Introduction
Burning of the tongue is an extremely unpleasant feeling that can spread to the entire mouth. Often the tongue is unchanged in color and shape, tingling or burning. This symptom can persist for months.
The burning sensation that initially occurs mainly in the morning can quickly spread to a sharp pain. In many cases, salivation and taste sensation is also impaired. Affected are often the front 2/3 of the tongue in middle-aged women. There are many causes, often a diagnosis is made using the exclusion procedure.
Causes
Tongue burning can be caused by various triggers. Finding the cause is often difficult and requires an accurate diagnosis. Burning of the tongue can be triggered harmlessly by sour drinks, coffee or smoking, for example.
However, the symptom is also frequently found in underlying diseases such as multiple sclerosis or blood disorders. In women, the menopause can also be behind it. Since a far-reaching hormonal change takes place here, the consequences can spread throughout the entire organism.
The focus is still on drugs. Drugs such as antidepressants, blood pressure reducers or special disinfectant mouth rinses, for example Chlorhexamed® forte, often trigger this feeling. A local cause of this symptom is an unsuitable prosthesis, a protruding crown margin or caries.
They can injure the mucous membranes or cause an allergic reaction and thus cause a burning sensation in the tongue. An allergy to cinnamon, nickel, tobacco or toothpaste can also be behind this. Patients with radiotherapy in the head and neck area should be aware that the salivary glands can be affected.
This leads to reduced salivation and can cause a burning of the tongue. Finally, the psychological causes should be mentioned. Depression can not only cause psychological problems, but also physical impairments. The burning sensation is caused by stress or fear of much worse diseases.
Associated symptoms
The burning of the tongue is often preceded by itching or tingling. Sometimes the burning sensation can also turn into a strong pain stimulus. A disturbed sense of taste is often associated with this.
The food suddenly no longer tastes good and when food touches the tongue, it begins to hurt. Sometimes the salivary glands are also affected by the disease. Patients complain of reduced salivation or even dry mouth, which is associated with tongue burning.
If inflammation is the cause of the disease, swelling or red, bleeding spots may occur. A fungal infection manifests itself in white, wipeable coatings. If, in addition to the burning sensation, there is also a sensation in the arms or legs, caution is required.
A visit to the family doctor should be made quickly to rule out diabetes mellitus. In rare cases, accompanying symptoms are completely absent, which indicates a psychological cause. A further investigation of the cause would then be advisable.
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