Second opinion: When the mouth's afire

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Second opinion: When the mouth's afire
August 29, 2006
By Dr. Murray Feingold
MetroWestDailyNews.com
Have you ever heard of, or experienced the Burning Mouth syndrome? Although it is not a rare condition, many people are unaware of it.

The burning sensation affects the tongue, lips, gums, palate, inside the cheeks and throat. The mouth may be dry and sore, with a tingling and numbing sensation present within the oral cavity.

Determining the cause of the Burning Mouth syndrome maybe be difficult. It can be associated with a variety of abnormalities affecting the oral cavity. There are also medical conditions that can produce these symptoms such as anemia, diabetes, vitamin and nutritional deficiencies, food allergies, hypothyroidism, acid reflux, hormonal imbalance, Sjogren syndrome and psychological problems.
Some people with iron deficiency anemia have a craving to chew ice and one theory is that the ice helps relieve the burning and discomfort in the mouth.

Other causes of the syndrome are medications, especially those that cause a dry mouth such as diuretics, antihistamines and ACE inhibitors, including Captopril and Lisinopril.

It has also been suggested that damage to, or dysfunction of the nerves that involve the region of the mouth can also be responsible for the symptoms.

More women than men are affected and although it can occur at any age, it is more common in middle-aged individuals.

Treatment consists of finding the specific cause, such as an anemia or a medication, and then correcting it. Practicing good oral hygiene and avoiding foods that can aggravate the symptoms, such as acidic foods, are helpful.

If you have a continual burning sensation of the mouth you should first see your dentist to determine if there is a problem involving an area of the mouth.

If no oral problem is detected, then a visit to your physician maybe helpful to uncover some type of medical etiology that can be diagnosed and hopefully successfully treated.

Dr. Murray Feingold is the physician in chief of the National Birth Defects Center, medical editor of CBS4 TV and WBZ radio, and president of the Genesis Fund. The Genesis Fund is a nonprofit organization that funds the care of children born with birth defects, mental retardation and genetic diseases.