If you ever experience a burning pain in your mouth, you may have burning mouth syndrome. Here, we’ll explain what burning mouth syndrome is, what the symptoms are, what causes it, and how you can treat burning mouth syndrome.
What Is Burning Mouth Syndrome?
Burning mouth syndrome is the chronic burning in the mouth that does not appear to have any apparent cause. It can occur suddenly or gradually, and the burning sensation is often found at the tip of your tongue or the roof of your mouth, but can also occur on your lips, gums, or even the inside of your cheeks.
What Are the Symptoms of Burning Mouth Syndrome?
The main symptom of burning mouth syndrome is a burning pain that can be as severe as if you burned your mouth with scalding hot water. Other symptoms include a change in taste such as a metallic or bitter taste or even loss of taste. You can also feel as though you’re suffering from dry mouth and feel very thirsty. The pain could be constant, become worse throughout the day, or it could come and go. The syndrome can last for months or even years. There are no noticeable symptoms that occur to your mouth or tongue.
What Causes Burning Mouth Syndrome?
There are two types of burning mouth syndrome: primary and secondary. The causes for primary are those that are related to issues with taste and the sensory nerves of the nervous system. Secondary burning mouth syndrome is when the issue is caused by a medical condition. These underlying conditions linked to burning mouth syndrome include dry mouth, oral thrush (a fungal infection), oral linchen planus (inflammatory condition), geographic tongue (makes the tongue look map-like), nutritional deficiencies like a lack of iron or zinc, food allergies, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and endocrine disorders like diabetes or hypothyroidism. Secondary burning mouth syndrome may also be caused by some medications (specifically those for high blood pressure), psychological issues (depression, stress, anxiety), teeth grinding, tongue thrusting, mouth irritation from over brushing your tongue, and even ill fitting dentures which put pressure on some tissues and muscles in your mouth.
How Do You Treat Burning Mouth Syndrome?
Treatment for secondary burning mouth syndrome directly depends on the cause. For primary burning mouth syndrome, there is no known cure, but again treatment depends on the underlying cause and could include saliva replacement products, antidepressants, nerve pain medication, oral rinses, capsaicin which is a pain reliever made from chili peppers, anticonvulsant mediation, and even cognitive behavioral therapy.
If you think you may be suffering from burning mouth syndrome, contact us today to schedule an appointment.
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