Most women are familiar with the well-known symptoms of menopause. But what about some of the more unusual ones. Find out more about burning mouth syndrome at menopause and what you can do about it.
Why Does Burning Mouth Syndrome Happen at Menopause?
Burning Mouth Syndrome at Menopause
This can happen at any time of life but changes in our hormone levels can mean it occurs at menopause. It is thought to be caused by the dip in oestrogen levels which can impact upon saliva production.
Other Causes of Burning Mouth Syndrome
As well as the hormonal changes at menopause there can be other reasons why people have burning mouth symptoms. There are many reasons why people might have a dry mouth and, as always, if you experience a new or unusual symptom it is worth seeing your GP just to check out what it happening as it might be indicative of another condition.
Burning mouth syndrome can be caused by allergies, or reactions to and side effects from medicines you might be taking.
A lack of certain vitamins or minerals in our diets can also lead to a wide range of symptoms including these. And acid reflux could also be behind these symptoms and sensations.
It could also be the case that you have hormonal changes as well as any of these other factors. Where there is an identifiable cause it is referred to as secondary burning mouth syndrome. If it is not possible to know the cause it is called primary burning mouth syndrome.
Symptoms of Burning Mouth Syndrome
These may vary for each woman concerned but they may include the following:
- A sensation in your mouth as if it is scalded
- Dryness
- Increased sensitivity
- A metallic taste
- Tingling sensation
Drug Treatments for Burning Mouth Syndrome at Menopause
If your doctor diagnoses an apparent reason for these symptoms they will prescribe medication based on that. At menopause, it is likely that HRT will be offered. Some women feel they would rather take a natural approach to menopause health. Others may not be able to take HRT because of their medical history. And if you are not sure about HRT please do take a look at HRT – the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea to see why it is so important to consider your options.
Burning Mouth Syndrome at Menopause – a Natural Health Approach
Even though I have specialised in offering information and support at menopause for over 17 years, it is a more unusual menopausal symptom. So not one I see as often as hot flushes, night sweats, mood swings and joint problems, etc. And then I saw two women with this specific condition in one week! One of whom is Simone who had experienced this in pregnancy and now had burning mouth syndrome again at menopause.
“My sister recommended Lynne to me, when I complained about having a burning mouth for a few weeks. It was exactly the same symptoms that I had had during pregnancy, which led me to believe that it was linked to hormone changes. My mouth was burning all of the time, as if I had scalded it, often so much that it made me feel nauseous. It made me lose my appetite too.” Simone
If this is a condition affected by hormone levels, supporting those as well as overall health should help. Taking a natural health approach means we are considering the system as a whole. Supporting it to arrive at its own place of balance. With this in mind we put together a plan of action to help Simone.
Creating a Plan to Help Burning Mouth Syndrome at Menopause
- Constitutional Support with Homeopathy – we used a constitutional homeopathic remedy to support Simone. This is to match her overall profile as a person and the various aspects of her physical health history. In effect the aim is to provide an individually tailored tonic.
- Adding in Daily Support Remedies that matched the specific sensations she was experiencing.
- Herbal Support – the first herb we used was Milk Thistle. We used this for three weeks to help the support the liver generally and its contribution to hormonal balance. Then we continued with Avena Sativa as this offers support for our Adrenal Glands. These are important not only for overall health, but also provide another source of oestrogen as our ovarian oestrogen levels dip at menopause. And we also added in Red Clover as this offers a wonderful source of phytoestrogens, helping as our own levels change. However, these herbs may not suit every woman and were used taking into account Simone’s overall health history and how she was experiencing Burning Mouth Syndrome at Menopause. We specifically selected these herbs from a good quality supplier and in liquid tincture forms so that they were well as well absorbed as possible.
- Nutritional Supplements – we also used a good quality mutli-vitamin and mineral supplement, and flax oil as a source of essential fatty acids.
- Dietary Changes for Hormonal Health – like many women I work with, Simone is very aware of her diet and eats well, so we didn’t need to make many adjustments here. But sometimes there are a few specific dietary changes that can support our health around menopause, so it is always worth running through the checklist of what is helpful and what is not.
Important Note About Herbs and Supplements
It is crucial that before taking herbs or nutritional supplements you check with a healthcare practitioner if you have any health conditions or are taking any pharmaceutical medications from your doctor or over-the-counter, as they can potentially interact. If in doubt, do seek advice.
What Happened Using a Natural Health Approach for Burning Mouth Syndrome?
I saw Simone a month later and updated on how her burning mouth symptoms were:
“After three weeks I noticed an improvement. I was getting less of a burning sensation and it was not daily anymore. Because it was not as frequent, it was not leading onto feeling nauseous.” Simone
And six months on from when I first met Simone, how is she getting on?
“When I first started using homeopathic remedies, to treat what I believed to be perimenopausal symptoms, I did not have an opinion about how effective they might be. After using them for the last six months, I certainly do now. I now only get the burning mouth feeling once or twice a week and it is always for much shorter periods of time; it is something that I know will pass and does not affect my daily life anymore. I have not had any nausea since I started seeing Lynne. I believe the facts speak for themselves and I am now recommending homeopathic remedies to any friends with menopausal symptoms.” Simone
Thank you to Simone for sharing her experience. In our busy lives I always really appreciate it when women take the time to share information about what they feel has been supportive at menopause in case it is of help to others.
I hope you have found this post about Burning Mouth Syndrome at Menopause to be of interest. I practice from clinics in West and East Sussex, and also via Skype. If you would like to discuss whether my approach might suit you, I offer a free mini-appointment so please do contact me.