For various reasons, people are faced with such an unpleasant symptom as a burning tongue. This causes severe discomfort. It is necessary to find out why the language is burning. The reasons for this phenomenon can be very different. To identify the cause of the pathology, you need to see a doctor. Only comprehensive diagnostics will determine the cause of this phenomenon. For a general overview of them will be described below.
Symptoms
Why is the tongue burning? This question arises in people who have a similar symptom for a long time. This can be a sign of a number of diseases, sometimes quite serious. Only an experienced doctor can make the correct diagnosis and prescribe the appropriate treatment.
In some cases, patients complain that their lips and tongue are burning. Unpleasant sensations can also spread to the sky, throat, cheeks. In some cases, only the tip of the tongue is baked.
As a rule, an unpleasant syndrome worsens in the evening. By morning, it subsides and becomes moderate. Pain can be constant or intensify periodically. Without proper treatment, such symptoms can accompany a person not only for months, but also for years. Sometimes numbness of the tongue is also added to the discomfort, a feeling of dryness appears. Bitterness or an unpleasant taste of saliva may appear in the mouth.
Such symptoms are often called "burning tongue syndrome." It may become more pronounced after eating. A tingling sensation may be added to the unpleasant sensations, belching and heartburn may occur. Some patients complain of a change in taste, the appearance of a metallic taste in the mouth. There is a large list of causes that cause this phenomenon.
List of Common Reasons
Why is the language on fire? The list of pathologies that cause such an unpleasant symptom is plentiful. One reason may be catarrhal glossitis. This is an inflammation of the surface of the tongue, which is accompanied by pain, aggravated by eating. White plaque and swelling may appear. The language becomes less mobile. In this case, salivation is also enhanced, and the taste of food is almost not felt. Glossitis often accompanies a number of dangerous diseases, for example, measles, diphtheria, scarlet fever, gastrointestinal tract diseases, etc.
Glossalgia is also a disease in which the tongue burns. The causes of this pathology are serious. This functional disorder develops due to hypothalamic dysfunction. This pathology can be acquired or congenital. In this case, the symptoms are quite specific:
- The intensity of pain increases after eating.
- The tongue feels pressure and tingling.
- Dry mouth is felt in the mouth, a white coating appears.
- Minor cracks, swelling may appear.
- The filiform papillae are hypertrophied or atrophied.
- The taste of food is not felt.
- The temporomandibular joints are painful.
The cause may be candidiasis of the oral mucosa. This fungal infection can cause not only a burning sensation, but also curdled formations, which are determined on the inner surfaces of the mouth.
Xerostomia - dry mouth syndrome - can lead to such symptoms. This can happen with uncontrolled medication, as well as with Sjogren's syndrome. This is an autoimmune disease that leads to dry mouth and burning sensation.
Diabetes mellitus leads to dryness and thinning of the mucous membrane of the tongue. Fungal infections may also join.
Less frequent causes
Depressive conditions can cause a burning sensation in the mouth and tongue. The causes of this condition can be stress, insomnia. A person feels increased fatigue, anxiety. Pain in this case is bilateral, not responding to therapeutic effects. The areas in which such unpleasant sensations appear do not coincide with the areas of somatic and autonomic innervation. Sometimes burning and soreness appear in only one area. Some patients complain that their tongue is on fire.
Allergies can also cause an unpleasant symptom. It can occur due to wearing braces, dentures. In this case, allergic stomatitis develops, which is manifested by burning not only the tongue, but also the cheeks, mucous membranes of the alveolar process. Dry mouth and excessive salivation are also signs of pathology. Also, the patient becomes red tongue. The cause of the development of the pathology should be eliminated sooner. Braces or dentures will have to be removed.
The same reaction can occur when using toothpaste, which removes tartar, or chewing gum with cinnamon flavor.
Another cause may be submandibular lymphadenitis. This is an inflammation that is localized in the lymph nodes under the jaw. The reason for this may be tonsillitis, advanced caries or pulpitis, infectious diseases of the gums. In this case, not only burning appears, but also the temperature rises, the general condition worsens.
Other triggering factors
The cause of the red tongue and the appearance of burning can be reflux esophagitis. With aspiration of hydrochloric acid, pain occurs. This condition provokes coffee, alcohol, the consumption of large amounts of food, as well as staying in a horizontal position for a long time.
In women during menopause, a similar symptom often occurs. This is due to changes in the thyroid gland. Lability of the vasomotor systems, as well as dysregulation of autonomic centers, leads to the appearance of such symptoms. The threshold of sensory excitability decreases, which leads to the development of negative manifestations.
With an unbalanced diet, latent malnutrition, a similar symptom appears. The body does not receive the necessary nutrients, which leads to serious changes in all systems. This is manifested by dry mouth, burning tongue and tingling lips.
There are other reasons. The language is lit in the following cases:
- Disruptions in the endocrine system.
- Decreased immunity.
- Changes in the chemical composition of saliva.
- The consequences of chemotherapy in the treatment of cancer.
- Decreased thyroid hormone levels.
- Bad habits, wrong lifestyle.
Diagnostics
During the diagnosis, they establish why the language is on. The causes of pathology can be very different. When diagnosing, the patient's condition is assessed, the symptoms are determined. In the innervation of the tongue involved the branches of the upper larynx, sublingual, lingual, glossopharyngeal nerves. Also involved in this process are the sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves. This ensures the sensitivity of this organ.
