Table of Contents
hello. I’m Dr. Sangchul Hwang, an autonomic nervous system specialist. Today, I’d like to talk about the causes of burning mouth. Although I’m an oriental medicine doctor, I’ve actually experienced this disease myself. One day, during a period of intense stress and tension, I suddenly felt something strange in my mouth. The tip of my tongue was burning, it was sore whenever I spoke, and I even felt a strange taste, like a metallic taste. There was no injury on the outside, but the burning sensation continued, as if my tongue was on fire. I went to the hospital, but the test results were all normal. Blood tests, Sjögren’s syndrome tests, and even mouth exams all told me “nothing is wrong,” and the only thing worse than the physical pain was the anxiety of “am I sensitive?”
Burning mouth syndrome, an apparently healthy mouth that keeps burning
It has a name: burning mouth syndrome. It’s a condition that can last for months or years, with symptoms such as a burning sensation in the mouth or tongue even though there are no sores or wounds, a stinging pain at the tip of the tongue, a strange sensation of metallic or bitter taste, and a dry mouth. The problem is that tests almost always come back normal, so patients become more anxious and go from doctor to doctor, only to be told they have “pain without a cause.”
The real cause of this disease is in the ‘brain’, not the tongue
There’s one thing I know for sure from living with this disease and from seeing patients. It’s not a disease of the tongue, it’s a disease of the nervous system. It’s not that your tongue is on fire, it’s that your brain is misinterpreting the sensations coming from your tongue. It’s a condition where normal sensations, mild stimuli, signals that are not painful in nature, are exaggerated by your brain into “danger, pain”.
A key pathway for tongue pain is the ‘third nerve’
Sensation in the tongue, face, and jaw is controlled by a large sensory nerve called the “trigeminal nerve”. This nerve comes from the brain and travels through the cervical spine, jaw, and down to the tongue. When this trigeminal nerve becomes overactive, non-painful signals are transmitted as pain, which is why you get a constant burning, stinging, and tingling pain on the tip of your tongue.
Why this nerve is so sensitive
There are several overlapping causes. The first is chronic stress and emotional repression. When you live in a constant state of tension, unable to express your anger, your nervous system is constantly in alert mode. Second is repetitive physical stimuli. Things like orthodontic treatment, tight jaw joints, clenching teeth, and poor posture in the neck and jaw keep the trigeminal nerve stimulated. The third is an autonomic imbalance. When the sympathetic nerves are overactive due to stress and the parasympathetic nerves are inhibited, the nerves can’t rest and stay awake. The brain learns “this area is dangerous” and continues to produce pain even when there is no stimulus.
There are common body patterns among those who suffer from this disease
There’s a common thread I’ve noticed in my practice. People with this disease are usually sensitive, worried, don’t sleep well, have cold hands and feet, and don’t relax well. Their autonomic nerves are always on high alert, so their nerves are easily overactive and their pain circuits don’t shut off.
In Chinese medicine, it’s a matter of “whole body flow
In Chinese medicine, this pain is connected to the flow of meridians such as the Foot Yang Moxibustion meridian and the Foot Small Yang Damn meridian. It’s not just a problem with the tongue, it’s a result of an imbalance in the body’s circulation and nervous system, which is why it doesn’t get better by applying medicine to the tongue alone or repeating topical treatments.
My own transformation began when I changed the direction of my treatment
I switched my herbal medicine and treatment to focus on improving my constitution and stabilizing my autonomic nerves. I noticed a change: my mouth was less dry, my tongue was less prone to sudden flare-ups of pain, I was sleeping better, and my body was less sensitive. My nerves were starting to rest a little bit.
This pain is no joke
It’s not a sore tongue. It’s a tired nerve, and that nerve is turning on a warning light that says, “Your body is too overloaded right now.” If you’re experiencing this right now, just the thought of “I’m not the only one,” or “There’s an explanation,” is enough to bring the nerve down a little bit. That’s the beginning of recovery.
