Burning mouth syndrome
During mouth burning syndrome, the patient has a constant (chronic) burning sensation in the mouth, the cause of which is mostly unknown. The disease may involve your tongue, gums, lips, inside of the tongue, palate or larger areas of the mouth. Burning mouth syndrome occurs suddenly and causes very severe pain
Unfortunately, the causes of burning mouth syndrome are unknown - this fact makes the treatment of the disease difficult, but do not lose hope. By working closely with your medical team, the syndrome can be better controlled
Other names of burning mouth syndrome: burning mouth syndrome, burning tongue syndrome, burning lip syndrome, stomatodynia and glossodynia
We can divide the causes of mouth burning syndrome as primary and secondary
Primary burning mouth syndrome When there are no clinical or laboratory changes on the face, the condition is called primary or idiopathic burning mouth syndrome Some studies suggest that the syndrome is related to damage to taste and other sensory organs in the peripheral or central nervous system
Secondary burning mouth syndrome Sometimes, burning mouth syndrome is caused by another condition In this case, the disease is called secondary mouth burning syndrome
Conditions associated with burning mouth syndrome:
- Dry mouth (xerostomia), which can be caused by the use of various medications, health problems, any pathology of the salivary gland or side effects of cancer treatment
- Other oral conditions, such as a fungal infection (thrush), an inflammatory disease called lichen planus, or a condition called geographic tongue When having a geographic language, the language has a map-like appearance
- Nutrient deficiencies such as iron, zinc, folate (vitamin B-9), thiamine (B-1), riboflavin (vitamin B-2), pyridoxine (vitamin B-6) and cobalamin (vitamin B-12) deficiencies
- False teeth, especially when they don't fit well and put pressure on nearby muscles and tissues in the mouth Artificial teeth may also contain substances that irritate the oral tissues
- Allergic reactions to food, food spices (flavoring), other food additives, flavors, dyes or dental substances
- Stomach acid reflux (gastroesophageal reflux disease), during which stomach acid comes up into the mouth
- Some medicines, especially high blood pressure medicines called angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors
- Oral-related behaviors such as sticking the tongue between the teeth, teeth grinding (bruxism)
- Endocrine diseases such as diabetes or an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism)
- Excessive irritation of the oral cavity, which may be caused by excessive tongue thrusting, tooth decay
- Psychological factors such as anxiety, depression or stress
Possible symptoms of burning mouth syndrome:
- A burning sensation that almost always involves the tongue, but may also originate from the lips, gums, tongue, or entire oral cavity
- Dry mouth with increased thirst
- Taste changes, bitter or metallic taste
It can develop every day Sometimes the pain is not severe when waking up, but the symptom worsens during the day However, severe pain may occur immediately after waking up and last throughout the day The pain can also be long-lasting - Regardless of the form of discomfort, burning pain in the mouth may last for months, years. Sometimes, the symptoms go away on their own or become rarer Burning mouth syndrome generally does not cause noticeable physical changes in the mouth and tongue
When to see a doctor If you experience discomfort, burning or pain in your tongue, lips, gums or other areas of your mouth, be sure to see your doctor or dentist It may be necessary to work together with several doctors to determine the exact cause of the problem in order to make the treatment more effective
