a gentle pat.
The effect of milk occurs very quickly. - Gastroesophageal reflux passes from the stomach into the mouth. It is one of the main reasons for burning the mouth during pregnancy due to the pressure that the child exerts on the stomach.
It usually occurs after eating in the following 3-4 hours. - Some medicines, especially those for high blood pressure, are called ACE inhibitors (inhibitors of angiotensin converting enzyme).
- Bruxism, biting the tip of one’s tongue and grinding one’s teeth.
- Endocrine disorders, such as diabetes or thyroid disorders (for example, hyperthyroidism).
- Mouth irritation caused by Brushing the tongue, using an abrasive toothpaste or harsh mouthwash, or because many highly acidic drinks such as lemon are drunk.
- Psychological factors, such as anxiety, depression or stress.
Signs and symptoms of burning mouth syndrome
Burning mouth of varying intensity is the main symptom of the disease and can persist for months or years.
For many people, mouth burning begins in the late morning, worsens in the evening and improves during the night.
Some people feel constant pain, while for others the pain comes and goes.
If the burning of the mouth causes chronic pain, the patient easily suffers from anxiety and depression.
Other symptoms of burning mouth syndrome include:
- the patient has the sensation of pinpricks or hot chili in the mouth;
- tingling or numbness at the tip of the tongue or in the mouth;
- bitter or metallic taste;
- dry mouth;
- Pain in the mouth.
How is burning mouth syndrome diagnosed?
For a reliable diagnosis, a team of specialists, consisting of a dentist, an endocrinologist and a neuropsychiatrist, is needed.
Burning mouth syndrome is diagnosed by:
- the collection of clinical signs,
- the determination that the mouth is not inflamed and there are no injuries,
- the exclusion of other diseases such as infections, diabetes, oral thrush or vitamin deficiency.
If the causes are not to be found among these diseases, the diagnosis of “burning the mouth” is made.
Therapy for burning mouth and medication
There is no effective method to treat primary burning mouth syndrome.
There are no studies that show the most effective methods.
Treatment depends on the specific symptoms and underlying conditions causing the discomfort in the mouth.
For example, replacing the dentures or taking a vitamin supplement can alleviate the symptoms.
Therefore, it is important to identify the causes.
After treatment of the underlying diseases, the burning of the mouth should pass again.
Home remedies for burning mouth syndrome
Burning the mouth is the symptom of a disease: therefore, no special treatment will help.
Therapy consists of treating the underlying cause of the problem.
If there is no specific cause, the treatment of burning the mouth is quite difficult.
In such cases, the goal of treatment is to keep symptoms under control.
Here are some home remedies for Burning Mouth Syndrome:
Ice: This is the most commonly known remedy for a burning tongue.
Put a small ice cube in your mouth and suck slowly.
The cold numbs the tongue and you no longer feel the burning. In addition, water melts from the ice and relieves the feeling of dryness in the mouth.
Aloe vera gel: applying fresh topical gel of aloe vera can cure the problem.
Cut off a fresh leaf from the aloe vera and apply the gel that swells out of it to the tingling areas in the mouth.
To achieve a faster result, the gel must be applied several times a day.
Every time the gel is applied, it causes a pleasant and relaxing feeling on the tongue.
Lavender oil: The antiseptic qualities of lavender oil have a healing effect on burning the mouth.
This substance stimulates blood circulation and promotes the rapid cure of the problem.
Put a few drops of lavender oil on a cotton ball and apply to the tongue and mouth.
Repeat this treatment every night before bedtime to quickly improve.
Drink plenty of water: Tongue burning causes a continued feeling of thirst. One therefore always has the urge to drink water.
When drinking water, the thirst is quenched and the intensity of burning in the mouth decreases.
Start the day with at least 1-2 glasses of water. During the day, drink 8-10 glasses of water, taking care that the mouth does not become dry.
The natural remedies described above are useful only if you do not consume food and drinks, which further aggravate the problem.
Hot and spicy foods, peppermint, cinnamon, generally acidic foods and drinks, tea, coffee and alcoholic beverages must be vigorously avoided. Eat normal foods without spices, such as cooked vegetables, fresh fruit juices and vegetables, to minimize pain.
Natural remedies and nutrition for burning mouth
Water is the best remedy for burning mouth. However, the situation may arise that water is not immediately available.
In this case, one could try the following means:
- Chewing gum: To relieve the burning sensation, you can chew gum.
However, it can take a long time for the symptoms to diminish. - Baking soda: One of the most effective home remedies to reduce mouth burning is baking soda.
Although this may not be a commonly used treatment, it is an effective therapy.
All you need is to sprinkle a little baking soda on the burning spots. - Turmeric: Turmeric is an effective antiseptic and has healing properties.
Mix some melted butter and turmeric to a pulp and apply to the areas in the mouth that cause discomfort. - Sugar: Applying sugar also relieves the burning sensation.
Sprinkle sugar on the tongue and press lightly against the palate to relieve the burning sensation.
There are some things to keep in mind so as not to make the burning mouth worse. - As long as a patient has not recovered, food should only be eaten when it has cooled.
- Sharp-edged foods, such as potato chips and toasted bread, should be avoided. These foods can hurt the burning and painful areas.
- As much as possible, avoid spicy foods that worsen irritation in the mouth.
- Lemonade with lukewarm water is recommended instead of hot drinks such as tea, coffee or chocolate.
- Foods rich in vitamin B would be recommended for a daily diet.
- Until the burning areas are healed, avoid oral care products such as mouthwash, as these may contain chemicals that are more likely to worsen the situation.
Nutrition and diet against burning in the mouth
Conventional medicine does not give specific recommendations for patients suffering from Burning Mouth Syndrome, except for general guidelines such as avoiding overmeals, eating fruits and vegetables, and “a little bit of everything.”
There are two very interesting nutritional approaches that have helped many people heal without taking medication:
- The blood group diet according to Dr. D’Adamo.
According to this theory, the foods must be selected according to the blood group. For example, blood group 0 is recommended to eat meat and fish, while fruits and cereals containing gluten can cause health problems.
In the specific case of burning the mouth, an excess of seeds and nuts (in people of blood group 0 and B) or red meat (blood group A) could be responsible; sausages and pork, milk and dairy products should be avoided by everyone. - According to the health hygiene and natural medicine of Lezaeta, the classification of health problems made by doctors is irrelevant, since all disorders arise from poor nutrition, incorrect food combinations and unhealthy lifestyle.
For recovery, hygienist Shelton recommends a diet based on fruits and raw vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes and potatoes. Cooked food and especially processed and transformed foods from the supermarket should be avoided as much as possible.
Fruit should be eaten at least half an hour before meals and carbohydrates should not be mixed with protein (i.e. no legumes with potatoes).
Vegetables may be consumed together with other foods, except fruit.
One should eat only a few different foods per meal and the amount should be adapted to the personal consumption of the individual.
Meals must not be too close in time, the body needs time for digestion, for example, it needs 4 hours to digest a protein-based dish.
