Burn on the palate

Introduction

The palate forms the roof and thus the upper side of the oral cavity and is covered by mucosa. There are two types of mucosa: The front part of the palate, the so-called “hard palate” is covered by a somewhat thicker mucosa than the rear “soft palate“, which is covered by the same type of mucosa as, for example, the inside of the cheeks. Both types of mucosa are much thinner than the skin on the outside of the body, but the mechanism and consequences of a burn are the same.

A hot liquid or food can burn or scald the skin, redness, swelling, pain or even blisters on the affected area can be the result. Often the burned area is also touch-sensitive and excessively sensitive. However, the risks associated with oral burns are generally no higher than for burns on the outer skin.

Causes

The most common cause of a burnt palate is probably eating or drinking food that is too hot, such as tea, coffee or soup. The mucous membrane is then stressed so much by the effect of the heat that it can no longer compensate for the temperature, for example by being transported away by the blood. The result is denaturation, i.e. the “breaking down” of certain molecules that are important for the maintenance of the mucous membrane.

Since the mucous membrane on the palate is very thin, it is already damaged by short-term thermal stress. This damage can therefore also be caused by very hot vapors that are inhaled. If this is the case, one speaks of so-called inhalation trauma, which can affect not only the palate but also the throat and neck area.

Associated symptoms

Since the skin and mucous membranes are not designed to withstand permanent heat, a temperature of about 40° Celsius initially leads to a loss of function of the cellular structures, but the body can recover from this. From a temperature of 45° Celsius on, this loss of function becomes permanent, so the cellular structures and proteins remain defective. In the process, the body’s own molecules that are responsible for the maintenance of tissue in the body also break down.

As a result, the uppermost layers of the skin become detached and the small blood and lymph vessels that supply the skin become leaky. As a result, fluid from the vessels leaks into the intercellular spaces and accumulates there. As a result, the familiar burn blisters form.

However, puncturing or opening should be avoided, as the blisters have a largely sterile content and also provide good access to the blood vessel system. Especially in the oral area, which is naturally colonized by certain bacteria, open blisters can easily cause an infection. If the blisters are so annoying that they are intolerable, a doctor should be consulted.

A burn in the palatal area can cause the mucous membrane to be thinner, and the heat stress can release messenger substances that sensitize the pain receptors. These messenger substances also make sunburn so painful and touch-sensitive, for example. The nerve endings consequently become more sensitive.

An exception to this is third-degree burns, in which the nerve endings were also destroyed by the heat – so the person affected actually no longer feels any pain at the burned area. In the case of first and second degree burns, which are probably much more common in the palate, pain is a common symptom for the reasons mentioned above. Swelling of a burned or scalded area is caused by two different mechanisms.

Firstly, the messenger substances mentioned above are released, which not only increase the sensitivity of the area in question but also dilate the vessels and cause them to leak. This should make it easier for the immune cells to enter the surrounding tissue in order to ward off possible pathogens at the injured site. In addition, the body’s vessels also become leaky in the event of a burn due to the loss of function of tissue proteins.

Both mechanisms thus lead to a “leak” in the vessel walls, so that fluid from the vessels enters the intercellular space and forms an accumulation there. This can then be perceived from the outside as an oedema or swelling.As soon as the vessels are sealed again by repairing and breaking down the corresponding messenger substances, the leaking fluid is also absorbed by the surrounding cells and the swelling consequently decreases. Inflammation is a complex reaction of the body, with which it reacts to a damaging stimulus or an already existing damage of a body part.

Signs of inflammation are redness, swelling, pain, overheating and loss of function of the affected area. A burn on the palate can also cause inflammation in this area, provided the affected area has been burned badly enough, or if bacteria or other types of pathogens have entered the wound through the defective mucous membrane. If an inflammation is suspected because of the above-mentioned symptoms, which is due to an infection of the wound with bacteria, a doctor should be consulted immediately.