- Symptoms of Burning Mouth Syndrome
- Types of Burning Mouth Syndrome
- Diagnosis and treatment of burning mouth
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Burning mouth syndrome (BMS, stomatodynia) is a chronic disease of the oral mucosa, often with no visible changes in its appearance. Burning mouth syndrome is associated with pain of varying intensity. What are the causes and symptoms of BMS? How is Burning Mouth Syndrome treated?
Burning mouth syndrome ,(BMS for short) is a chronic disease of the mucosa lining the inside of the mouth. It manifests itself in a feeling of discomfort within the mucosa of varying nature and intensity. In most cases, the disease occurs without any visible changes to the mucosa. Sometimes there are slight deviations in the color of the mucosa. Burning mouth syndrome develops in approximately 0.7-15 percent of patients (depending on research). BMS affects women about seven times more often than men. Most often, symptoms develop in the perimenopause (5-6 decade of life).
Symptoms of Burning Mouth Syndrome
The most characteristic and most common symptom of Burning Mouth Syndrome is pain of varying intensity. The pain is chronic, lasting at least 4-6 months. Cases have been described in which pain ailments lasted even for several years.
Pain is often described as burning, tingling, stinging in the oral mucosa. It most often occurs around the tongue (side surfaces, tip of the tongue), this condition is calledglossodynia . Often described by patients as "tongue pinching". However, this is not the only location where unpleasant sensations appear.
Patients complain of burning of the hard palate, pain in the area of the alveolar processes or cheeks. Diffuse pain conditions throughout the mouth are calledstomatodynia . In rare cases, the pain or burning sensation may be in the throat. Pain is chronic, lasting several months or even years. It is characterized by a variable intensity, in many cases the intensity of pain decreases with eating.
Other symptoms often associated with Burning Mouth pain are taste disturbance (bitterness or a metallic taste in the mouth), paraesthesia.
Patients also report a troublesome feeling of dry mucosa described as a feeling of sand in the mouth. Usually these are only subjective experiences of the patient and the salivation remains within the normal range.
Depending on the clinical course (location, pain intensity and time of its occurrence), the burning cavity syndrome has been divided into 3 subtypes. This is the division proposed by two researchers, Lamey and Lewis:
- type 1 - pain occurs every day, is absent when you wake up, starts and increases during the day;
- type 2 - pain that is present every day, felt after waking up, it does not subside during the day;
- type 3 - unusual pain, it will appear every few days in unusual locations, e.g. in the throat.
Types of Burning Mouth Syndrome
In the professional literature, you can find the division of the oral cavity baking syndrome into two types:
- primary mouth burn syndrome;
- secondary Burning Mouth Syndrome.
In both syndromes the symptoms are identical to those presented earlier. The difference between the primary and secondary type is the cause that causes unpleasant feelings.
Primary Burning Mouth Syndromeis a unit of unexplained disease. This means that the cause of the disease has not been known. It is supposed that the cause may be related to disturbances in the nervous system.
It is very important in the process of subsequent treatment to identify whether we are dealing with secondary or primary Burning Mouth Syndrome.
Secondary burning mouth syndromeis a complex of the above-mentioned symptoms occurring together with general diseases (anemia, diabetes, disorders of thyroid hormone secretion, hormonal disorders in menopausal women, acid reflux disease) ), deficiencies of vitamins and trace elements (deficiencies of B vitamins, folic acid, iron deficiencies), food allergies.
Burning mouth syndrome can also be associated with mental disorders. Depression or anxiety disorders (belonging to the group of neurotic disorders) can cause troublesome ailments.
Burning of the oral mucosa may also be associated with taking certain medications, e.g. ACE inhibitors - hypertension medications. Often, BMS is also associated with local factors resulting from, among others, bacterial, fungal and viral infections. The use of improperly made dentures, contact allergies to chemical substances contained in them or simply improper oral hygiene can also causesecondary burning sensation of the mouth. Sometimes pain in the oral mucosa accompanies grinding and clenching teeth, i.e. bruxism.
Diagnosis and treatment of burning mouth
Burning mouth syndrome, due to its complex and not fully understood etiology, is a very difficult disease, both diagnostically and therapeutically. It requires an individual approach to each patient. The treatment process is long and requires the cooperation of doctors of many speci alties. The main symptom is chronic, bothersome pain, which makes the whole process more difficult.
During the diagnosis, it is very important to establish the cause of the Burning Mouth Syndrome. All local and general diseases that may be the cause of the symptoms should be eliminated. Local treatment consists in the sanitation of the oral cavity, removal of defective prosthetic restorations, elimination of parafunction, and treatment of malocclusion. If necessary, antimicrobial and antifungal treatments should be instituted in accordance with applicable rules.
It is worth remembering about a proper diet: especially acidic or spicy foods can exacerbate pain symptoms - they should be avoided. Good oral hygiene is advisable, the use of mouthwash solutions, and the use of artificial saliva preparations may be considered.
In the case of general diseases, the importance of a detailed medical history collected by a doctor is invaluable. All general diseases that may cause the burning mouth syndrome should be properly monitored by an appropriate doctor.
If the patient has not previously been diagnosed with any of the diseases that may cause pain in the mucosa, the diagnosis should be extended. Blood tests, hormone checks, and allergy tests are some of the tests that can be done.
If the implemented treatment is effective and results in improvement, it can be assumed that the patient suffers from secondary burning mouth syndrome. In severe cases, after thorough examinations and specialist consultations, it may be recommended to take general pharmacological agents.