Title : How to Soothe a Burnt Tongue - Use This 12 Home Remedies to Heal a Burnt Tongue Fast
link : How to Soothe a Burnt Tongue - Use This 12 Home Remedies to Heal a Burnt Tongue Fast
How to Soothe a Burnt Tongue - Use This 12 Home Remedies to Heal a Burnt Tongue Fast
Tongue burn is a rather common mouth injury. Most of us have suffered from it at one time or another be it from hot chocolate, pizza, coffee, or tea. Pain, redness, and swelling are the most obvious symptoms of tongue burns but severely burnt tongue can as well lead to blistering and loss of taste, albeit temporarily. Luckily, it is not that hard to soothe and cure a tongue burn at home. This article shares powerful tips on how to heal a burnt tongue fast.
What Happens When You Burn Your Tongue?
The surface of the tongue contains thousands of tiny bumps called lingual papillae (4 types) some with taste buds and some without. Each of the fungiform papillae (notable for their mushroom-like shape), has six taste receptors (taste buds).
The cells in the taste receptors are constantly maturing and being shed off before being replaced with newly regenerated basal cells from the lower sections of the tongue.
When you burn your tongue by taking excessively hot foods and drinks, the top layer of cells on your tongue die. Although the severity of the burn varies from, most cases involve first degree burns. It is however possible to get more severe burns characterized by blisters on the surface of the burnt tongue especially when hot liquids are involved. Such severe cases can also lead to temporary loss of the sense of taste due to damage to taste buds.
On a good note however, the rich blood supply in the tongue coupled with the fast cell turnover makes tongue burns heal pretty fast. Also, no matter how many times you burn your tongue, it will heal and still not lose its ability to taste.
How to Soothe a Burnt Tongue from Hot Chocolate, Coffee, or Pizza Quickly
Whether from hot chocolate, coffee, soup, tea, hot pizza, name it, a tongue burn is never a good experience and you may be left wondering, “How long does it take for a burnt tongue to heal?” A burnt tongue typically takes no more than 2 weeks to heal.
To aid fast healing, you should take precautions to ensure that no more damage is sustained on the tongue e.g. irritation by spicy foods. As for the pain, swelling, and other symptoms associated with tongue burning, the following home remedies will come in handy:
Sprinkle Sugar on the Burnt Tongue
When a hot pizza or cup of coffee wreaks havoc on your tongue, head for the sugar jar. Scoop a teaspoon the sugar, pour it on your tongue and then hold the tongue against the roof your mouth. As the sugar dissolves, you will notice an instant pain relief. What a sweet way to soothe and heal a burnt tongue at home?
Cool the Tongue
Cooling goes a long way in soothing the pain due to tongue burns while promoting healing of the damaged cells and what a better way to do it than sucking some ice cubes or popsicle? You will instantly feel the burning sensation go away.
If you don’t have ice cubes, sip a glass of cold water immediately to fix the burnt tongue. Allow the water to linger around in the mouth for a moment before swallowing.
Placing your tongue under running water from a tap will also do the trick.
Yogurt Will Do the Job
Yogurt is not just a healthy food. Its cooling and burn soothing properties make it one of the most effective home remedies for burnt tongue. Greek yogurt is highly acclaimed for the purpose but if you can’t get your hands on it, any other yogurt will do just fine. As regards how to soothe a burnt tongue with yogurt, simply take a spoonful of yogurt and allow it to sit on your tongue for a short while before, then swallow it.
Tip: A cup of cold milk can also help a burnt tongue by making the pain go away while hastening the healing process.
Apply Honey
Honey is also a great natural way to get rid of burnt tongue. It not only help to soothe the burnt areas of the tongue but also reduce swelling. All you have to do is take a spoonful of honey and allow it to sit on your tongue for a minute before swallowing it.
As a great a home remedy for a burn on tongue as honey is, it is not for everyone. If you are allergic to honey, don’t use it to heal a burnt tongue.
Honey should also not be given to children below 1 year of age, the Mayo clinic says. This is because wild honey may contain C. botulinum spores which can cause a gastrointestinal condition known as infant botulism.
