Top Tips To Treat And Prevent Pizza Burn
Pizza may very well be the first food to have a medical condition named for it.
The painful singe that occurs when you bite into a steamy cheese-laden slice has earned the official moniker pizza palate syndrome.
Of course, any food that is too hot can burn the roof of your mouth or your tongue.
But pizza is among the most likely culprits.
The cheese on top holds in the heat.
Pizza can be up to 200 degrees F when you put it in your mouth.
Fortunately, while pizza burn hurts, it seldom does serious harm.
Your reflexes cue you to stop eating the offending slice since almost immediately, so it is not in contact with the mouth tissue long enough to cause lasting damage.
A pizza burn will heal on its own, usually within 7 to 10 days.
Of all of the parts of the body, the mouth has greatest healing potential.
Almost all the cells on the surface of the mouth turn over every few days.
So when it comes to treating a pizza burn, your best bet may be to simply let nature takes its course.
If you want to do something to ease your discomfort in the meantime, you may wish to try out the following tips and suggestions.
Get wet.
You might get some relief from rinsing your mouth.
It does not matter if you use warm or cold water.
Just go with whichever feels better.
Take a pill for the pain.
If you want to try an over-the-counter pain reliever, just about any anti-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) such as ibuprofen or naproxen will do.
But forget the old wives' tale about putting aspirin directly on the injured area to help it heal.
It could make matters even worse.
Aspirin is a highly caustic chemical.
It's irritating to the tissue and could cause a fairly serious acid burn.
Numb it.
You can purchase over-the-counter ointments that contain benzocaine such as Zilactin.
Benzocaine is a numbing agent that will help soothe the area.
For something a little stronger, talk to your dentist about using a prescription-strength topical medication.
Don't get irritated.
When you are nursing a pizza burn, be careful of what you eat and drink.
Try to stick with foods on the mild side, both in temperature and in flavor.
And stay away from foods that are spicy or that contain citric acid, such as orange juice, tomato juice, and even highly acidic soft drinks such as colas.
If you absolutely must drink an acidic juice concentration, mix it with a little water first.
Diluting the juice reduces the acidic concentration, so it will not burn when you drink it.
Banish the butts.
Smoking will just irritate the burn and slow the healing process.
So now you have yet another good reason to quit.
The painful singe that occurs when you bite into a steamy cheese-laden slice has earned the official moniker pizza palate syndrome.
Of course, any food that is too hot can burn the roof of your mouth or your tongue.
But pizza is among the most likely culprits.
The cheese on top holds in the heat.
Pizza can be up to 200 degrees F when you put it in your mouth.
Fortunately, while pizza burn hurts, it seldom does serious harm.
Your reflexes cue you to stop eating the offending slice since almost immediately, so it is not in contact with the mouth tissue long enough to cause lasting damage.
A pizza burn will heal on its own, usually within 7 to 10 days.
Of all of the parts of the body, the mouth has greatest healing potential.
Almost all the cells on the surface of the mouth turn over every few days.
So when it comes to treating a pizza burn, your best bet may be to simply let nature takes its course.
If you want to do something to ease your discomfort in the meantime, you may wish to try out the following tips and suggestions.
Get wet.
You might get some relief from rinsing your mouth.
It does not matter if you use warm or cold water.
Just go with whichever feels better.
Take a pill for the pain.
If you want to try an over-the-counter pain reliever, just about any anti-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) such as ibuprofen or naproxen will do.
But forget the old wives' tale about putting aspirin directly on the injured area to help it heal.
It could make matters even worse.
Aspirin is a highly caustic chemical.
It's irritating to the tissue and could cause a fairly serious acid burn.
Numb it.
You can purchase over-the-counter ointments that contain benzocaine such as Zilactin.
Benzocaine is a numbing agent that will help soothe the area.
For something a little stronger, talk to your dentist about using a prescription-strength topical medication.
Don't get irritated.
When you are nursing a pizza burn, be careful of what you eat and drink.
Try to stick with foods on the mild side, both in temperature and in flavor.
And stay away from foods that are spicy or that contain citric acid, such as orange juice, tomato juice, and even highly acidic soft drinks such as colas.
If you absolutely must drink an acidic juice concentration, mix it with a little water first.
Diluting the juice reduces the acidic concentration, so it will not burn when you drink it.
Banish the butts.
Smoking will just irritate the burn and slow the healing process.
So now you have yet another good reason to quit.
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