What causes a burning tongue?

A burning sensation on the tongue is generally a case of burning mouth syndrome, most of which are female patients, and most of the female patients are menopausal women. There are many causes of this syndrome, and the diagnosis can only be made based on the patient's specific situation. The symptoms are also quite diverse, with intermittent pain attacks and different pain locations. This article discusses burning mouth syndrome, and the editor will explain it in detail below.

Disease Introduction

Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is a benign disease characterized by burning pain in the oral mucosa without obvious abnormalities during intraoral examination, clinical signs of damage, or histological changes. Approximately 2%-3.7% of the population suffers from the disease, with the number of women being about seven times that of men. The majority of patients are postmenopausal women, but of course men and premenopausal and perimenopausal women may also be affected by the disease. The symptoms of burning mouth syndrome are diverse, and the burning sensation can occur anywhere in the mouth, but for most patients, the burning sensation is usually located on the tip and sides of the tongue, the back of the tongue, the upper palate, and the inner mucosa of the lips. The patient may experience a sensation as if they had been burned by hot food and may have a sour, bitter, or metallic taste. You may also experience dry mouth. The onset of burning mouth syndrome is usually gradual, with no known precipitating factors or behaviors.

Causes

The cause of the disease is complex. Currently, it is believed that the possible inducing factors include local, systemic, mental and neurological factors. The traditional view is that spiritual factors occupy a prominent position. Local factors include residual roots and crowns, fungal infections, etc.; systemic factors include menopausal syndrome, diabetes, iatrogenic dysbiosis, vitamin deficiency, etc.

Symptoms

There are three typical clinical features:

Most common symptoms: Symptoms that persist upon waking and throughout the day.

There is little or no burning sensation in the morning, and symptoms worsen during the day, being worst at night.

Least common presentation: Intermittent symptoms with symptom-free days.