It is scientifically proven that there is a connection between the digestive tract and the nerve receptors of the tongue. On this basis, we can assume that gastritis, colitis, stomach ulcer, gall bladder disease, and liver develop in the human body. It is necessary to differentiate the symptoms in order to determine the pathology.
The doctor first determines whether the negative symptoms are caused by glossitis, damage to the lingual nerve, anemia, or other pathologies. For this, the patient takes a blood test, undergoes a series of laboratory examinations.
Only after establishing the cause of the burning sensation does the doctor prescribe treatment. It must be comprehensive. Treatment involves the elimination of the main provoking factor, because burning is only a symptom that indicates the development of a different pathology in the body.
How to alleviate the condition?
If the tongue burns, other unpleasant sensations appear in the mouth, a number of actions need to be taken in order to alleviate the discomfort. After going to the doctor and diagnosing the patient, a complex treatment is prescribed that acts on the cause of the discomfort. Also, a reduction in unpleasant symptoms is carried out.
First of all, the doctor will advise you to abandon the use of mouth rinses, which include alcohol. You also need to replace the toothpaste if it contains sodium lauryl sulfate. You need to brush your teeth with baking soda and water.
It is necessary to abandon bad habits, as they injure, among other things, the mucous membranes of the tongue and oral cavity. It is necessary to abandon the use of alcohol, smoking, the use of harmful substances. This has a positive effect on overall well-being, and also reduces pain.
If the tongue nibbles, you need to abandon drinks with high acidity, as they can cause irritation. It is recommended that you periodically put a small ice cube in your mouth. This relieves pain.
It is worth noting that the above approaches somewhat reduce burning sensation, but it is impossible to solve the problem using such means. Properly selected treatment is required, possibly taking special medications.
Burn
Quite rarely, a separate syndrome occurs when the tongue burns. The causes of this phenomenon are often explained by the presence of various other diseases. Sometimes a burning sensation can be caused by a real burn. It can occur if you drink a hot drink. The cause may be a chemical burn. This happens more often with children, but it can also be with adults.
If the cause of burning is a burn, you should consult a doctor. In some cases, it is recommended to call an ambulance. If a person swallows a dangerous substance that caused such a symptom, immediate medical attention is needed. While the ambulance travels to the victim, he needs to provide first aid at home.
First, rinse your mouth thoroughly with cold water. This will help remove the chemical from the tongue and oral cavity. If this is a small child, you can wash off the substance with a gauze swab. Next, you need to try to reduce the concentration of the chemical in the stomach. The victim must drink plenty of water. It is advisable to do a gastric lavage. To do this, after ingestion of a large amount of liquid, you need to cause a gag reflex. Two fingers press on the root of the tongue.
After washing the stomach, you need to drink enough clean water, take activated charcoal. Further medical assistance will be provided by a team of emergency doctors.
Treatment approaches
If the tongue burns, the doctor prescribes treatment. First of all, he will prescribe therapy that reduces unpleasant symptoms.
If the cause of the development of unpleasant sensations is a chronic or acute illness, consultation with a medical specialist of the appropriate profile is required. Depending on the main cause of the burning sensation, it may be necessary to take these drugs:
- antidepressants;
- anticonvulsants;
- antipsychotics;
- analgesics;
- benzodiazepines;
- other things.
Means for protecting the mucosa, as well as a complex of other drugs, can be prescribed. You may need to visit a dentist. If the cause of pain is aphthous stomatitis, oral ulcers, diseases of the teeth and gums, appropriate therapy is prescribed. Sometimes at home it is impossible to cure the pathology, you need to regularly visit the dental clinic.
If burning is caused by other diseases, you will need to visit a therapist. A doctor can diagnose Shagren's syndrome, allergies, and a lack of vitamins. If the cause is not in these diseases, check the hormonal background. In some cases, discomfort is caused by a chronic syndrome, which was caused by a nervous breakdown, dysfunction of some sections of the central nervous system.
In some people, tartar forms on the teeth. A large number of pathogenic bacteria and microorganisms accumulate here. They excrete acids in the course of their life. Due to the touch of the tongue to such areas, microinflammation of the mucosa may occur. This causes a burning sensation and a number of unpleasant symptoms.
Medications
If the tongue nibbles, the doctor may prescribe special drugs:
- In infectious diseases, minor damage to the mucosa, rinses with chlorhexidine or furacilin are prescribed.
- Miramistin antiseptic spray may be prescribed.
- The affected areas are lubricated with a solution of lugol with glycerin.
- To reduce pain, prescribe painkillers, for example, analgin, ketonal, etc., as well as local analgesics, for example, lidocaine, novocaine and so on.
- In case of nervous disorders, antidepressants are prescribed, for example, the drug "Amitriptyline", the antipsychotics "Librium".
Folk recipes
As an addition to the main therapy, folk remedies are prescribed that contribute to a quick recovery. Redness and burning eliminates the decoction of the mixture in equal proportions of chamomile, bitter wormwood, sage, oak bark. A tablespoon of dry collection is poured into a glass of boiling water. The infusion is left in a dark place. Then the product is filtered and rinsed in their mouth after meals 3 times a day.
Raw potato juice helps alleviate the condition of the patient. It eliminates inflammation. First, the potatoes are crushed and left under pressure. Half a glass of juice is used as a rinse after a meal. Rinses can be made from 50 ml of horseradish juice and 50 ml of pure water. The solution is boiled for 10-15 minutes. Cool and rinse your mouth after eating.