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Burning mouth syndrome
I have a burning sensation in my mouth, mainly the tip of the tongue and the inside of the bottom lip.
Burning Mouth Syndrome is a disorder involving intense pain in any of several regions of the mouth (tongue, lips, mucosa, roof of mouth). Often the pain is relieved by eating and drinking and can be severe, like burning your mouth or tongue on a hot cup of tea. The cause is unknown and some other symptoms are a tingling or numb sensation, dry mouth, excessive thirst, loss of taste or taste changes.
Possible reasons for burning mouth syndrome:
- Nutritional deficiency – B Vitamins, Zinc, Folic acid or Iron
- Side effect of pharmaceutical medications
- Nervous system disorders or nerve damage, stress or trauma
- Allergies or reactions to foods
- Over consumption of acidic foods
- Endocrine disorders (diabetes, thyroid)
- Digestive disorders (oral thrush, dry mouth, reflux)
- Aggressive tongue brushing
Diet tips for burning mouth syndrome
- Ensure adequate hydration (at least 2 litres/ day)
- Avoid acidic foods – spices, tea, coffee, alcohol, sugar, tomatoes, oranges and soft drinks
Lifestyle factors for burning mouth syndrome
- Treat oral thrush if this is an underlying complication
- Manage stress levels
- Avoid tobacco use
Natural remedies for burning mouth syndrome
- Lipoic acid
- Vitamin B supplementation
- Zinc, Iron and Folic acid supplementation
- Chilli may paradoxically alleviate the symptom by providing pain relief