What is Burning Mouth Syndrome? Signs and Symptoms

Burning mouth syndrome or BMS is a medical term that refers to a chronic burning of the mouth. Usually, this sensation doesn’t have an obvious cause. You may feel pain, discomfort, or a burning sensation in the different parts of your mouth. Either that or you may feel it in the entirety of your mouth. Usually, it would feel like when you’ve scalded your mouth by taking in something hot. This condition may appear out of nowhere, suddenly or gradually as time goes by. Unfortunately, it’s challenging to pinpoint the exact cause of burning mouth syndrome.

Burning Sensation in the Mouth

The most common and major symptom of burning mouth syndrome is pain in the mouth. It can either feel like a scalding sensation, a burning sensation, or a tingling sensation. This symptom appears in most people who have this condition. You’ll feel like you’ve just consumed some really hot broth, soup, or beverage. The pain felt because of BMS can last for weeks, months, or years. The level and frequency of pain vary from person to person. And strangely enough, the pain lessens after some people eat or drink something.

Burning Sensation in different parts

You may not feel the burning sensation in your entire mouth. Rather, you might experience it in the different parts of your mouth. The most commonly affected area is the tongue. However, the sensation may also spread to your lips or the roof of your mouth. BMS can be a very painful condition at its most severe. Usually, though, it causes discomfort to the person suffering from it. As the condition progresses, the discomfort may get worse.

Dry mouth

The next common symptom of BMS is having a dry mouth. This commonly comes with increased thirst. You may always feel like your mouth is dry and this is why you’d feel thirsty all the time. It’s an uncomfortable feeling which, when it doesn’t go away, can be quite annoying. This is a dangerous symptom as it may also lead to other complications. Aside from BMS, dry mouth may lead to infections and other dental problems. Fortunately, there are a lot of different products out there for it. They may give relief to this symptom. But if it doesn’t go away, you may have to seek professional advice.

Changes in taste

Another common symptom of burning mouth syndrome is experiencing changes in taste. You may start having a metallic or bitter taste in your mouth. If not, your perceptions of different tastes may change altogether. Finally, you may also experience a total loss of taste. This is one of the more disturbing symptoms. When you experience it, visit your doctor or dentist. Do this to find out what’s causing it or if it’s a symptom of BMS.

Difficulty Swallowing

This is a fairly uncommon symptom of burning mouth syndrome. Aside from the other symptoms, you may find that you’re having trouble swallowing. However, this symptom may be an indication of another illness or condition. If it comes with the other symptoms, you probably have BMS. No matter what the cause is, keep on observing yourself to see if it goes away or not.

A Sore Throat

Another uncommon symptom of BMS is a sore throat. The pain might spread from different areas of your mouth to your throat. When this happens, you may feel the same sensations you’re feeling in your mouth. A sore throat may either be a symptom or a condition. You can try some home remedies to ease the pain you’re feeling. However, if it doesn’t go away, then it may be best to have your throat checked.

Varying Symptoms

Symptoms of burning mouth syndrome vary from one person to another. For some people, the symptoms may be mild, while severe for others. The mild sensation may just seem like numbness or tingling in the mouth. For the more severe sensations, it would feel like a burning or scalding of the mouth. The symptoms of BMS may last for an extended period. If you’re dealing with a pain in your mouth that doesn’t go away, it might be difficult. You won’t be able to eat or drink properly. However, you may experience some relief after doing so. Some people also experience more pain during the day and less at night. When it comes to BMS, symptoms vary.

No Physical Symptoms

Usually, it’s quite difficult to diagnose burning mouth syndrome. The main reason for this is that the condition doesn’t usually show physical symptoms. So if you have your mouth checked, your doctor or dentist might not “see” anything wrong. You may feel the different symptoms, but they won’t show up in your mouth. If you describe your symptoms to your doctor, he may refer you to a specialist. These include dentists who specialize in oral medicine or surgery. Such specialists may be able to diagnose your condition as burning mouth syndrome.

Symptoms According to the Different Types

BMS has different signs and symptoms, and they may also vary according to the different types. There are three different types of burning mouth syndrome. In Type 1, you won’t feel the burning sensation when you wake up. However, throughout the day, the symptoms may increase. Usually, people with diabetes may experience Type 1 BMS. People with Type 2 BMS may feel the symptoms throughout the day but not at night. And usually, these symptoms happen together with chronic anxiety. Finally, for people with Type 3 BMS, the symptoms would appear intermittently. Also, doctors may associate them with food allergies.

Severe Mouth Pain

This condition comes with uncommon and unusual symptoms. These are aside from the burning sensation in the mouth. You’ll feel discomfort from the burning mouth sensation. And it usually comes in a number of different patterns. First, you might feel the symptoms every day. You might feel some discomfort when you wake up. Then it may worsen as the hours go by. Second, you may feel the pain the moment you wake up, and it will last throughout the day. Finally, the pain may come and go throughout the day. Remember, the pain may occur in just some parts of your mouth or your whole mouth. When this happens, the symptoms may last from weeks to months to even years. In the rarest of cases, the symptoms may go away or lessen all of a sudden. No matter what symptom you feel, it won’t cause any noticeable changes to any parts of your mouth.