Hello, I’m Dr. Sangchul Hwang, an autonomic nervous system researcher and therapist. Burning mouth syndrome, which is characterized by heat and pain in the tongue or palate, is closely related to digestion. In fact, those who suffer from the condition often already know from experience that tongue pain is worse when they are indigested. Today, we’ll clarify the scientific and medical reasons for this from two perspectives: autonomic and nutritional deficiencies.
First, the stomach and tongue are connected by a system called the autonomic nervous system.
The digestive system, including the stomach and small and large intestines, is governed by autonomic nerves that move automatically without our conscious awareness, but they are also very sensitive to emotions and feelings. This is evidenced by the fact that when you’re eating with someone you’re uncomfortable with, you feel like your stomach is shutting down. Conversely, decreased gastrointestinal motility has the opposite effect on autonomic nerve function, stimulating the sympathetic nervous system, which leads to dry mouth and tongue discomfort.
The second is the issue of nutritional imbalance.
When digestive function is compromised by low stomach acid or poor gastrointestinal muscle movement, the absorption of nutrients from food is impaired. In particular, trace elements such as vitamin B12 and zinc have been shown to have a decisive impact on the health of the oral mucosa and tongue. In other words, chronic indigestion inevitably leads to nutritional deficiencies, which manifests as a burning mouth.
In Chinese medicine, the health of the stomach is diagnosed by looking at the tongue, which is the condition of the tongue.
People with burning mouth often have a thick layer of white or yellow tartar on their tongue. White plaque is a sign of dampness, which is a buildup of undigested food particles in the digestive system, and yellow plaque is a sign of inflammation or fever. In fact, we often find that when digestive function improves, the plaque on the tongue thins out and the burning mouth symptoms improve.
In conclusion, the treatment of burning mouth should be a combination of dietary improvement and gastrointestinal treatment.
Along with basic efforts to avoid irritating foods and fried flours, you need professional treatment to balance your autonomic nerves. You may have suffered from unnamed tongue pain for a long time, but understanding the signals your body’s digestive system is sending you is sure to open the door to recovery. We understand that your pain is not insubstantial, and we sincerely hope that an accurate diagnosis of the cause will lead you back to a carefree life.
