BURNING MOUTH SYNDROME is a distressing condition that is all too common. Your mouth feels as though you have had a big gulp of boiling water and scalded your tongue and lips, gums, palate and/or throat or all of the above. It can appear out of the blue, develop over time or come and go. Some of the conditions which are linked to this include diabetes, allergies, candida overgrowth, acid reflux, thyroid conditions, menopause or medication. It also seems to be not too bad in the morning, and then get worse as the day progresses. Some of the symptoms include:
- Pain
- Increased thirst
- Changes in, or loss of taste
- Metallic taste in mouth that remains even after eating or brushing teeth
- Burning sensation in one or more areas of the mouth
RISK FACTORS
While this can happen spontaneously, some common medical conditions that can cause BMS include:
- Sjogren’s Syndrome
- Radiation therapy
- Chemotherapy
- Low blood pressure medications
- Vitamin B deficiency
- Iron deficiency
- Acid reflux
- Diabetes
- Thyroid problems
- Fungal infection in the mouth
- Allergic reactions to dyes, foods, toothpaste, fragrances or environmental elements
OTHER RISK FACTORS YOU MIGHT CONSIDER:
- Being female
- Postmenopausal
- Over the age of 50
- Dry mouth
- A recent illness
- New medication
- A recent traumatic life event
- Elevated stress levels
Conventional therapy is merely giving salivary replacement products and various drugs, many with side effects.
Here are a few things we have found to have helped people we’ve dealt with:
- VITAMIN B12 UNDER THE TONGUE: one of the main nutrient deficiencies which can cause this is Vitamin B12, and more than 50% of people with BMS had high homocysteine levels due to B12 deficiency. B12 reduces homocysteine, and in most cases will eliminate BMS. In addition to this, make sure you eat more beef, liver, wild-caught salmon, sardines and mackerel to boost your levels. Take B12 for around 8 months, then see how you go without it after that. It will take a little while to work.
- IRON RICH FOODS: sometimes in addition to a B12 deficiency – or because of low B12 – your iron stores will be low. Don’t ever take iron unless you have a blood test!! Too much iron is more dangerous than too little – but you can eat iron-rich foods like: organic beef liver, grass-fed beef, sardines, and other animal products for heme-iron (the most important one). Non-heme iron although poorly absorbed and not the same as animal-derived iron, can be obtained from spinach, pistachios and raisins.
- ZINC: a deficiency in zinc is also a cause of BMS, and this deficiency is widespread. Some signs of deficiency are a weak immune system, diarrhoea, allergies, thinning hair, leaky gut and acne. Zinc-rich foods include: pumpkin seeds, grass-fed beef (very nice source), cashews, cocoa powder and kefir.
