A burning feeling in the mouth without any reason that occurs frequently is called burning mouth syndrome. People usually feel this burning on the gums, lips, tongue, inside the cheeks, roof of the mouth, or in the whole mouth. Severe burning may happen if you injure the mouth with a very hot drink.
While burning mouth syndrome may appear suddenly, it may develop gradually over time. In most cases, it is not possible to determine the exact cause of this condition, which makes treatment more difficult and involves working closely with doctors to lessen the symptoms.
Symptoms
Those who suffer from this condition usually experience the following symptoms. Examples include:
- A scalding or burning feeling that commonly negatively affects the tongue but also may impact the gums, roof of the mouth, throat, lips, and whole mouth.
- Dry mouth
- Increased thirst
- Loss of taste
- Stinging, tingling, or numbness in the mouth
- Taste changes (including a bitter or metallic taste)
The symptoms occur differently among people. For instance, some of them may experience symptoms every day with a little discomfort in the morning, begin right when you wake up and last all day, or may come and go. It does not matter what pattern of mouth discomfort you experience this syndrome may last for months to years (sometimes). In rare cases, the symptoms may disappear on their own or happen less frequently. In addition, burning mouth syndrome usually does not cause any physical changes to the mouth or tongue that may be seen.
Immediately see a doctor if you experience burning or soreness of the lips, gums, tongue, or other mouth areas.
Causes
There are two types of burning mouth syndrome causes (such as primary and secondary).
Primary Burning Mouth Syndrome
When the exact cause of the condition cannot be identified it is called primary or idiopathic burning mouth syndrome. However, some studies suggest that this burning mouth syndrome type occurs due to nerves that are involved in taste and pain.
Secondary Burning Mouth Syndrome
When this condition is caused by an underlying condition it is called secondary burning mouth syndrome. Check below some causes of this burning mouth syndrome type:
- Dry mouth usually occurs due to certain medications, health problems (including salivary gland problems), or as an adverse reaction to cancer treatment.
- Other oral diseases – These include fungal infections of the mouth (oral thrush), lichen planus (an inflammatory condition), geographic tongue, and others.
- Lack of nutrients – If you are not getting enough nutrients it also may lead to secondary burning mouth syndrome. For example lack of iron, zinc, folate (vitamin B9), thiamin (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), pyridoxine (vitamin B6), and cobalamin (vitamin B12).
- Allergies to food and its flavorings or additives, fragrances, or dyes.
- Stomach acid reflux – This is a condition called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and it occurs when stomach acid enters the mouth.
- Some medicines, especially hypertension medications
- Oral habits – These include pushing the tongue against the teeth, biting the tip of the tongue, and others.
- Endocrine disorders – These include hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid gland), diabetes, and others.
- Mouth irritation – This often happens due to brushing the tongue too much or hard, using abrasive toothpaste, overusing mouthwashes, or eating too many acidic drinks or foods. Irritation of the mouth can also happen due to dentures that do not fit well.
- Mental disorders (such as depression, stress, or anxiety).
Risk Factors
Although this condition occurs less commonly, you are at increased risk of developing it if you are:
- People over 50 years old
- Those who use tobacco products
- Perimenopause or postmenopausal women
- The risk of developing burning mouth syndrome is higher in women than men
In most cases, this condition begins suddenly without any reason but the following factors may increase your risk of getting it. Examples include:
- Recent health condition
- Long-term diseases (such as Parkinson’s disease, autoimmune disorders, neuropathy, fibromyalgia, and others)
- Allergies to food
- Previous dental work
- Traumatic life events
- Medications
- Stress
- Depression
- Anxiety
Complications
People with burning mouth syndrome may experience some complications including sleeping problems, difficulty eating, anxiety, and depression.
