does burning your tongue ruin your tastebuds? - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

squeeeb · 12-19-2007, 04:35 PM

i'm an idiot, as soon as i get a hot beverage, i drink it, and burn my tongue. this has been going on for years, many years. (i'm writing this with a burnt toungue, that's why it's on my mind, i just drank a hot coffee). i've burned my tongue on hot drinks and food a bazillion times.

i notice i do not have as fine tuned or as heightened a taste as others. i can aggressively season food and not notice it, i don't taste subtle flavors much either.

i know (or at least, i believe) the toungue and taste buds will regenerate after a time. but, is there some kind of permanent scarring or damage i could have done to my tongue and taste buds?

anyone know? has anyone else repeatedly burned their tongue for the past few years?

Baraka_Guru · 12-19-2007, 04:44 PM

Wikipediaed!

The papillae in different regions of the tongue have distinctive shapes and characteristic numbers of taste buds associated with them. Scattered over the main body of the tongue are approximately 200, small, mushroom-shaped (fungiform) papillae, which have, on average, only three taste buds each. Larger (foliate) papillae are found at the back and sides of the tongue. They consist of up to nine folds of epithelium and have as many as 600 taste buds each. Eight to 12 larger mushroom shaped (circumvallate) papillae, each surrounded by a circular trough, lie at the back of the tongue in a V-shaped formation; these have on average 250 taste buds each. Scattered taste buds are also found in the epithelium of the soft palate, pharynx, larynx and epiglottis.

Your tongue is only a portion of your taste/smell system. As this excerpt demonstrates, the tongue has taste buds in various areas of the tongue. I'm assuming you don't normally burn your whole tongue. Or do you?

Remember that people have various degrees of sensory reception. Some are better at seeing than others. The same goes for the other senses. For example, my sense of taste and smell are great. Amazing, actually, which is good because I love food. However, my sense of hearing sucks. Comparatively, Baraka_Gurl has a nearly superhuman sense of hearing, which is good because she's an elementary school teacher. But her sense of smell sucks.

I'm guessing that burning your tongue countless times has done relatively little to your overall ability to taste. The mouth in general tends to have a high rate of healing. Also remember that our senses change as we age. That's why I've been wearing glasses of increasing power since the age of fourteen.

TotalMILF · 12-19-2007, 08:11 PM

The mouth is very quick to heal, but I would think it would totally be possible to destroy a few taste buds by burning them repeatedly. Also, different parts of the tongue sense different tastes so maybe it's possible that you have damaged some parts but not others? I ain't no doctor, it's just a guess. Here's a spiffy illustration:

It is also possible that some of your friends are Super Tasters, while you are not. Super tasters "experiences taste with far greater intensity than average." These people, myself included, usually find things like broccoli, grapefruit, coffee, some alcohol, etc. to be bitter. I HATE grapefruit because it's so much worse than eating a sour patch kid, and can't drink coffee without ample amounts of sugar and creamer because it is too bitter. I can taste and smell some things that other people can't, just because one of my parents happened to also be a super taster. Crazy genetics!

Get yourself a strip of paper laced with phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) and stick it on your tongue. If you sense bitterness, you're likely a super taster. If not, then you're with the majority of people.

And stop burning your damn tongue.

Redlemon · 12-20-2007, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TotalMILF

It is also possible that some of your friends are Super Tasters, while you are not.

Squeeeb may even be a "nontaster" (see TotalMILF's link).

robot_parade · 12-20-2007, 08:53 PM

I have no idea one way or the other on the 'permanant damage' side of the debate, but damn if I don't burn my tongue all the damn time. Stupid.

squeeeb · 12-20-2007, 09:02 PM

baraka - it feels like i burn my whole toungue, but i know it's probably not. i do burn the tip and most of the middle, which shouldn't bother me too much, cause according to the spiffy illustration posted by totalmilf, the tastebuds are around the edges....

totalmilf - that is one spiffy illustration. i've not heard of the PTC strip, thanks, i'll check that out...

god i hope im not a non-taster...

squeeeb · 12-20-2007, 09:02 PM

baraka - it feels like i burn my whole toungue, but i know it's probably not. i do burn the tip and most of the middle, which shouldn't bother me too much, cause according to the spiffy illustration posted by totalmilf, the tastebuds are around the edges....

totalmilf - that is one spiffy illustration. i've not heard of the PTC strip, thanks, i'll check that out...

god i hope im not a non-taster...

Plan9 · 12-20-2007, 09:54 PM

Why do you keep doing this, though? I mean... they put those warnings all over the cup lids these days.

JustJess · 12-21-2007, 03:49 AM

let the food sit in your mouth for a bit - your heavy duty lifters are at the back of your tongue and only really get used when you savor things. Perhaps you're just eating too damned fast.

As for "supertaster"... that PTC is just a chemical in some foods, and if you can taste it, it's associated with being PICKY, not being a food lover etc.

Do you smoke? That seriously affects your ability to smell and taste. Do you smell subtle things either?

squeeeb · 12-21-2007, 06:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crompsin

Why do you keep doing this, though? I mean... they put those warnings all over the cup lids these days.

cause i'm an idiot. oh, and like han and chewie, i'm a rebel, so when i see something that says CAUTION, i forge ahead...

Quote:

Originally Posted by JustJess

let the food sit in your mouth for a bit - your heavy duty lifters are at the back of your tongue and only really get used when you savor things. Perhaps you're just eating too damned fast.

As for "supertaster"... that PTC is just a chemical in some foods, and if you can taste it, it's associated with being PICKY, not being a food lover etc.

Do you smoke? That seriously affects your ability to smell and taste. Do you smell subtle things either?

actually, yeah, i do eat kinda fast, so i'll slow down and see if that helps...

i used to smoke, haven't in a while, so whatever regenerates should have by now, i think.

