As usual, when you look for research on Burning Mouth Syndrome or Disorder, you don’t find a great deal. When you do, it is often limited to very tiny numbers and scope and can be conflated with Trigeminal Neuralgia, Sjogren’s, and other syndromes that may have some symptoms in common with BMS.

But they are not BMS. There is no diagnostic tool, a blockable nerve, or specific medicines for BMS. There just isn’t.

We know statistically that the most affected group of BMS sufferers are older women. That is a fact.

We know statistically that many women who are affected are peri, pre-, or postmenopausal. That is a fact.

We know, too, that this correlation (Note that I do not say causation because that has never been proven.) has not served older women well. Often older women are shunted off into the “change of life” box in medicine and their complaints are not taken seriously.

I got curious.

I just turned sixty-five and suspect I have been postmenopausal for quite a while. Since I had a partial hysterectomy over twenty years ago, it was difficult to tell without regular blood tests to check my hormone levels. I have never requested hormone replacement therapy because I feared the higher chances of breast cancer based on outdated media coverage. I have quietly (and sometimes not so quietly) endured the hot flashes and general overheating that appeared out of nowhere, the changes in skin, hair, and metabolism, and assorted mood swings that seem to afflict us at different levels.

After a great deal of reading, I happened to see this article in the New York Times. “Women Have Been Misled About Menopause.” I have purchased this article to share with you here because it is worth reading, whether you are too young to be in menopause or consider yourself too old to worry about it.

A quote that stood out for me was, “Women’s heart health was known to be superior to men’s until they hit menopause, at which point their risk for cardiovascular disease quickly skyrocketed to meet that of age-matched men.”

Bottom line – I asked my Primary Care Provider about it. She, in turn, has referred me to a hormone specialist who will review my blood tests and my family history. She can then give me guidance as to what, if any, hormone replacement therapy could be helpful to me in the short and long term.

Could this affect my Burning Mouth?

I honestly don’t know. I have not found any studies that confirmed it, but I am experiencing enough other postmenopausal effects to make this inquiry worthwhile even if it does nothing for BMS.

How about you? Have you been avoiding looking into hormone therapy?

“‘Menopause has the worst P.R. campaign in the history of the universe because it’s not just hot flashes and night sweats.’” – NY Times.

I know that old PR campaign gave me pause, but I am ready to peek behind the curtain.

Wish me luck!