Causes of dry mouth and constant thirst

Why does my mouth hurt?

Pain in the mouth can be caused by both local and systemic factors. Painful sensations in the oral cavity usually do not bother you in isolation. As a rule, they are combined with other symptoms characteristic of a certain pathology: hyperemia and swelling of the mucous membrane, rashes and ulcers in the oral cavity, plaque, unpleasant odor, difficulty chewing and opening the mouth, and salivation. Pain in the mouth, despite its local nature, disrupts general well-being and performance, and prevents normal diction and proper food intake.

Lip pain

Is local or diffuse in nature. It can be caused by traumatic, infectious, chemical, physical factors, or tumor lesions. The pain is usually combined with dry lips, cracks, redness, blistering rashes, ulceration, and dry crusts. Common causes of lip pain:

• Cheilitis.
  It may be a consequence of sensitization (allergic cheilitis), neurogenic causes (exfoliative, macrocheilitis), unfavorable climatic factors (meteorological cheilitis), vitamin deficiency (hypovitaminous cheilitis), infection (glandular cheilitis). Common signs are damage to the red border, accompanied by dryness, painful cracks and ulcers, swelling, burning, itching.
• Labial herpes.
  In the prodromal period, local tingling, tingling, itching in the area of ​​the upper or lower lip is noted. Then a bubble containing liquid appears. After spontaneous or forced opening of the vesicle, an ulcer forms in its place, which dries out and becomes covered with a scab. When the crust cracks, ichor oozes out from under it. Elements of herpes are sharply painful at all stages. It takes 10-12 days from the prodrome to complete epithelialization.
• Lichen planus.
  May affect the red border of the lips, tongue, and oral mucosa. The main elements are papules, which, when fused, form whitish areas of keratinization. Sometimes LLP occurs with the formation of weeping areas, erosions, blisters - in these cases, a burning sensation and severe pain in the mouth are added, making it impossible to eat.
• Trigeminal neuralgia.
  Trigeminal neuralgia is a common cause of facial pain. When the maxillary and mandibular branches of the trigeminal nerve are damaged, sharp, intense shooting pains in the cheek, upper or lower lip, or jaw, reminiscent of electric shocks, may occur.
• Injuries.
  Lip burns can be caused by drinking hot drinks, exposure to harsh chemicals, or exposure to sunlight or open flames. With mild burns, pain, swelling of the lip, and hyperemia appear; in severe cases, blisters, scabs, and tissue necrosis form. Mechanical damage (cuts, biting) to the lips is accompanied by pain and bleeding.
• Lip cancer.
  Externally it may appear as a warty or papillomatous growth or infiltrate. At first, the elements do not cause discomfort, but their ulceration, infection, and decay are accompanied by severe pain in the mouth.

Transient swelling and soreness of the lips are observed after a number of cosmetic procedures and surgical interventions: permanent makeup, piercing, injection of hyaluronic fillers, cheiloplasty.

Mouth pain

Pain in gums

As a rule, it is associated with diseases of the oral cavity or behavioral factors (incorrect selection of a toothbrush, use of toothpicks, smoking). Pathologies that cause pain in the gums:

• Inflammatory processes.
  Painful sensations in the mouth are a pathognomonic sign of inflammatory diseases: gingivitis, stomatitis, periodontitis. With gingivitis, the gums become swollen, painful, and bleeding. Stomatitis can occur with the formation of plaque in the mouth, extremely painful aphthae and ulcers. With periodontitis, pain in the gums is aggravated by bad breath, the formation of periodontal pockets, suppuration, and loosening of teeth.
• Periodontitis.
  In acute periodontitis or exacerbation of a chronic process, painful swelling of the gums occurs in the area of ​​the affected tooth. When the pyogenic flora is activated, a flux is formed, accompanied by throbbing pain. When it is opened, a fistula may form. Severe pain occurs during chewing and speaking.
• Injuries.
  Damage to the gums can occur both from direct mechanical impact and from difficult tooth eruption. In the latter case, pericoronitis develops. Injury to gum tissue and pain are also accompanied by dental procedures: tooth extraction, installation of a dental crown/prosthesis, dental implantation, operations (gingivotomy, gingivoplasty, etc.).
• Allergy.
  May be caused by a reaction to denture materials, medications, or local anesthetics. It occurs in the form of allergic stomatitis, cheilitis, glossitis. Characterized by hyperemia, burning, swelling of the mucous membrane, hypersalivation, pain when eating.

Tongue pain

Pain in the tongue is associated with local infectious-inflammatory, traumatic, allergic, neurogenic, and neoplastic processes. In addition to local factors, pain in the mouth can be provoked by systemic diseases: hypovitaminosis B1, B2, B12, pellagra, iron deficiency anemia, collagenosis, leukemia, etc. Local causes of pain in the tongue:

