Burning mouth syndrome By Mayo Clinic staff

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Burning mouth syndrome
Signs and symptoms
Burning mouth syndrome affects up to 4 percent of U.S. adults ÇƒÓ women seven times as often as men. It generally occurs in middle-aged or older adults. But it may occur in younger people as well.
The main symptom of burning mouth syndrome is a burning sensation in your tongue, lips, gums, palate or throat. People with the syndrome may describe the sensation in the affected areas as hot or scalded, as if they had been burned with a hot liquid.
Other symptoms may include:
Dry mouth
Sore mouth
A tingling or numb sensation in the mouth or on the tip of the tongue
A bitter or metallic taste
Some people with burning mouth syndrome don't wake up with mouth pain, but find that the pain intensifies during the day and into the evening. Some awake with a constant daily pain, while others feel pain on and off throughout the day.
By Mayo Clinic staff
September 23, 2004