BURNING TONGUE

 Happy Wednesday, Dear Reader! And Barka da Sallah to our Muslim readers. May your intentions be answered. 

So, I'm absolutely sure that all of us have had an encounter with pepper 🌶️. I'm talking about very hot pepper, the Yoruba type of hot pepper, the very red one that makes your tongue feel like it's on fire. As for me, I've had that sort of experience, and guess what? I didn't stop eating the peppery food! With the way my tongue was burning, my lips self joined to catch the fire, plus tears that filled my eyes and catarrh that didn't stop running from my nose. 

Imagine then if you have to suffer that sort of burning sensation as a form of health challenge. It is referred to as "Burning Mouth Syndrome" or simply "Burning Tongue". It is a condition where your tongue and the roof of your mouth feel as though they are burning. This burning sensation sometimes extends down to your throat, as though a very hot cup of coffee was poured into your mouth and you hurriedly swallowed it down your throat. The awful part of this is that in most cases, the burning sensation worsens during the day, causing so much pain and discomfort to the patient. 

Sometimes, the cause of this disease is not known, and other times it could be as a result of other mouth/tongue conditions. Whatever the cause may be, there is always pain, numbness of the tongue, altered taste, and dry mouth. There are also certain drugs such as Clonazepam, Enalapril, and hormonal replacement therapies that can be administered to reduce and eliminate the burning sensation.

Could this disease then be the reason why St James referred to the tongue as a fire? James 3:6 says "The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one's life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell" (NIV). This means that our tiny tongues can produce massive results. A spark of fire in an oven can produce well-baked and very sumptuous cakes, but a spark of fire in a forest can cause massive destruction. Likewise, the tongue as a fire, when used for the right purpose and intentions, it brings joy, life, peace, blessings, and positivity. I mean, who doesn't love to hear sweet and reassuring words? I suppose that everyone does. On the contrary, when the tongue is used to spark a forest, it causes hatred, anger, hurt, and pain. I am sure that we have heard about family members turned sworn enemies, how best friends do not want to set eyes on one another again, how marriages have ended, and so many other cases due to hurtful words. 

Dear reader, as you go about your daily activities, and perhaps you happen to eat something peppery, remember that the tongue is a fire then choose how you want your fire to be used. Do you want it to spark an oven, or do you want it to spark a forest? Think about it! Have a blessed day, and consume less pepper🤗