Middle-aged and older people often complain of burning in the mouth. The causes of this phenomenon are not always able to explain traditional medicine, because sometimes with a full examination does not reveal any pathologies. According to statistics, the so-called burning syndrome in the oral cavity affects from 5 to 8 percent of the adult population. Moreover, burning in the oral cavity is observed more often in women than in men. A person can feel a burning sensation in almost any area of the oral cavity.
First of all, it should be determined whether the sensation of burning sensation is a consequence of a burn of the mucous membrane of the mouth with hot food or chemicals. In this case, this is a normal burn, which is healed with anti-burn agents, and very often the symptoms disappear within a few days.
Burning syndrome in the oral cavity can conditionally be divided into three types:
- when the burning sensation in the oral cavity intensifies throughout the day, but there are no symptoms during awakening;
- there is a burning sensation on awakening, and continues throughout the day;
- burning occurs irregularly and in different places of the oral cavity.
Sometimes, when it bakes in the mouth, people don’t understand which doctor should go to. In order to diagnose the causes of a burning syndrome in the oral cavity, the patient must undergo examination by a dentist, gastroenterologist, therapist, orthopedist, neurologist and psychiatrist. Moreover, the examination by a psychiatrist is mandatory and consists in analyzing the patient’s psycho-emotional state, which is often the root cause of discomfort in the mouth. Be sure to take both a general blood test and an analysis for the content of vitamin B12 in it , determine the levels of ferritin and glucose, examine the smear in order to detect microorganisms of the genus Candida and others.
How to treat burning in the mouth? The causes of its occurrence are so diverse that without a full examination of the human body , it is impossible to prescribe any treatment. An endocrinologist can diagnose diabetes and prescribe treatment, with a burning sensation in the mouth. Very often, a doctor’s prescription of vitamins B1 and B6 facilitates a burning sensation in the mouth. The reasons are an insufficient amount of vitamin B12 or folic acid in the human body and further studies will be required to find out why this is happening. In this case, a further diagnosis of the causes may be established by the gastroenterologist. If, according to the results of a smear test, a candida infection is detected, antifungal therapy is necessary, as a rule, it consists in prescribing fluconazole by the doctor, the dosage and period of use of the drug depends on the complexity of the disease. Also, with a decrease in the function of the salivary glands, unpleasant sensations can occur, in this case, to stimulate their work, rinsing the mouth with sodium bicarbonate solution, in the proportion of a teaspoon in one glass of water, is recommended, as well as the appointment of saliva substitutes. During the examination, the psychotherapist can detect the presence of parafunctional habits, for example, habits of clenching your teeth or the appearance of a sudden feeling of anxiety, which contribute to a burning sensation in the mouth and prescribe tricyclic depressants for treatment. Sometimes it bakes in the mouth and from an existing allergy to certain foods or flavors, and sometimes the cause is an allergy to the materials from which the dentures are made. In this case, anti-allergic therapy is indicated.
Among the many uncomfortable sensations of a person, one of the most unpleasant is a burning sensation in the mouth. Its causes are varied, but, first of all, it indicates the occurrence of an imbalance in the body as a whole. Therefore, do not hesitate and engage in self-medication, but you must contact a medical institution and undergo a full examination. Only in this case you can get rid of the burning sensation in the mouth.