Burning Mouth syndrome – Symptoms, Test, Treatment, And Prevention

What is burning mouth syndrome?

Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) causes recurrent burning in the mouth of a person without any obvious cause. It is a painful condition that leads to discomfort situation and affects the tongue, lips, gums, roof of the moth inside of your cheeks and the whole of your mouth.

The condition can hurt your mouth as if you have burned the mouth with a hot liquid or steam. The condition will not develop overnight, and there will be an improvement in the symptoms and one day, it will cause major discomfort.

There are no specific causes for the syndrome that makes the treatment more challenging. It can last up to four to six months.

The burning mouth syndrome is common among women during their peri-menopausal and post-menopausal period.

According to NCBI, the burning mouth syndrome is associated with psychiatric illness, structural and functional changes in the nervous system and a disruption in circadian rhythm.

Causes of BMS

According to NCBI sources, oestrogen plays a major role in the burning mouth syndrome. When the hormone level decreases, it can lead to thinning or loss of oral mucosal tissue. This contributes to inflammatory change and the development of burning mouth syndrome.

In some cases, burning mouth syndrome can be caused due to an underlying infection or invading pathogens.

Some of the commonly found pathogens in patients affected with burning mouth syndrome include Enterobacter, Candida, Klebsiella, Fusospirochetal and Helicobacter pylori.

People affected with Diabetes have an increased risk of getting affected with burning mouth syndrome due to peripheral neuropathy.

Other irritants like mercury, methyl methacrylate, amalgam, cobalt chloride, benzoyl peroxide and zinc are also associated with the aetiology of burning mouth syndrome.

Common foods associated with the cause of burning mouth syndrome include sorbic acid, peanuts and cinnamon

The cause of burning mouth syndrome is clubbed under two categories.

• Primary BMS
• Secondary BMS

Primary burning mouth syndrome

The cause of burning mouth syndrome does not have any underlying cause. It is called primary burning mouth syndrome.

According to research, burning mouth syndrome damages the nerves that control pain and taste. This can lead to major discomfort and pain as the symptoms develop.

Secondary BMS

If an underlying health condition causes burning mouth syndrome, it is placed under the category of secondary burning mouth syndrome.

Some of the secondary causes of burning mouth syndrome include

• Depression,
• Diabetes,
• Hormonal changes,
• Medications,
• Acid reflux and
• Yeast infection in the mouth.

Symptoms of BMS

The burning mouth syndrome will not occur overnight, and the symptoms can take months to manifest. Some of the common symptoms are

• Pain in the mouth,
• Scalding,
• Tingling,
• Numbness,
• Dry mouth and
• Altered taste in the mouth.

The burning mouth syndrome can be painful, and the symptoms can differ from one person to another. Sometimes, the symptoms can cause pain daily. In some cases, the pain becomes subtle, and there will be sudden pain when a person drinks or eats something.

When a person has burning mouth syndrome, either the whole mouth can have pain or symptoms. Sometimes, there will be localised pain like in the roof of the mouth, lips or throughout the mouth.

Diagnosis of BMS

The diagnosis of burning mouth syndrome will be hard, and the burning mouth syndrome cannot be diagnosed during a normal medical examination.

If you have the symptoms mentioned above, consult your dentist. Additionally, burning mouth syndrome can also be caused due to jaw clenching or tooth grinding. The dentist will be more familiar with these oral conditions. Burning mouth syndrome can be diagnosed with these medical tests.

Oral swab tests

Oral swab tests will be carried out to check for the presence of pathogens that lead to the burning mouth syndrome.

Allergy tests

Allergy tests will be recommended to check if a person has any allergy towards particular food and if the allergy leads to burning mouth syndrome.

Salivary flow test

When a person is affected with burning mouth syndrome, they will have a dry mouth. So salivary flow test will be conducted to rule out the other possible health illnesses.

Tissue biopsy

A tissue biopsy from the mouth will be taken to check whether the person is affected by a viral, bacterial or fungal infection.

Imaging tests

Imaging diagnostic methods will also be used to test whether the person is affected with burning mouth syndrome. Imaging tests like MRI scans and CT scans will be used.

Treatment of BMS

The treatment of burning mouth syndrome will differ from one person to another depending on the type of burning mouth syndrome.

If a person is affected with primary burning mouth syndrome, there is no cure, and the treatment will be to reduce the severity of the symptoms.

The doctor will try different combinations of treatment before finding effective treatments. This treatment will aim to reduce the pain and control the symptoms.

Some of the treatments to treat primary mouth burning syndrome include,

• Specific oral rinses or lidocaine
• Salivary replacement products
• Capsaicin
• An anticonvulsant medication
• Antidepressants
• Medications to block nerve pain and
• Cognitive behavioural therapy.

To treat secondary burning mouth syndrome, it is important to treat the underlying health condition that causes it.

A person might have an oral infection that can give rise to burning mouth syndrome. In some cases, it may be due to vitamin deficiency. Peripheral neuropathy can also cause burning mouth syndrome.

So, it is important to treat the underlying condition so that the burning mouth syndrome can be treated.

Prevention of BMS

Burning mouth syndrome can be prevented by taking certain precautionary steps.

• Avoid tobacco smoking or chewing.
• Do not consume too much spicy food.
• Avoid alcoholic drinks.
• Foods that produce acids, like citrus fruits.
• Try to avoid products that contain cinnamon or mint.
• Try to consume more fluids to prevent dry mouth.

Risk factors of BMS

Burning mouth syndrome can be an uncommon condition. However, the risk of getting affected with the burning mouth syndrome can increase in the below-listed cases.

• Females are more common to get burning mouth syndrome when compared to males
• Women in their peri-menopausal and post-menopausal period
• Primary illness
• Certain dental procedures
• Food allergies
• Stress
• Medications
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Chronic illnesses like Parkinson’s disease, fibromyalgia, neuropathy and autoimmune disorders.

Conclusion

Burning mouth syndrome is not very common, and in most cases, it can be caused due to an underlying disease.

According to NCBI, when a person is affected with burning mouth syndrome, a psychiatric examination will always be required. Then it will be treated with medications, and it will be overlooked by a psychologist or a psychiatrist.

The data suggest that about 50% of people affected with burning mouth syndrome will have psychiatric disorders like anxiety, OCD or depression.

However, the condition can increase as the person ages, and proper treatment will be required to mitigate the pain.

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