Apply Aloe Vera
The healing benefits of aloe vera to burns has been widely documented. Aloe vera not only soothes the damaged cells on the tongue but also aid in healing. The only downside to using aloe vera to soothe tongue burns is that, unlike other home remedies it tastes awful. With that said, you should never use a commercial aloe vera gel for the purpose; always use fresh aloe vera juice. Below is how to cure a burnt tongue fast with aloe vera.
- Snip one leaf from an aloe vera plant.
- Wash the leaf and then squeeze the cut side to extract the juice.
- Apply the juice all over the tongue to soothe the burns.
- Repeat this home remedy severally throughout the day until the burning sensation and other symptoms go away.
Some people freeze the aloe vera juice into ice cubes and then suck them regularly to offer relief from the pain associated with tongue burns.
Avoid Foods That Can Irritate the Tongue Further
Spicy, hot, acidic, and salty foods and drinks are known to irritate the tongue and worsen the burns. Some such as hot pepper, can even damage the taste receptors (taste buds) and cause temporary loss of taste. Eating or drinking any foods (or drinks) in these categories is thus counterproductive; they ill only water down your effort towards healing the burnt tongue.
You will in particular want to avoid vinegar, citrus fruits (oranges, lemons, lime etc.) and their juices, hot pepper, vinegar, sodas, and tomatoes. It is also advisable to stay away from salty snacks the likes of potato chips until the tongue get cured.
Grab Some Vitamin E Oil Capsules
The benefits of vitamin E to the skin and the body at large are far reaching. From fighting free radicals in the skin to promoting faster healing of burns and damaged tissues, vitamin E has hit a home run in the beauty and well-being circles.
Vitamin E heals burns by promoting quick regeneration of cells and tissues. Below is how to soothe a burnt tongue with vitamin E oil:
- Pop open a vitamin E capsule.
- Empty its content onto the surface of the tongue and spread it nicely to cover the entire area.
Breathe With Your Mouth
This is arguably the easiest way to soothe and cure a burnt tongue. When you breathe through your mouth, cold air is forced to flow over the surface of your tongue. This gives instant relief from the burning sensation as the tongue heals.
Grab Some Cough Drops
Cough drops with benzocaine, phenol, or menthol have a soothing effect to the tongue that is beneficial to tongue burns. These compounds numb the tongue and thus get rid of the burning sensation and discomfort associated with the condition. A mouthwash that is formulated with these ingredients may as well do the trick.
Chew a Gum
Chewing a gum helps to increase the flow of saliva in the mouth. This helps to keep the tongue and mouth damp. But that is not all. Menthol flavored gums - and gums with menthol derivatives such as peppermint and spearmint flavored varieties - impart a cooling effect on your tongue by activating the cold receptor cells on your tongue. This helps to relieve the pain as the tongue heals.
Take Over the Counter Painkillers
Most of the above home remedies for a burnt tongue, but if you find the pain too intense even after using them, consider taking some over the counter pain relieving medications e.g. ibuprofen, acetaminophen (or paracetamol; available under trade names such as Tylenol, Panadol etc.) will help to relieve the pain and swelling.
Don’t Pop the Blisters
Learning how to soothe a burnt tongue is important and so is the emphasis on not popping any blisters that form on the tongue or inside the mouth following a severe tongue burn. No matter the temptation to pop them, keep those fluid-filled sacs intact until they pop on their own. Popping them is not only painful but also puts you at the risk of infection.
Tongue Feels Burnt without an Actual Burn
If your tongue feels burnt for no apparent reason, then you may be dealing with a case of burnt tongue syndrome.
Also referred to as idiopathic glossopyrosis, this condition is according to Health Line attributed to factors such as use of certain medications (leading to dry mouth), yeast infection, oral lichen planus, psychological factors such as anxiety and depression, nerve damage, vitamin deficiencies, food allergies, endocrine disorders such as diabetes and hypothyroidism, among others.
If your tongue feels burnt but you are sure that you have not actually burnt it e.g. with hot chocolate or coffee, etc., your best course of action is to seek medical attention immediately. Your doctor will determine the best treatment option depending on the underlying causes.
Now that you know what to do for a burnt tongue, go ahead and try one of these remedies and let us know how it goes in the comments.
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