“Burning Mouth Syndrome” is a chronic debilitating sensation of oral pain (orodynia), described as “a scalded sensation of the mouth” and associated with a bitter taste (dysgeusia) and a sensation of mouth dryness. It may occur in up to 30% of menopausal women, and is now thought to be a neurological condition and not psychological as previously suggested, but may lead to anxiety and depression. Other symptoms may include symptom aggravation by specific foods, a geographical tongue, bad breath, difficulty swallowing, excessive saliva and tongue ulcers. Food allergies don’t usually play a significant role but should be considered (Oral Allergy Syndrome) and the condition can be very difficult to successfully treat. Mangement may include cognitive behaviour therapy and topical treatments such as local anaesthetic oral rinses or gels, topical capsaicin, low-dose amitriptyline, low-dose benzodiazepines, gabapentin and hormone replacement therapy.
Burning Mouth Syndrome reference
