Have you ever experienced the burning sensation on the roof of your mouth when you accidentally eat or drink something hot? You must have it once in your lifetime. This condition is also known as a palate burn, and it happens when the tissues of your mouth get burned. You feel discomfort, and sometimes it can; pain or swelling can be seen.
So what can cause this burning of the roof of the mouth?
Usually, hot beverages like coffee, tea, milk, soup, or foods like pizza and burgers can accidentally burn the area and cause irritation. It can happen that you won’t feel anything further while eating or drinking in that area after it burns as it numbs the roof of the mouth. In such cases, it’s better to allow time to heal the burned space. However, there are other methods that can help you treat it.
Different Types Of Mouth Burns That Might Happen
- Burning is caused by hot peppers or acidic foods, also known as chemical burns.
- When a hot surface comes in contact with the mouth, such as pizza, hot metal, hot utensils, etc., it is known as friction burn.
- Thermal burns, i.e. when your mouth burns because of consuming some hot liquids.
How To Identify If The Roof Of Your Mouth Is Burned?
When you consume something hot or come in contact with the hot substance, you will feel the pain on the roof of your mouth. You might drop your food or drink immediately, but the damage is already done in a short duration. Common signs to know that you have burned your mouth roof are pain, redness, swelling, and blisters. Blisters happen when the burning is very severe, and the tissue of the area is torn. You can also feel swelling and tenderness in that area unless it heals fully.
How To Treat The Area Of The Mouth That Is Burned?
The most common way to treat burns on the roof of the mouth is to try some home remedies because you won’t put any chemical medicine in that area. So here are some methods that can help you endure the pain and swelling caused by being exposed to excessive heat.
As soon as you feel the burning sensation in the mouth, you should keep cold water or ice to soothe the area. Other than that, it is advised to use over-the-counter pain relievers as per the direction of the pharmacist.
Apart from these treatments, there are certain things that you must avoid during the healing process of the roof burn of the mouth. The first one is to avoid eating hot and spicy foods, and the other is to eat soft, cool foods so that you won’t feel irritation in the burned area.
Usually, it takes a week or two for the burn to completely heal on its own. However, sometimes the burning can get severe, and you might get infected, so in such cases, you must immediately consult a doctor and get the proper medical attention.
How To Prevent Roof Of Mouth Burn?
If you are looking for ways to prevent accidental burning of the roof of the mouth, then you must be attentive while eating your foods or drinks. You must allow them to cool down before consuming or at least blow them to cool before putting them in the mouth. Also, you may sometimes burn your mouth while testing the dishes that you cook, so you must first blow off the steam so that its heat will not affect the roof of your mouth.
Apart from that, you must never eat your food in large pieces when you know that it is hot because bigger pieces take time to cool. Always cut your food items like pizza, burgers, and others into small or bite-sized pieces to avoid mouth burning. As for the hot beverages, it is advisable to add ice cubes to them so that they can cool down.
Conclusion
Palateburn or burn on the roof of the mouth can be irritable, but treatments like applying ice or topical anesthetic gels can help you handle it effectively. In the meantime, yogurt, puddings, mashed potatoes, and ice creams can be good food options that you must consider as they are soft and cold. If you face any difficulty in swallowing or breathing, or it affects your ability to speak, then you must immediately consult a doctor and get treated properly.
