O-Jin Kwon, an otolaryngologist, and Hidak are working together. [코/목/귀 상담소]. Hidak’s counselor will answer all your questions about nose, throat, and ear-related diseases.
You may experience a burning or stinging sensation in your mouth when you eat spicy or hot food. However, if this pain persists for no specific reason, there is a disease that can be suspected. Burning mouth syndrome, also known as ‘Burning Mouth Syndrome’ (BMS). Burning Mouth Syndrome is a chronic pain disorder that has a great psychological impact. Hidak Otolaryngology Consulting Doctor Ohjin Kwon (Ping ENT Clinic)“Even if the pain does not go away, it is not a disease that progresses to a more serious disease, so it is better to proceed with treatment with confidence.” The following is a Q&A from Director Oh-Jin Kwon about Burning Mouth Syndrome.
Q. It sounds like burning mouth syndrome. What is it?
Burning Mouth Syndrome is a disease that complains of pain and burning sensation in the mouth. Symptoms occur most commonly on the tongue, mainly in the mouth, but symptoms may also occur on the lips or cheek mucosa in addition to the tongue. They mainly complain of burning pain, but in addition to pain, they also complain of decreased taste or sensation.
Q. Are there any visible symptoms?
Pain is felt in the mucous membranes of the mouth, including the tongue, but there is no specificity in the naked eye and it is observed normally. In fact, in the 2020 International Facial Pain Classification, the diagnostic criteria for burning mouth syndrome are pain lasting more than 3 months and more than 2 hours a day, and burning pain is felt on the surface of the oral mucosa. It was defined as a case where there was no other cause.
Q. What is the cause?
The cause of burning mouth syndrome is still unknown. However, as it occurs mainly in postmenopausal women over the age of 50, changes in female hormones are believed to be the main cause. In addition, nutritional deficiencies such as zinc and folic acid, severe anemia, diabetes, dry mouth, and depression are considered to be the causes.
Q. Does it only appear in postmenopausal women?
Some statistics show that 14% of people over 50 years of age experience burning mouth syndrome, and it is more common in women than men. However, due to problems such as ambiguous diagnostic criteria, an accurate prevalence survey has not been conducted.
Q. If I don’t know the cause, how do I treat it?
As mentioned earlier, the exact cause of Burning Mouth Syndrome is unknown, so there is still no definitive treatment. However, the burning pain felt in Burning Mouth Syndrome rarely decreases or goes away on its own, so treatment is required in the majority of patients.
Medication is often used to treat neuropathic pain. Topical application and systemic administration of an anticonvulsant drug called clonazepam that suppresses nerve excitability is commonly used. In addition, psychiatric drugs such as antidepressants and sedatives are used, and zinc or folic acid is sometimes used. However, the most important thing in the treatment of burning mouth syndrome is to reassure and reassure the patient that the pain does not go away and that even if it causes discomfort in daily life, it will not progress to a serious disease such as cancer.
Q. Is there a way to try at home to relieve symptoms?
Dry mouth or irritation of the oral mucosa may cause exacerbation. Therefore, in addition to drug treatment, you should drink water frequently and avoid spicy or hot foods that may irritate your tongue to avoid drying out the oral mucosa at home. It is also recommended to avoid excessive brushing of the tongue with a toothbrush.
Q. What is the prognosis for treatment?
There is no exact cause and treatment yet, and the pain of burning mouth syndrome does not usually go away on its own, so the long-term prognosis is not good. However, you can rest assured that the pain that persists will not progress to a bigger disease, such as oral cancer.
Q. The symptoms persist. Shall we go to another hospital?
When you are treating patients with burning mouth syndrome in an outpatient setting, you can often meet people who wander around in various hospitals. Since there is no definitive treatment, I fully understand the desire to visit several hospitals to check. However, I think the most appropriate word for this syndrome is ‘excessive overpayment’.
If the pain is severe, you often touch or wipe your tongue, and there are many cases where you try to apply various substances such as ointment to your tongue. However, repeated stimulation of the tongue like this only makes the symptoms worse and does not help with treatment. I think it is most beneficial to go to the hospital just to drink water frequently to avoid drying out.
Help = Hidak Consultant Doctor Oh-Jin Kwon (Otolaryngologist at Ping Otolaryngology Clinic)