• Glossitis.
  Pain of varying intensity is observed with desquamative, candidal, herpetic, allergic, traumatic and other glossitis. Swelling, glossodynia, plaque, and changes in taste sensitivity may also occur.
• Xerostomia.
  It is a consequence of radiotherapy, chemotherapy, medication, smoking, Sjogren's disease, diseases of the salivary glands. Dry mouth makes eating, swallowing, and speaking difficult and painful.
• Glossalgia.
  It occurs with attacks of burning pain in the tongue, which are more pronounced in its tip and lateral surfaces. There is hyperemia or pallor of the tongue. Repeated painful attacks change the psychological state of patients - they become irritable, suspicious, and tearful.
• Galvanism.
  Develops as a result of irrational prosthetics. It is characterized by swelling and hyperemia of the tongue, sensations of pain, burning, rawness, and a metallic taste in the mouth.
• Neuropathies.
  Pain in the tongue of neurogenic origin occurs with neuralgia of the glossopharyngeal and hypoglossal nerves. In the first case, the pain is localized in the area of ​​the root of the tongue, in the second - in the back of the tongue. More often it is unilateral in nature, occurs in paroxysms, and is provoked by talking, coughing, and swallowing. It has an intense pulsating, drilling, burning character.
• Tongue cancer.
  Manifests with the appearance of painless or slightly painful formations: growths, ulcers, compactions. In the advanced stage, local or diffuse pain occurs, radiating to the jaw, ear, and temporal region. Salivation increases, foul breath appears, spontaneous bleeding from the tongue, difficulty articulating and swallowing.

Dental diagnostics

Symptoms

• A burning or scalded sensation in the mouth that most commonly affects the tongue but can also spread to the lips, gums, palate, throat and entire cavity
• Feeling of dry mouth with increased thirst
• Changes in taste, such as bitter or metallic taste
• Loss of taste

Discomfort with burning mouth syndrome typically comes in several different patterns. It can appear every day after waking up, with a slight burning sensation in the mouth and increase throughout the day. Or it can start after waking up and last all day. Sometimes discomfort comes and goes.

Any of this pattern of burning in the mouth may continue for months or years. In rare cases, symptoms may suddenly go away on their own or become less frequent. Some relief from these sensations may temporarily occur while eating or drinking.

Burning mouth syndrome does not usually cause any noticeable organic changes in the tongue or mouth.

Diagnostics

To determine the etiology and therapeutic tactics for pain in the mouth, a comprehensive dental examination is carried out, and, if necessary, an examination of the ENT organs. A number of specialists are involved in diagnosing the causes of pain in the mouth: dental therapist, periodontist, otolaryngologist, allergist-immunologist, neurologist, oncologist, etc. Taking into account nosology, the list of recommended studies includes:

• X-ray diagnostics (OPTG, CT of the jaws, sialography);
• dental examination (visual and instrumental examination, determination of periodontal index);
• ENT diagnostics (pharyngoscopy);
• sonography (ultrasound of the salivary glands, tongue);
• allergy examination (allergy tests, study of individual allergens);
• laboratory tests (analysis of the biocenosis of the oral cavity using bacterial culture, PCR).

Additional symptoms of bitterness in the mouth

Bitterness in the mouth may be accompanied by additional symptoms. If heaviness or pain is felt in the right side, this may indicate liver or gallbladder disease. If bitterness in the mouth is accompanied by nausea, heartburn, and belching, then the cause may be stomach diseases. If the cause is diseases of the oral cavity, then the feeling of bitterness may be accompanied by bad breath.

Treatment

Diseases accompanied by pain in the mouth require general and local therapy. In some cases, there is a need for surgical intervention. The following are used in treatment:

• Systemic therapy
  : antibacterial, antiviral, antimycotic, antihistamines, NSAIDs, vitamins.
• Local procedures:
  rinsing the mouth with antiseptics, lubricating the mucous membrane with medicinal compounds, medicinal treatment and curettage of periodontal pockets, therapeutic bandages.
• Physiotherapy:
  medicinal electrophoresis, darsonvalization, gum treatment with laser, Vector device.
• Dental treatment:
  complex therapy of stomatitis, periodontitis, treatment of complicated caries, removal of decayed teeth, re-prosthetics of teeth in case of intolerance to orthopedic structures.
• Dental operations:
  releasing incision and periostotomy for periostitis; flap surgery for periodontitis; lip resection, hemiglossectomy and glossectomy for cancer.

Other reasons

A bitter taste in the mouth can also be felt for reasons not related to diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. These reasons include:

• Hormonal disorders
• Gingivitis
• Periodontitis
• Diabetes
• Taste disorders
• Oral diseases

Inflammatory diseases of the oral cavity, untreated caries and pulpitis, periodontitis and gingivitis can often be accompanied by bitterness after eating. This is due to the processes of decay in the mouth, inside the tooth or gum. During inflammation, many pathogenic microorganisms appear in the oral cavity; as a result of their reproduction and the spread of their waste products, bad breath and bitterness appear.

Taste disorders

With this disease, disruptions in the functioning of taste buds located in the palate and tongue occur. Many people suffering from this disease feel bitterness all the time. Elderly people, whose number of taste buds are significantly reduced, are susceptible to this disease.

Hormonal disorders

Diseases of the endocrine system are accompanied by hormonal disorders. If they are associated with a malfunction of the thyroid gland, an increased amount of secretion is released. As a result, adrenaline is released. This hormone can provoke muscle spasms of the biliary tract, after which dyskinesia occurs and, as a result, bitterness in the mouth.

Pregnancy

During pregnancy, heartburn and a bitter taste in the mouth occur quite often. The reason for this is the increased growth of the uterus and its pressure on neighboring organs, including the stomach and gall bladder.

Side effect after taking medication

Many antibiotics, antihistamines and antifungals increase the load on the liver. Therefore, after taking them, quite often a feeling of bitterness and other unpleasant symptoms occur in the mouth. Even many phytomedicines, for example, St. John's wort and boron uterus, have an effect on the functioning of the liver. After stopping taking these medications, the unpleasant symptom disappears without a trace.