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Triggers of burning mouth syndrome include spicy foods, hot foods, food allergies, hormonal conditions, nutritional deficiencies, and more
Burning mouth syndrome is a disorder seen predominantly in middle-aged and older women. although it may be seen in either gender). Individuals with the condition report a burning, gritty sensation in the mouth that may be present all over or only around the tongue, mouth, teeth, and palate. There is often no underlying cause.
Patients often describe the sensation in the oral cavity as numbing or itchy. This may be accompanied by other symptoms, such as dry mouth, mouth ulcers, metallic taste in the mouth. or reddish patches over the tongue and mouth cavity.
What is burning mouth syndrome?
Diagnostic criteria for burning mouth syndrome require all of the following:
- Oral pain
- Recurring pain (daily for more than 2 hours per day for at least 3 months)
- Normal oral mucosa
- Pain is burning and superficial
A few studies have suggested that the burning mouth syndrome may be due to the following causes:
- Small-fiber sensory neuropathy in the trigeminal nerve
- Higher number of unoccupied D2 dopamine receptors in the brain
When no condition is found to cause burning mouth syndrome, it is called idiopathic and treated with tricyclic antidepressants or gabapentin. A small case series have described the beneficial effects of treating the disorder with pramipexole that affects the dopamine receptors. Most cases need lifestyle modifications as well as addiction control.
15 triggers that may cause burning mouth syndrome to flare up
- Foods: Spices (pepper, cloves, garlic, paprika), fruits (tomatoes), orange juice, soda, and coffee.
- Temperature: Extremely hot foods, which can aggravate the burning sensation.
- Oral allergy syndrome: Food allergies such as nuts (almonds, apricots, walnuts) or fruits (kiwi, nectarines, apricots, apples). Individuals often have an accompanying history of asthma, hay fever, or eczema.
- Hormonal conditions: Diabetes, hypothyroidism, menopause, or perimenopausal period.
- Dental conditions: Reaction to certain toothpastes or mouthwashes, poorly fitted dentures, recent dental procedures, allergy to the materials used to make dental prosthesis or implants, impacted molars.
- Nutritional deficiencies: Deficiency of vitamins B complex and C, iron, folic acid, and zinc.
- Infections: Oral infections, such as herpes, candidiasis, cytomegalovirus, and vaccinia virus.
- Nerve damage: Trauma to or growth around the trigeminal nerve that supplies the face, oral cavity, and skin over it.
- Mental illness: Stress, anxiety, or depression, which may cause similar symptoms. Those with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia often complain of altered pain perception, which may be the reason for this phenomenon.
- Autoimmune conditions: Sjogren’s syndrome, aphthous ulcers, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis.
- Medications: Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, vitamin A analogs, anti-human immunodeficiency virus medications (such as efavirenz), antianxiety drugs (such as clonazepam), antidepressants (such as fluoxetine, sertraline), as well as hormonal replacement therapy.
- Conditions that alter taste or saliva production: History of oral surgery, radiation to the head and neck for cancers, cystic fibrosis. etc.
- Acid reflux: Condition in which acid from the stomach comes up into the mouth.
- Addictions: Cigarettes, alcohol, smoking weed, etc. which can dry out the mouth.
- COVID-19: Burning mouth syndrome is a rare manifestation of post COVID-19 sequelae.
QUESTION
What percentage of the human body is water?
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Does COVID-19 make your mouth burn?
COVID-19 has been known to affect the lungs and other organs of the body.
Burning mouth syndrome is a rare but reported symptom of COVID-19. About 5.3% of those diagnosed with COVID-19 report burning sensations in the mouth. A significant number of COVID-19 patients also complain of symptoms such as bumps on the tongue along with inflammation and swelling.
If COVID-19 is the cause for burning mouth, it may present with other symptoms, such as:
- Fever
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain
- Body ache
- Cough
- Change in taste and smell
What is the treatment for burning mouth syndrome?
The best way to manage burning mouth syndrome is to treat the underlying cause. You should visit a doctor who can order tests such as mouth swabs, tongue swabs, allergy tests, autoimmune panels, screening for infections, or even biopsies to confirm a diagnosis.
You may, however, attempt the following remedies to soothe the burning sensation:
Drink more water: Sipping water often helps keep the mouth moist and reduces gritty sensations. Sipping cool water is more effective than sipping room temperature water.
- Suck on ice: Try sucking on crushed ice or ice chips. Ice temporarily numbs the area and may provide some relief.
- Avoid acidic drinks: Juices high in acids, such as orange, lemon, grapefruit, etc. irritate the mucosa.
- Avoid certain foods: Avoid spices and any foods that cause allergic reactions.
- Quit tobacco and alcohol: Smoking and alcohol consumption may aggravate symptoms.
- Chew sugar-free gum: Chewing gum may help with saliva production and reduce gritty sensations in the mouth.
- Use mouth gels: Mouth gels containing numbing agents may help for the short term, especially during mealtimes, when the pain may interfere with eating.
- Take vitamins: Over-the-counter supplements containing iron, vitamins, and minerals may help in some cases.
- Change toothpastes: Try changing to another mouthwash or toothpaste brand.
