The burning sensation usually gets worse over the day. So it's not too bad in the morning, then it gets worse after the first meal of the day and then it peaks in the late afternoon or by early evening. Once people go to sleep, the pain usually disappears. And then when they wake up in the morning, they feel fine. And the cycle keeps repeating itself.
Are there any other symptoms associated with burning mouth syndrome?
Very commonly, it's associated with a metallic or bitter taste in the mouth that also gets worse over the day. A lot of people complain about dry mouth. But when you look in the mouth and check the flow of saliva it's normal.
These symptoms are often very severe. There have been a lot of studies looking at the psychological impact and if burning mouth syndrome is severe and ongoing, it can cause a lot of depression and anxiety. The pattern of changes is very similar to what's seen in other people who have chronic pain.
How is burning mouth syndrome usually diagnosed?
Until recently, the diagnosis was typically based on the clinical symptoms. It has been a diagnosis of exclusion, so that people were tested to see if they had an oral yeast infection or a vitamin deficiency or diabetes. And if they had none of those changes and their mouth looked normal and they had the typical pattern of burning, they ended up with a diagnosis of burning mouth.
