Pain in the mouth
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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The pain in the mouth can be worse than the standard inconvenience. If its signs are not reduced to only one bad appetite, it can be a symptom of a serious illness that can threaten your life. Pain in the mouth requires serious attention from the doctor, especially if it occurs in seriously ill or elderly patients.
[Diseases in which there is pain in the mouth
The pain in the mouth can appear for various reasons, in particular, dental disease, inflammation in the mouth or injury. It can also appear when the dentin is exposed to the influence of cold and hot food (beverages), which cause a sharp pain of an acute nature, which disappears as easily as it appears.
Pain in the mouth can cause: hypersensitivity, cracks, dental caries or its complications; inflammation or infection of the gums; ulcers on the mucous membrane of the mouth; burn or scratch the tongue; cracks, abrasions and blisters on the lips. The reason for their appearance can be anything: from absolutely insignificant things to a virus infection, from a course of chemotherapy in the treatment of oncology to venereal diseases, from excessive dryness in the mouth during the intake of certain medications to stress. Like other parts of the body, the mouth is a mirror of the overall health of your body. Sometimes it is he who represents the first place where such ailments affect the whole body, like leukemia, AIDS, side effects of various medications or a shortage of certain nutrients. Methods for removing pain and treating pain in the mouth are very much dependent on what specifically causes this pain.
Pain in the mouth with aphtha, ulcers (gingivitis, stomatitis). Ulcers and aphthae can be caused by such factors as damage to the oral mucosa (mechanical, thermal, chemical, physical), beriberi, diabetes, cardiovascular, hematopoietic, nervous, gastrointestinal, acute (eg, diphtheria, scarlet fever, measles) and chronic (for example, tuberculosis) infections, intoxication, parasitic fungi (eg, candidiasis or thrush). Among the factors that cause traumatic stomatitis, you can name scab deposits, decayed teeth, improperly made dentures, seals, foreign bodies, burns from hot food, the influence of alkalis, acids and the like. With a short-term effect of the factor causing damage, the catarrhal process develops: the mucous membrane acquires soreness, redness, swelling, and bleeding. With prolonged exposure, ulcers develop around which the development of inflammatory conditions begins.
With aphthous stomatitis in the oral cavity (affecting the tongue, gum, medial surface of the cheeks) small bubbles or round-shaped sores appear with a white mid-point, which are surrounded by redness and characterized by soreness. After a certain time, the vesicles burst, resulting in shallow sores that are characterized by red edges. In addition to pain in the mouth, bleeding or swelling of the gums is likely, high sensitivity in the oral cavity, abundant saliva, increased body temperature. In this case, there is an increase and soreness of the submaxillary lymph nodes. There is an unpleasant smell from the mouth. Sometimes sores can appear due to accidental damage to the lips or tongue (for example, teeth), and sometimes - for no apparent reason, but often - as a symptom of the ailment of the viral nature. As a rule, they heal themselves. The pain in the mouth usually disappears about 2-4 days before the healing of the sores.
The pain in the mouth can also be troubling due to developing gingivitis (gum disease, which is characterized by a dystrophic, inflammatory and other percolation process). The disease occurs when negative factors of the external environment (poisoning by substances such as lead, manganese, bismuth, etc.) influence the gingival tissue, and may also result from a decrease in the level of general or local reactivity of the organism. With the influence of harmful factors on the mucosa of the gums, inflammation occurs first of the gingival papilla, then - adjacent parts of the mucous membrane. There is bleeding and soreness of the gums. Given a prolonged exposure to these factors, formation of ulcers, erosions and other destructive elements on the mucosa is likely. At occurrence of necrotic zones because of an intoxication there is a deterioration of a general condition of an organism, rise in temperature of a body, there is a headache, there are putrefactive smell from a mouth, a sleeplessness, plentiful sweat, delicacy.
Treatment of cancer can provoke the appearance of pain in the mouth, ulcers in the mouth, tenderness of the gums or sore throat. In this case, a person experiences difficulty with chewing or swallowing. Ask your doctor for a medication that will help you eliminate pain in the mouth or in the throat.
As soon as possible, seek medical help in such cases
- you have a loss of sensitivity or numbness on the lips or in the mouth;
- you experience painful sensations when chewing;
- On the gums there was reddening, swelling, they bleed;
- The edges of the gums swell or fester;
- you lose your teeth already in adulthood;
- you constantly have ulcers or pain in your mouth;
- you constantly have a solid nodule or swelling that does not cause pain, in the mouth or near it;
- you have a toothache and a fairly high fever;
- You have ulcers in your mouth after you start taking a new medicine.