Unfortunately, there is no way to prevent this syndrome but the following tips may help you reduce the risk of developing it. For example:
- Quit smoking or never start
- Limit acidic and spicy foods
- Not drinking carbonated drinks
- Manage stress and chronic health conditions (such as diabetes)
Diagnosis
There are no specific tests to diagnose this condition and your healthcare professional or dentist will perform a mouth examination, review your medical history, and ask questions about symptoms. However, doctors may perform certain tests for other health conditions that potentially may cause burning mouth syndrome. These include:
- Blood tests – These tests are done to check the complete blood count, sugar levels in the blood, thyroid function, nutritional factors, and others. Blood tests may also show how well your immune system works.
- Oral cultures or biopsies – Usually, a cotton swab is used to get a sample for an oral culture that can tell if you have a bacterial, viral, or fungal infection in the mouth. To perform a biopsy doctors will get a small sample of the mouth tissue and send them to the laboratory for testing.
- Allergy tests – These tests help determine if you are allergic to certain foods, additives, dental materials, or other products.
- Salivary measurements – People with burning mouth syndrome usually have dry mouth and this test can help determine whether you have a reduced salivary flow or not.
- Gastric reflux tests – These tests are used to see if stomach acid goes back into the mouth.
- Imaging tests – These include MRI or CT scans to determine underlying health conditions.
- Medicine changes – Some people may experience this syndrome due to certain medications. In such cases, doctors may direct you to interrupt the medicine and prescribe a new one. Sometimes, they may advise to stop the medicine for a short time to see if the discomfort disappears. In any case, do not interrupt using any medicine without a doctor’s approval because stopping some medicines may be dangerous.
- Mental health evaluation – These include tests and questions that help doctors determine whether you have depression, anxiety, or other mental disease symptoms. There are some mental disorders linked to burning mouth syndrome.
Treatment
The treatments for burning mouth syndrome are different among people because it depends on the severity and type of the condition, other health problems, age, and other factors.
Primary Burning Mouth Syndrome
Unfortunately, it is not possible to cure or treat this type of burning mouth syndrome. That’s why treatment focuses on reducing the symptoms and helping control them. Therefore, you may need multiple treatments to lessen mouth discomfort and it may take time to get the best treatment for you. Check below some treatments usually recommended by doctors:
- Products that replace saliva
- Oral rinses or lidocaine that cause numbness and help reduce pain
- Capsaicin (this is a painkiller that comes from chili peppers)
- Alpha-lipoic acid (an antioxidant that reduces nerve pain)
- Clonazepam (a medication used to control seizures)
- Antidepressants
- Block nerve pain medications
- Cognitive behavioral therapy helps learn skills to reduce anxiety and depression and cope with stress.
Secondary Burning Mouth Syndrome
In such cases, treatment depends on the underlying condition that causes discomfort in the mouth. For instance, discomfort usually goes away if you taking supplements for reduced vitamin levels, or treating an oral infection. That’s why it is very important to determine the exact cause of mouth discomfort.
Home Remedies
Check below some measures additionally to medical treatments that may help reduce symptoms:
- Avoid tobacco products
- Limit or avoid alcoholic beverages
- Do not consume acidic foods and drinks (including orange juice, tomatoes, coffee, carbonated beverages, and others)
- Drink plenty of water to prevent dry mouth
- Avoid irritating foods (such as spicy-hot foods)
- Do not use products with mint or cinnamon
- Manage stress and try relaxation methods
Frequently Asked Questions
What medicines may cause burning mouth syndrome?
These include:
- Efavirenz
- Fluoxetine
- Sertraline
- Hormonal replacement therapies
- Clonazepam
- Captopril
- Enalapril
This article does not contain all possible medications, for more details, discuss it with your doctor.
What conditions can be mistaken for burning mouth syndrome?
The following conditions cause similar symptoms to this syndrome. For example:
- Sjogren’s syndrome
- Allergic contact dermatitis to dental materials or toothpaste
- Aphthous ulcers
- Geographic tongue
- Oral candidiasis
- Pemphigus Vulgaris
How long does burning mouth syndrome usually last?
Symptoms caused by this syndrome may last from months to years. If you have additional questions, ask your healthcare provider.
