Burnt tongue symptoms due to cases like yours can be easily identified. You will feel a constant tingling sensation and it is the same scalding that you felt when you had that first sip of piping hot coffee. This burning sometimes may also move on to your lips and your palate. This sensation may also be accompanied by dryness in the mouth. You may feel very thirsty and more often than not after the burning goes away, your tongue feels numb.
Tongue burns also leads to discoloration of the tongue. The tongue either looks very chalky or dark red. It can swell up. It feels very sore and painful. It may also affect your sense of taste and if the burn is very severe, you may even find it difficult to eat, drink and talk.
How to treat a burnt tongue? Have something very cold immediately, that is, as soon as you feel your tongue has been burnt. If possible try and keep this object in your mouth for a good five minutes. An ice cube is the most easily available burnt tongue remedy. This should be done as soon as possible since the cold from the ice will help drive away the heat rapidly and most of the cells on your tongue are spared.
Similarly having ice cream, or a crushed ice candy, a very cold juice will also help numb the pain. Although it can be very uncomfortable and painful initially, hold these in your mouth for as long possible before swallowing. Curd or yogurt is another burnt tongue remedy that can be easily found.
Anesthetic creams and mouthwashes may that have benzocaine may also help numbing the pain. These are often over the counter medications available to treat ulcers of the mouth. Like benzocaine, menthol also has anesthetic properties. Therefore having a cough drop containing either of the two may also help. A cough drop with phenol is believed to do the trick as well. Applying pure aloe vera available from the plant and not from creams and gels is also beneficial.
Reducing the acidity in the mouth is also important. A chewing gum can be useful here since it hinders the formation of acid in the mouth. You must also drink plenty of water. Water balances the mouth pH level and again reduces the level of acidity.
An age old grandma's remedy is having honey and milk. Honey can soothe a burnt tongue and so can milk. This mixture also increases the blood circulation in the mouth which is important to heal a burnt tongue. Merely breathing in from the mouth can also provide relief from the burning. Increase your intake of iron-rich foods such as spinach, meat, dry fruits, and so on. Iron ups the red blood cells which replace damaged tongue cells.
If you are wondering how to heal a burnt tongue faster, you must necessarily avoid foods which are very acidic - oranges, lime, lemon, pineapples, tomatoes, vinegar-based foods. Also avoid very spicy, oily and salty foods. Restrict the use of toothpaste and mouthwash. All these will only increase the burning sensation and hamper the healing process.
The tongue is an organ that normally heals itself very quickly since the surface of the tongue is made up of mucus membranes and a lot of blood keeps flowing into the face region. Therefore, this burning which can be very painful in the beginning is likely to subside very soon. Despite these burnt tongue remedies, if the burning does not stop in a day or two, but gets worse, it is necessary to contact a healthcare practitioner immediately. For instance, this problem can be also caused by yeast infection of the mouth.
Now there is another condition which is more complicated called the burnt tongue syndrome or the burning mouth syndrome. When one suffers from this condition, the intensity of pain keeps varying. This syndrome can sometimes last for years. It sometimes disappears on its own and sometimes requires medical attention.
The main burnt tongue symptoms are a scalding or burning feeling that is not only felt in the tongue but also in the lips, the roof of your mouth, the gums and throat. The pain can be excruciating. Sometimes the tongue can even get numb. One is not able to taste anything. There is a feeling of suffering from sore throat and your mouth feels parched. There a constant feeling of thirst that does not go away.
Home remedies for burnt tongue may not necessarily be an effective burnt tongue syndrome treatment. More so, there is no one specific remedy for this problem. Depending on the severity of the condition and the pattern of symptoms, the doctor may suggest a treatment. More importantly, this syndrome may be a cause of a more serious health concern which should be identified. For example, it can be caused by allergic reactions to some types of food, it can be a side effect of a specific medication or it may point towards infection of the upper respiratory tract. It can also indicate depression, anxiety and stress. Those who have too many papillae also risk suffering from this condition. Vitamin B, behavioral therapy, specific antidepressants, alpha-lipoic acid and certain oral rinses may sometimes form a part of the treatment.
For a simple burnt tongue caused by drinking something extremely hot and for a more serious problem such as the burning mouth syndrome, a few lifestyle changes could be followed to maintain a healthy mouth and tongue. Avoid alcohol, caffeine and tobacco. Keep your mouth constantly hydrated. Avoid anxiety triggering situations. Do not use abrasive toothpastes and dental care products. There is no sure-shot solution to completely prevent either of these problems. Most of us are high at risk from suffering from them and therefore knowledge about the same is very useful.
answered by A S