Like it or not, all of us suffer from a burnt tongue at some point in our lives. It usually occurs when you take a bite of hot food, sip a spoonful of piping-hot soup, or a cup of freshly-brewed coffee. Doing so can cause your tongue to burn and feel annoyingly painful. Thankfully, there are a few remedies you can try to ease the sensation. And that brings us to these 8 Tips To Relieve Burnt Tongue!
1) Suck On An Ice Cube
You need something cold to minimise the inflammation upon scalding your tongue. Try placing an ice cube in your mouth, where its coldness helps to relieve and soothe the burnt tongue. Remember to do it as soon as it happens–you are doing your tongue a favour from potentially damaging its tissue.
2) Get An Ice Cream
Can’t stand the overly-cold sensation of an ice cube? Here’s another alternative to relieve your burnt tongue: an ice cream. Not only does it help to cool down and moisten your tongue but you also get to enjoy this irresistibly sweet treat at the same time. Now, that’s what we could like to call the best of both worlds. Licking an ice pop works too!
3) Have A Few Spoonfuls Of Yogurt
Another instant relief against a burnt tongue? Grab some cold yogurt, since it has a soothing nature, which helps to get rid of the heat and pain. Simply a plain yogurt regardless of low fat or Greek variety will do just fine.
4) Flush It With Cold Water
The age-old cold water remedy needs no introduction when it comes to relieving a burnt tongue. It doesn’t matter whether you drink a glass of cold water straight out of the fridge or you add some ice cubes into it. The whole point is to bring the heat down while keeping your mouth all moistened and hydrated. And above all, it helps to reduce swelling.
5) Try The Salt Water Rinses
Here’s the thing about salt. It contains natural antiseptic and antibacterial properties that help to minimise the swelling caused by the piping-hot sensation on your tongue. All you have to do is dissolve 1/8 teaspoon of salt into a cup of warm water. Swish it around in your mouth as gently as possible before spitting it out. But a word of warning, though: If you plan to rinse your burnt tongue with salt water, make sure you have already drank a cold liquid (e.g. cold/ice water) beforehand. Rinsing your burnt tongue directly with salt water is a bad idea since doing so can potentially irritate the burn further. Think of the salt water rinses as a final act of patching things up after easing down the tongue-burning sensation with a cold liquid.
6) Apply Some Aloe Vera
If you manage to get natural aloe vera or have an aloe vera plant at home, make use of its gel extracted from the leaf and apply it on your burnt tongue. The aloe vera gel itself contains soothing properties that help to relieve the tongue-burning sensation. Repeat for a few times a day if necessary until the pain subsides.
7) Spread A Spoonful Of Honey
Two words: antibacterial and anti-inflammatory. The former helps to avoid bacteria from infecting the damaged skin on your burnt tongue. The latter, in the meantime, minimises both swelling and pain. Simply grab a teaspoon of honey and place it over your tongue. Let it sit for a while to allow the honey to work its magic before swallowing. You can repeat the same process up to 3 times a day. But take note, though: Do not attempt the honey remedy on children under 12 months old to prevent the dangerous case of infant botulism.
8) Relieve Your Burnt Tongue With Some Sugar
Who could have thought that a common ingredient as simple as sugar is capable of relieving a burnt tongue? All you need to do is sprinkle some sugar on the affected areas of your tongue and let it sit for a while. The sugar will automatically dissolve as it helps to subside the pain while preventing the bacterial growth caused by the wounds of your burnt tongue.
