Home Remedies For Burning tongue

What is Burning tongue?
Burning tongue is a common term used to refer to Burning Mouth Syndrome. In this, the sufferer experiences a burning sensation on the tip or back of the tongue or other areas of the mouth. This burning pain may affect the lips, gums and even the inside of cheeks. It can also cause taste alterations. The discomfort and burning pain can only be felt because no physical signs or lesions are visible to identify this problem. At times, the exact cause of Burning tongue can not be identified. Such cases are referred to as Primary Burning Mouth Syndrome. When the cause is known, the condition is referred to as Secondary Burning Mouth Syndrome. The problem often lasts for years before proper treatment. Adopting simple lifestyle changes and following the natural home remedies for Burning tongue can provide immense amount of relief from this problem.

Causes of Burning Tongue

Studies have revealed that Primary Burning Mouth Syndrome can be linked with problems with taste and sensory nerves of the central nervous system. As for Secondary Burning Mouth Syndrome, it can be associated with Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), food allergies, Hypothyroidism, Type-2 diabetes, chronic anxiety or depression, nutritional deficiencies and changes in salivary function may result in causing Burning tongue.

Besides, poorly fitted dentures and material allergies may aggravate the symptoms. Hormonal imbalances due to menopause, high blood pressure medications, over use of mouthwashes, over brushing the tongue and medicines and diseases that cause dry mouth may also lead to this syndrome. So, the most obvious remdy to prevent the occurrence of this syndrome would be to avoid the over use of mouthwashes and not to indulge in obsessive brushing of the teeth and tongue.

Symptoms of Burning tongue

Burning sensation on the tongue is the most important symptom of this syndrome. The pain is generally less or completely absent during the night but tends to increase as the day passes. Burning tongue may lead to persistent bitter or metallic taste in the mouth or a change in the intensity of the perception of taste. Other symptoms include sore mouth, dry mouth, numbness on the tip of the tongue and increased thirst.

Natural Home Remedies for Burning tongue

• Dinking a glass of milk mixed with honey is one of the simplest natural home remedies for Burning tongue. The therapeutic properties of honey facilitate the healing process.
• Applying lavender oil on the tongue during the night before bedtime serves as an effective natural remedy to cure this problem.
• Simply putting an ice cube in the mouth is one of the easiest possible traditional home remedies for Burning tongue by reducing the burning pain.
• Chewing a sugarless gum a tried and tested home remedy used to reduce the symptoms of Burning tongue.
• Rinsing the mouth with apple juice acts as an effective natural cure in the treatment of this syndrome.
• Applying glycerin on the tongue is another simple yet popular home remedy used in the treatment of Burning tongue.

Diet for Burning tongue

The first step to get rid of Burning tongue is to drink plenty of water. It facilitates the production of saliva and which in turn helps to relieve other symptoms. In the same way, fruit and vegetable juices rich in vitamin B and vitamin C also serve the same purpose by keeping the mouth hydrated. Burning tongue is often caused by the deficiency of vitamin B12 and iron. Therefore, foods rich in vitamin B12 may be regarded as highly beneficial natural home remedies for Burning tongue syndrome’s prevention as well as cure. It helps in maintaining the nerve cells.

Milk and poultry products are rich sources of this vitamin. Iron deficiency can be overcome by including spinach broccoli, parsley and other green leafy vegetables in the regular diet.

Certain preventive measures need to be followed to assist in faster recovery from this disease. For instance, restricting the consumption of hot, spicy and oily foods is a very important requirement for the treatment of Burning tongue. Cinnamon and mint tend to aggravate this problem and hence are best avoided until the problem is cured. In addition to this, it would be better to avoid hot beverages like tea and coffee.

Processed and packaged foods have preservatives in them which can worsen the problem. Thus, these items should also be excluded from the diet as much as possible. Instead, opting for healthy and nutritious natural fruits and vegetables like lentils, bananas, potatoes etc can give encouraging results when dealing with Burning tongue. Eating raw papaya heals the Burning tongue naturally and safely.