What To Do When You Burn Your Tongue?

A hot cup of coffee often uplifts people’s moods. You might enjoy several hot beverages or hot food choices and might have experienced tongue burn. Usually, it is not that serious. A glass of water and over-the-counter pain medication might help your tongue heal within a week. But what if the burn is serious, and needs medical intervention?

This article will tell you what to do if you burn your tongue. With several tips and guidelines, you can manage the symptoms well. You can also learn about degrees of burn and aftercare tips to make your tongue heal quicker.

What is a Tongue Burn?

Your tongue is the taste center of your mouth. What you eat, and how fine it tastes is determined by your tongue. This is why the tongue is a sensitive organ. If you eat or drink without checking its temperature, there is a high probability that you might burn your tongue often.

Once you consume a hot food, the papillae, which contain taste buds, are damaged. It makes you feel pain and difficulty swallowing or tasting food. You can cope with pain and heal your tongue with home remedies if it is not serious.

How Serious Tongue Burn Can Be?

The tongue is a sensitive organ and is a vital part of your mouth. Even though most tongue burns are not that serious, there are three degrees of burns. You must take a precautionary measure to visit your dentist, even if you do not find it as a serious burn.

Minor tongue burn injuries have redness and discomfort. It usually recovers in a few days. This is called first-degree burns. If you have more severe burns, it can cause blisters and edema. These are second-degree burns. The third-degree burns leave you numb with severe tissue damage. You might lose the taste buds and it becomes difficult to swallow food.

First-degree burns are easily managed with home remedies and can be healed within a week or two. Other burns need to be treated by professionals and the healing period depends on the severity of the case.

Symptoms Of Burned Tongue

The symptom of your tongue shows how serious your tongue burn is. You can share details of your symptoms with your dentist, to get the right diagnosis. They will determine the right treatment method and will tell how long it will take to heal the burn.

• Extreme tongue pain.
• A loss of sensation in your tongue.
• A hot pinkish or reddish tongue. It will appear inflamed and swollen.
• Decreased sense of taste or a metallic taste in your mouth.
• A smooth tongue as your papillae might disappear if damaged.

Tips And Treatment

Some home remedies that are helpful for first-degree tongue burns. You can try these out to calm your burn and get faster healing.

• You need to rinse your tongue with cold water for the first 30-60 seconds. This will lessen the damage and provide immediate relief.
• You can also drink cold milk or eat yogurt to calm the pain. Milk proteins often help with inflammation.
• You can also use honey as a calming agent. It will dissolve once put on the tongue and has antibiotic properties.
• You can apply aloe vera gel around the burned area. It has anti-inflammatory properties and is a cooling agent. You can also use aloe vera gel-based mouthwashes.
• You can use salt water for rinsing your mouth to avoid infection. Rising two or three times a day helps aid tissue healing.

There are some other tips that you can follow to ensure you can avoid tongue burns in the future. Let us explore these tips in detail:

• Microwave heating can cause hot patches in food. It might burn your tongue, as food heated in the microwave can be highly uneven. You must stir it before you eat.
• Always check food or drink for temperature before taking a bite or sip. You must allow your beverage to cool for a few moments.
• You must dip a spoon into soups, stews, or hot beverages. It will make sure they’re at a safe temperature before you can consume them.
• Don’t take big gulps of hot food at once. Give your mouth time to get used to the new temperature.

Conclusion

Tongue burn is easily preventable. You must stay conscious about your food habits and eat slowly. It is better to take a small bite and check the temperature of the food you are eating before. You can always visit Winne Dentist TX to consult about your tongue burns and get the right treatment on time. This will reduce your healing period and will provide quick relief from pain. With effective tips and conscious eating habits, you can avoid such conditions in the future.