Burning tongue and mouth - what could cause it?

Burning tongue. Possible reasons

The causes may be congenital or acquired, associated with infections, intoxications, injuries to the nervous system and disorders of its blood supply, psychogenic, caused by a lack of vitamin PP in intestinal diseases.

A burning sensation of the tongue is often observed with arthrosis of the temporomandibular joint.

Glossalgia can occur with malocclusion, with sharp edges of teeth and dentures, fillings and dentures made of different metals, after traumatic tooth extraction.

Burning syndrome in the mouth is observed in chronic gastritis with secretory insufficiency (reduced gastric secretion), intestinal diseases (enteritis, colitis), and diseases of the liver and biliary tract. Treating these conditions can significantly reduce burning mouth syndrome.

Most often, this syndrome is observed in women aged 50–60 years. The main signs of burning mouth syndrome are the following sensations:

tingling,
tingling,
pressure,
numbness,
burning tongue,

In this case, there is a coating on the surface of the tongue and dry mouth.

Burning tip of the tongue - causes

A burning sensation on the tip of the tongue, of course, is not a reason to panic, but a reason to pay close attention to your health.
After all, the state of this organ can be used to judge the functioning of the entire organism as a whole. Such a harmless, at first glance, symptom may be a sign of developing inflammation - glossitis. This term is usually used to describe all pathological conditions of the tongue - burning, inflammation, etc.

The danger of glossitis is not only that it causes significant discomfort - pain and swelling occur, it becomes difficult for a person to eat and speak, ulcers may appear, and abscesses may develop.

Inflammation can signal more serious systemic diseases, such as problems with the gastrointestinal tract.

The factors that cause an unpleasant burning sensation are very diverse in nature - from trauma to the mucous membrane to a specific infection or systemic pathology.

Diagnosis of glossalgia

These sensations can appear at any time of the day, often intensify in the evening, and rarely occur at night. These manifestations may be for no apparent reason, or may occur or intensify after irritating food, the burning sensation may completely disappear while eating non-irritating food. This is an important diagnostic sign of the syndrome.

Burning sensations may be accompanied by swelling of the tongue with tooth marks along its edges, small cracks in the tongue, mild soreness of the tongue and taste disturbances often occur.

Patients may have neuropsychiatric disorders: disorders of the autonomic nervous system in the form of increased heart rate (tachycardia), sweating, pale skin, increased tendon reflexes, obsessive-compulsive neurosis, depression, etc.

The patient is advised to consult specialists: dentist, neurologist, gastroenterologist to exclude glossitis (inflammation of the tongue caused by infection, chemical irritant, injury to the tongue, allergies) and B12 and folic anemia, which causes burning and pain of the tongue with its characteristic changes: bright red, smooth and a shiny (varnished) tongue.

How to treat a burning tongue sensation

The first thing to do if pain in the tongue occurs is to consult a specialist. It is advisable to go to a therapist, and not to a dentist, as many do. It is extremely rare that pain in the tongue area indicates problems with oral health. You should only go to the dentist if a burning sensation occurs after dental treatment, or if other symptoms indicating dental problems are observed at the same time.

Usually, an examination and anamnesis are sufficient to identify the root cause of an unpleasant symptom. Only in rare cases is it necessary to do additional tests.

When the clinical picture becomes clear, the doctor will prescribe treatment. The speech organ itself is usually not given special attention; treatment should be aimed at eliminating the cause of the sensation of a burned tongue :

In case of fungal or infectious infection, antibiotics are prescribed. In addition to these, the specialist selects products that protect the natural microflora of the oral cavity.
For serious stomach problems, not only drug therapy is prescribed, but also a diet. In rare cases, hospitalization is required.
The most difficult thing is the treatment of neurological diseases. When they are identified, the intervention of several doctors and serious therapy are required.

In all other cases, burning in the mouth can be eliminated through proper nutrition and giving up bad habits. In addition, you need to avoid stress and pay attention to oral hygiene.

Treatment of burning sensation in the mouth

Therapeutic nutrition, exclusion of spicy and irritating foods.

After consultation with a dentist, elimination of foci of pathological impulses in the oral cavity from the dentofacial system.
Normalization of the tone of the autonomic nervous system:
tissue metabolism stimulants - courses of B vitamins (B1, B6, B12),
nootropic drugs, depending on the nature of the neuropsychic disorders (tranquilizers, antidepressants and other drugs that improve blood supply to the brain and oral tissues). The course of treatment must be carried out after consultation with a neurologist.
Local remedies: applications to the tongue of a 2% novocaine solution, 10% lidocaine solution, rinsing with propolis, herbal infusion.
In some cases, physiotherapy is used - electrophoresis on the solar plexus and cervical autonomic nodes, hirudotherapy from a specialist.

