Burning in the mouth - a chronic syndrome, in which there are paresthesia (tingling, numbness, burning tongue), trophic disorders, painful sensations, which seize the entire mucous membrane of the oral cavity.
Burning tongue - causes and predisposing factors:
- diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (ulcer, acute / chronic gastritis, cholecystitis);
- trauma and diseases of the ENT organs;
- surgical operations on the paranasal sinuses;
- allergic reactions, pathology of the dentoalveolar system;
- disorders of cerebral circulation;
- psychogenic and neurogenic abnormalities.
Burning tongue - causes and symptoms
- Catarrhal glossitis. Superficial inflammation, showing itself pain, aggravated during meals, white coating and swelling of the tongue, limiting its mobility. Patients complain that they have "burns" and "bakes" the tongue, saliva is abundantly allocated, it is difficult for them to distinguish the taste of food. Important: soreness with glossitis in 25-30% of cases indicates infectious diseases (measles, scarlet fever, diphtheria) or diseases of the digestive apparatus.
Glossalgia. Functional disorder that develops due to hypothalamic dysfunction (acquired / congenital), which causes the activation of the sympathetic-adrenaline system.
Obligatory (obligate) symptoms:
- increased intensity of burning after eating;
- feelings of pressure, tingling;
- dry mouth and white coating.
Optional symptoms:
- puffiness and minor cracks;
- atrophy / hypertrophy of the threadlike papillae;
- sharp decrease in taste sensitivity;
- tenderness of the temporomandibular joints.
- Candidiasis of the oral mucosa. Fungal infection "gives" the following symptoms: burning of the tongue, the appearance of curdled formations deposited on the internal surfaces of the oral cavity.
- Xerostomia (dry mouth syndrome). Uncontrolled use of drugs and Sjogren's syndrome (systemic damage to the connective tissue of autoimmune etiology) provoke severe dryness and burning sensation in the oral cavity.
- Depressive states. Depression is characterized by bilateral pain resistant to therapy, there is a mismatch between the painful area and the zones of vegetative and somatic innervation, sometimes a persistent pain syndrome and "burning" in one localized area - on the tongue or lips - are fixed. "Depressive" glossalgia proceeds against a background of anxiety, a decrease in mood, increased fatigue, insomnia.
- Allergies. Causes of allergic stomatitis: irritating effect of braces or dentures. Typical symptoms: bakes / pinches lips, cheeks, mucous alveolar processes, dry mouth, excessive salivation, lagging and redness of the tongue surface, facial dermatitis, dyspepsia, fever. Some patients develop an allergic reaction to a toothpaste that removes tartar or a chewing gum with a cinnamon content.
- Submandibular lymphadenitis. Inflammatory process with localization in the submaxillary lymph nodes occurs due to chronic tonsillitis, neglected pulpitis / caries, gum infection. Symptoms: pain, temperature jumps, deterioration in general condition.
- Diabetes. The appearance of burning sensation is associated with the thinning and dryness of the tongue mucosa, diabetic neuropathies, the attachment of a fungal infection.
- Reflux esophagitis. Aspiration ("sucking") of hydrochloric acid leads to soreness of the tongue, provoked by the intake of alcohol, coffee, abundant food, horizontal position.
- Climax. The wide prevalence of the symptom of "burning tongue" in menopause is explained by the fact that in the menopausal period the thyroid gland changes at a functional level in the female body, the lability of the vasomotor system and the dysregulation of the vegetative centers are fixed. These factors cause a decrease in the threshold of sensory excitability of the trigeminal nerve with respect to the impulses coming from the nerves.
- Latent malnutrition. It develops due to the imbalance between the supply of nutrients and the needs of the organism in them. The pronounced imbalance leads to a deficiency of vitamins and microelements, which provokes the appearance of unpleasant symptoms - burning, tingling in the lips, dry mouth.
Other reasons:
- hormonal failures, lowering of immunity;
- fluctuations in the chemical composition of saliva;
- The use of chemotherapy and radiation therapy in the treatment of oncology;
- reduced thyroid hormone levels;
- smoking, alcohol abuse.
Burning tongue - diagnostic measures
The branches of the sublingual, upper laryngeal, lingopharyngeal and lingual nerves, parasympathetic and sympathetic nerve fibers take part in the innervation of the tongue, which causes its special sensitivity to the various pathological processes developing in the body. There is scientific evidence of the connection between the nerve receptors of the tongue and the gastrointestinal tract - this allows you to detect stomach ulcers, colitis, gastritis, gallbladder and liver diseases. Diagnosis of burning in the mouth must necessarily be differential. Symptoms of burning should be distinguished from symptoms of lesions of the lingual / glossopharyngeal nerves, folic deficiency anemia and glossitis, which have a similar symptom complex.
Burning in the mouth - treatment
The burning of the tongue is part of a group of chronic, long-lasting pains that are difficult to treat, the most important stage of which is long-term psychotherapy. Treatment begins with the elimination of causes that irritate the tongue: sanitation of the oral cavity, removal of tartar, grinding of the sharp edges of the fillings / crowns. If the cause of burning is covered in neurotic depression, antidepressants of a wide spectrum of action are prescribed. Correctors of cerebral circulation and antispasmodics use normalization of capillary blood flow in the tongue mucosa. In parallel with the medication, physiotherapy and manual therapy are used: bromine and novocaine electrophoresis, neck collar massage, heparin electrophoresis on the area of the tongue.
How to relieve the burning sensation in the mouth:
- Do not rinse the oral cavity with alcohol-based products;
- Do not brush teeth with sodium lauryl sulfate;
- refrain from smoking, carbonated drinks;
- limit consumption of alcohol-containing beverages, juices with high acidity, strong coffee.
The burning of the tongue gives a lot of inconvenience, leads to a malfunction of the processes of chewing, sound, swallowing, which has a very negative impact on health and emotional state. Only the doctor can diagnose the cause of discomfort, therefore, in case of unpleasant symptoms it is recommended to consult the specialized specialists - the therapist and the dentist.