Burning Mouth Syndrome

Most people know about the typical dental or mouth problems. Tooth decay, gum disease, bad breath and more. But there is a little known condition called Burning Mouth Syndrome that is more than frustrating to an unlucky percentage of mostly middle aged to older women.

Burning Mouth Syndrome affects approximately 7 times more women than men and no one is exactly sure why. The exact cause of Burning Mouth Symptom is unknown although there are some suspects.

Causes

Post-menopausal women are most likely to develop symptoms. Because of this, changes in hormones are suspected as one of the possible causes of Burning Mouth Syndrome.

Other possible causes which have been identified are:

• Damage to nerves which control pain and/or taste.
• Dry mouth
• Poor Nutrition (a lack of certain vitamins and minerals)
• Acid reflux
• Oral yeast infection (thrush)

Symptoms

The symptoms of Burning Mouth Syndrome range from moderate to severe and can persist for up to months or even years in some cases. Often times, symptoms will begin in late morning, get worse throughout the day, then subside at night. These symptoms include:

• Constant pain or pain that comes and goes
• Tingling and/or numbness on the tip of tongue or otherwise in mouth
• A bitter metallic taste
• Dry or Sore mouth
• A scalding sensation in the tongue, lips, palate and/or throughout the mouth

Burning Mouth Syndrome is a chronic condition with no visible, physical signs. For the person dealing with Burning Mouth Syndrome, the effects can be anywhere from simply irritating to absolutely agonizing.

What can you do?

Unfortunately, there is no known cure for spontaneous or Primary Burning Mouth Syndrome. When no underlying cause can be found, treatment can be difficult consisting of a lot of trial and error to find what works for you.

If you have identified an underlying cause such as poor nutrition, or hormones, Burning Mouth Syndrome can then be treated by targeting the cause. Once you have successfully treated the cause, your burning mouth should disappear.

If you suspect you may have burning mouth syndrome, consult a health professional as soon as possible. The quicker you can identify a cause for this sometimes irritating, sometimes agonizing pain, the quicker you can get back to feeling like yourself again.