Burning Mouth Syndrome
Medical Definition
“Intraoral burning or unpleasant sensations without any obvious cause that happen every day for at least 2 hours over a period of no less than 3 months.”
Real-Life Definition
“Agonizing burning sensation inside the mouth (tongue, cheeks, gums, or palate) or on the lips that can severely affect a person’s quality of life. It is best described as they burned their mouth or lips and it never heals.”
Do You Have Burning Mouth Syndrome (or suspect you do)?
What is BMS?
The medical definition of BMS is that it is an idiopathic condition that causes a burning sensation in the oral mucosa.
Primary vs. Secondary BMS
Burning mouth syndrome is divided into two types: primary BMS and secondary BMS.
BMS Causes
No one knows what causes primary burning mouth syndrome. There are several causes of secondary burning mouth syndrome.
BMS Symptoms
Burning mouth syndrome symptoms affect your oral mucosa. The pain may ease at night, and then gets worse throughout the day again.
BMS Risk Factors
Although anyone can get it, there are some burning mouth syndrome risk factors. Being a woman, especially an older woman, increases your risk.
BMS Diagnosis
Burning mouth syndrome is a diagnosis of exclusion – made when no other diagnosis fits. Burning mouth syndrome doesn't usually have anything visible in their mouth, like sores or rashes, but some do.
BMS Treatments
There are no known cures for primary burning mouth syndrome. There are some therapies that help manage the pain for some people, but they don’t work for everyone.
BMS FAQs
Most of these questions are covered in throughout the website, but its also nice to have some quick answers all in one place. Here are some of the most common questions I’ve seen asked online, in support groups, and in general conversation.