Mouth pain

Mouth pain can be something worse than just a standard nuisance. If its symptoms are not limited to just a poor appetite, it may be a symptom of a serious illness that can threaten your life. Mouth pain requires serious attention from a doctor, especially if it occurs in seriously ill or elderly patients.

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Diseases that cause pain in the mouth

Pain in the mouth can appear for various reasons, in particular dental diseases, inflammatory process in the oral cavity or injuries. It can also appear when dentin is exposed to cold and hot food (drinks), which cause sharp pain of an acute nature, which disappears as easily as it appears.

Mouth pain can be caused by: increased sensitivity, cracks, tooth decay or complications; inflammation or infection of the gums; ulcers on the lining of the mouth; a burn or scratch on the tongue; cracks, abrasions and blisters on the lips. The cause can be anything from absolutely insignificant things to a viral infection, from a course of chemotherapy for cancer to sexually transmitted diseases, from excessive dryness in the mouth while taking 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 the first place where such ailments affecting the whole body as leukemia, AIDS, side effects of various medications or a lack of certain nutrients manifest themselves. Methods of pain relief and treatment of mouth pain depend very much on what exactly is causing the pain.

Mouth pain with aphthae, ulcers (gingivitis, stomatitis). Ulcers and aphthae can be provoked by such factors as damage to the oral mucosa (mechanical, thermal, chemical, physical), vitamin deficiencies, diabetes, diseases of the cardiovascular, hematopoietic, nervous systems, gastrointestinal tract organs, acute (for example, diphtheria, scarlet fever, measles) and chronic (for example, tuberculosis) infections, intoxication, parasitic fungi (for example, candidiasis or thrush). Among the factors that cause traumatic stomatitis, one can name tartar deposits, teeth destroyed by caries, improperly made dentures, fillings, foreign bodies, burns from hot food, the influence of alkalis, acids, etc. With short-term influence of the factor causing damage, a catarrhal process develops: the mucous membrane becomes painful, reddened, swollen, and bleeding. With prolonged exposure, ulcers appear, around which inflammatory phenomena begin to develop.

With aphthous stomatitis, small round blisters or ulcers with a white center, surrounded by redness and characterized by pain, appear in the oral cavity (affecting the tongue, gums, and medial surface of the cheeks). After a certain time, the blisters burst, leaving shallow ulcers with red edges. In addition to pain in the mouth, bleeding or swelling of the gums, high sensitivity in the oral cavity, profuse salivation, and an elevated body temperature are possible. At the same time, there is an increase in and pain in the submandibular lymph nodes. An unpleasant odor from the mouth occurs. Sometimes ulcers can appear due to accidental damage to the lip or tongue (for example, by teeth), and sometimes - for no apparent reason, but often - as a symptom of a viral illness. As a rule, they heal on their own. The pain in the mouth usually disappears about 2-4 days before the ulcers heal.

Pain in the mouth can also be caused by developing gingivitis (a gum disease characterized by dystrophic, inflammatory and other processes). The disease appears when negative environmental factors affect the gum tissue (poisoning with substances such as lead, manganese, bismuth and others), and can also be the result of a decrease in the level of general or local reactivity of the body. When harmful factors affect the mucous membrane of the gums, inflammation occurs first of the gingival papilla, then of the adjacent areas of the mucous membrane. Bleeding and soreness of the gums occur. With prolonged exposure to these factors, ulcers, erosions and other destructive elements are likely to form on the mucous membrane of the gum. When necrotic zones occur due to intoxication, the general condition of the body worsens, body temperature rises, headaches appear, a putrid odor from the mouth, insomnia, profuse sweating, weakness are observed.

Cancer treatments can cause mouth pain, mouth ulcers, sore gums, or a sore throat. This can make it difficult to chew or swallow. Ask your doctor for a medicine to help relieve mouth or throat pain.

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In such cases, you need to seek medical help as soon as possible.

• you experience loss of feeling or numbness in your lips or mouth;
• you experience pain when chewing;
• the gums become red, swollen and bleeding;
• the edges of the gums are swollen or festering;
• you lose teeth in adulthood;
• you have persistent mouth sores or pain;
• you have a persistent, hard, non-painful lump or swelling in or near your mouth;
• you have a toothache and a fairly high temperature;
• you have developed mouth ulcers after you started taking a new medicine.

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