If you are experiencing symptoms that seem like you've got a burning tongue or burning mouth, you may be suffering from Burning Mouth Syndrome (or BMS).
While unusual, a small percentage of older men and women (and it's mostly women) develop a problem of intermittent (and sometimes chronic) burning sensations of their gums and tongue.
Hurts to eat and drink
This condition may be accompanied by unusual taste sensations as well, which can make eating and drinking uncomfortable, difficult or painful.
When inspected, the tongue and gums may look perfectly normal but the burning sensation is consistent. Patients who experience this burning sensation may have lost some of their taste sensations though often times they are unaware of just how much they do not taste their food.
Often, symptoms can go without treatment as many patients see numerous doctors in an attempt to get to the source of the problem...but usually to no avail.
This annoying and sometimes painful condition has been mentioned in medical literature for years but has mostly been ignored because there were no known physical reasons for the burning. Many clinicians believed it was the result of symptoms brought on by some type of emotional stress.
Recent studies have shown that there may be real physical reasons for the condition
Scientist hypothesize that nerve damage could be caused by a virus and damage could also be the result of severe changes in hormone production. This could affect the nerve tissues of the tongue and interrupt or alter the messages the tongue receives from the brain.
When the communication from the brain to the tongue is interrupted or becomes out of balance and the brain exaggerates the sensations it is sending to the mouth. This may explain the burning feeling and the phantom taste sensations that a patient experiences.
There may be other reasons as well....
Before jumping to the conclusion that you have Burning Mouth Syndrome you'll want to talk to one of our doctors. They can assess your issues and better determine what may be the cause of your irritation.
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Call Dr. DeTure today in Stuart, FL to schedule your examination.
