Does Your Mouth Often Feel Like It's On Fire? Here Are A Few Common Causes Of Burning Mouth Syndrome

If you feel like your mouth is on fire all the time, or if it suddenly sneaks up on you, you might think you're going crazy. Actually, you may have a condition known as burning mouth syndrome. Since you're no doubt in a hurry to find the appropriate treatment, here are a few different potential causes for your predicament.

Thyroid Issues And Diabetes

Because the hormones produced by the thyroid are the ones that control your metabolism, your sense of taste and even the sensations in your mouth can be adversely affected by a malfunctioning thyroid. Sufferers of diabetes, which is also linked to the thyroid and to metabolic hormones, may also experience burning mouth syndrome. Both conditions tend to also cause dry mouth, which only increases the risk of oral irritation and that burning feeling.

Usually oral symptoms will abate with treatment. Once your endocrine disorder is diagnosed and under control with medication, you shouldn't experience any more oral pain due to hormonal issues.

Menopause

Similarly, menopause can cause burning mouth syndrome in women who have previously never had it before due to unpredictable hormone shifts that often accompany this period of life. The syndrome may pass after menopause is over, but postmenopausal women retain an increased chance to develop it again, especially as they get older.

Treatment for the syndrome in menopausal and postmenopausal women typically involves hormone therapy, either by taking a general dose of recommended hormones or by finding out your specific hormone imbalance and addressing it with a more tailored round of medication.

Vitamin Deficiencies

The lack of vitamins your body needs can manifest in quite a few ways, from depression symptoms due to lack of vitamin D to burning mouth syndrome due to a lack of vitamin B12. Other suspected nutrients that may cause burning mouth syndrome are iron, zinc, folate, thiamin, riboflavin, and pyridoxine. This deficiency may be caused either by not eating enough of the necessary vitamins or your body being unable to absorb them properly.

If the cause is dietary, treatment is simply an improved diet. You may also want to supplement your meals with a multivitamin to ensure you definitely get enough. If your condition does not improve and you still test deficient, your doctor will need to work with you to find out why your body is improperly absorbing its nutrients. Once the answer is found, treatment for that condition should also clear up your burning mouth syndrome.

Burning mouth syndrome is incredibly unpleasant and painful, but it fortunately doesn't have to last forever, Working with a dentist at http://sharpsmile.com and a doctor, you can rule out potential causes one by one until you figure out where your syndrome came from. Hopefully, you'll then be able to make it go away for good.