Types of tongue burns

Depending on the cause of origin, the following types of injury are distinguished:

Chemical burn of the tongue or oral cavity - when tissues are damaged as a result of exposure to aggressive chemical compounds;
Thermal - when the surface was exposed to a high temperature object.
Electrical - occurs as a result of tissue contact with electricity. For example, when performing dental procedures. Electric current affects not only the tissues of the tongue, but the entire body as a whole.

How to get rid of pain at home

Some of the reasons why your tongue feels sore, feels like it's burned, and has a white coating on it indicate poor hygiene. In this case, to eliminate unpleasant symptoms, it is enough to regularly clean the oral cavity of food debris and bacteria. If discomfort does not go away after a few days, consult a doctor.

To relieve symptoms at home, you can resort to the following traditional methods of therapy:

Use homemade antiseptic rinses to prevent infection. Such manipulations will be useful regardless of why the tongue began to hurt.
If you are sure that you did not burn yourself, but the discomfort does not go away, rinse your mouth with a soothing infusion of chamomile or sage. In pharmacies you can even find special solutions for sensitive gums, which also relieve pain.
If you feel the burning sensation is too strong, you can take a pain reliever. If you are pregnant, you should first consult your doctor.
Drink more water, weak tea. During therapy, avoid soda and juices. Try to eliminate white sugar from your diet.
Lollipops with mild flavors relieve discomfort. But if you abuse them, you can damage the mucous membrane of the mouth and tongue.

There were very few ways to get rid of discomfort similar to a tongue burn. In almost all cases, you will have to go to a specialist to find out how to treat the root cause of the pathology.

Burning mouth or burning mouth syndrome: symptoms and treatment

A burning sensation on the tongue is often associated with burning mouth syndrome (BMS). If you suspect you have this problem, make an appointment with your dentist. In the meantime, let's remember the main symptoms and signs of this condition.

What is burning mouth syndrome?

Patients suffering from burning mouth syndrome typically experience a burning sensation on the tongue, lips, or roof of the mouth, which may spread throughout the mouth. Burning mouth syndrome typically occurs in middle-aged and older adults and is more common in women than men. This condition has other names: stomalgia, glossalgia, glossodynia, burning mouth syndrome, burning lips syndrome and burning tongue syndrome.

Symptoms of Burning Mouth Syndrome

Researchers note that the clinical picture of the syndrome is variable and inconsistent. Most often, patients describe pain as moderate to severe burning, burning, tingling, irritation, numbness of the oral mucosa and changes in sensitivity. For many, the appearance of a burning sensation is accompanied by a change in taste, a feeling of bitterness and a metallic taste. Symptoms can last for months and sometimes years. For some people, the burning sensation appears around noon, progresses throughout the day and subsides in the evening, others experience discomfort constantly, and for others the discomfort is transient.

If you have symptoms of HHS, see your doctor or dentist as soon as possible.

Causes of the syndrome

Burning mouth syndrome can be caused by certain factors related to lifestyle or the presence of underlying diseases and conditions, including:

damage to afferent nerves that regulate pain and taste;
lack of nutrients in the body, including deficiencies of folate (compounds of folic acid - vitamin B9), thiamine (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), pyridoxine (vitamin B6), iron, zinc and cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12);
dry mouth (xerostomia), which often develops due to diabetes;
Sjögren's syndrome;
certain types of treatment, such as anticancer therapy;
some dental diseases, such as oral candidiasis (thrush), oral lichen planus, or desquamative (migratory) glossitis;
reflux, or the reflux of gastric juice into the oral cavity;
poorly fitted dentures, irritating the oral mucosa and causing pain;
allergies or hypersensitivity to substances contained in foods, dietary supplements or dental materials;
taking certain medications;
hormonal changes in the body;
grinding of teeth (bruxism), the habit of pressing the tongue on the teeth or biting its tip;
excessive irritation of the oral mucosa;
psychological factors such as anxiety and depression.

In many cases, burning mouth syndrome develops against the background of several of the above factors. To find out what exactly is causing the discomfort, the doctor examines the oral cavity, studies the medical history and, if necessary, refers the patient to undergo tests (blood test, allergy testing, oral swab for candidiasis).

Prevention

As experts from the medical portal MedElement admit, there is currently no single treatment regimen for burning mouth syndrome. However, there are several ways to reduce the risk of this disorder. If you are already suffering from GHS, try following the tips listed below to help relieve your symptoms:

give up alcohol and any other alcohol-containing products;
do not smoke, do not chew tobacco;
do not drink carbonated drinks;
refrain from eating sour and spicy foods and drinks;
exclude mint and cinnamon from your diet;
avoid excessive emotional stress;
choose more gentle oral hygiene products;
replace dentures that irritate oral tissues.