12-19-2007, 04:35 PM	#1 (permalink)
squeeeb part of the problem Location: hic et ubique	does burning your tongue ruin your tastebuds? i'm an idiot, as soon as i get a hot beverage, i drink it, and burn my tongue. this has been going on for years, many years. (i'm writing this with a burnt toungue, that's why it's on my mind, i just drank a hot coffee). i've burned my tongue on hot drinks and food a bazillion times. i notice i do not have as fine tuned or as heightened a taste as others. i can aggressively season food and not notice it, i don't taste subtle flavors much either. i know (or at least, i believe) the toungue and taste buds will regenerate after a time. but, is there some kind of permanent scarring or damage i could have done to my tongue and taste buds? anyone know? has anyone else repeatedly burned their tongue for the past few years? __________________ onward to mayhem!

12-19-2007, 04:44 PM	#2 (permalink)
Baraka_Guru warrior bodhisattva Super Moderator Location: East-central Canada	Wikipediaed! The papillae in different regions of the tongue have distinctive shapes and characteristic numbers of taste buds associated with them. Scattered over the main body of the tongue are approximately 200, small, mushroom-shaped (fungiform) papillae, which have, on average, only three taste buds each. Larger (foliate) papillae are found at the back and sides of the tongue. They consist of up to nine folds of epithelium and have as many as 600 taste buds each. Eight to 12 larger mushroom shaped (circumvallate) papillae, each surrounded by a circular trough, lie at the back of the tongue in a V-shaped formation; these have on average 250 taste buds each. Scattered taste buds are also found in the epithelium of the soft palate, pharynx, larynx and epiglottis. Your tongue is only a portion of your taste/smell system. As this excerpt demonstrates, the tongue has taste buds in various areas of the tongue. I'm assuming you don't normally burn your whole tongue. Or do you? Remember that people have various degrees of sensory reception. Some are better at seeing than others. The same goes for the other senses. For example, my sense of taste and smell are great. Amazing, actually, which is good because I love food. However, my sense of hearing sucks. Comparatively, Baraka_Gurl has a nearly superhuman sense of hearing, which is good because she's an elementary school teacher. But her sense of smell sucks. I'm guessing that burning your tongue countless times has done relatively little to your overall ability to taste. The mouth in general tends to have a high rate of healing. Also remember that our senses change as we age. That's why I've been wearing glasses of increasing power since the age of fourteen. __________________ Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing? —Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön Humankind cannot bear very much reality. —From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

12-19-2007, 08:11 PM	#3 (permalink)
TotalMILF Delusional... but in a funny way Location: deeee-TROIT!!!	The mouth is very quick to heal, but I would think it would totally be possible to destroy a few taste buds by burning them repeatedly. Also, different parts of the tongue sense different tastes so maybe it's possible that you have damaged some parts but not others? I ain't no doctor, it's just a guess. Here's a spiffy illustration: It is also possible that some of your friends are Super Tasters, while you are not. Super tasters "experiences taste with far greater intensity than average." These people, myself included, usually find things like broccoli, grapefruit, coffee, some alcohol, etc. to be bitter. I HATE grapefruit because it's so much worse than eating a sour patch kid, and can't drink coffee without ample amounts of sugar and creamer because it is too bitter. I can taste and smell some things that other people can't, just because one of my parents happened to also be a super taster. Crazy genetics! Get yourself a strip of paper laced with phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) and stick it on your tongue. If you sense bitterness, you're likely a super taster. If not, then you're with the majority of people. And stop burning your damn tongue. __________________ "I'm sorry, all I heard was blah blah blah, I'm a dirty tramp."

12-20-2007, 09:02 PM	#6 (permalink)
squeeeb part of the problem Location: hic et ubique	baraka - it feels like i burn my whole toungue, but i know it's probably not. i do burn the tip and most of the middle, which shouldn't bother me too much, cause according to the spiffy illustration posted by totalmilf, the tastebuds are around the edges.... totalmilf - that is one spiffy illustration. i've not heard of the PTC strip, thanks, i'll check that out... god i hope im not a non-taster... __________________ onward to mayhem!

12-20-2007, 09:02 PM	#7 (permalink)
squeeeb part of the problem Location: hic et ubique	baraka - it feels like i burn my whole toungue, but i know it's probably not. i do burn the tip and most of the middle, which shouldn't bother me too much, cause according to the spiffy illustration posted by totalmilf, the tastebuds are around the edges.... totalmilf - that is one spiffy illustration. i've not heard of the PTC strip, thanks, i'll check that out... god i hope im not a non-taster... __________________ onward to mayhem!

12-20-2007, 08:53 PM	#5 (permalink)
robot_parade Junkie Location: San Antonio, TX	I have no idea one way or the other on the 'permanant damage' side of the debate, but damn if I don't burn my tongue all the damn time. Stupid.

12-20-2007, 09:54 PM	#8 (permalink)
Plan9 I Confess a Shiver	Why do you keep doing this, though? I mean... they put those warnings all over the cup lids these days. __________________ *Whatever you can carry.* "You should not drink... and bake."

12-21-2007, 03:49 AM	#9 (permalink)
JustJess Unencapsulated Location: Kittyville	let the food sit in your mouth for a bit - your heavy duty lifters are at the back of your tongue and only really get used when you savor things. Perhaps you're just eating too damned fast. As for "supertaster"... that PTC is just a chemical in some foods, and if you can taste it, it's associated with being PICKY, not being a food lover etc. Do you smoke? That seriously affects your ability to smell and taste. Do you smell subtle things either? __________________ My heart knows me better than I know myself, so I'm gonna let it do all the talkin'.