Thursday 18 June 2020

Mouthy

I often find that my gums are an indicator of me being at less than optimum health.

Like, the week before I got that cold, I had a really weird irritation of the gums at the back of my mouth on one side.  It felt like I'd gotten popcorn stuck down there and irritated it, but I dug around and swished and nothing ever came out.  It would be fine for most of the day and then flare up in the evening, and certainly after I brushed and flossed.  I tried to take extra care of it and rinsed with salt water and things, and I thought that if I did end up having Covid, it would be something I'd write off as a random body symptom or... something.

I wondered if it was stress related... somehow.  Like I am clenching more or grinding more and so it irritated.... just that side though?  Anyway, I digress.

Lately, I've noticed that my gums will get irritated, not all over, usually just in one area if/when I eat something not healthy.  Like sugary things will sometimes give me a sore gum area.  It's like my gums are my early warning system, like hello, could you a) not eat that and b) be healthier?  You're run down, yo!

But last week something weirder than usual happened and I'm still not exactly sure what it was.

I'd gotten a food delivery and if I haven't mentioned it already, my vice during this pandemic has been junk food.  Specifically, junk food I haven't eaten in years, or certainly not this regularly oh my lord!

So I'd gotten this delivery and was having a rough day (week.  month.) and so I downed some Twizzlers and a couple of Oreos (I know, I know) and followed it up with some Doritos.

I went to eat something else and noticed I'd burnt my tongue.

Except when I paused for a moment I realized I'd not had anything hot and so no, I hadn't burnt my tongue.

But my tongue felt like I had.  It was that same exact sensation and hurt in the same way.  I stopped stuffing my face with junk and went and rinsed out my mouth.  Sure enough, there was an area, including part of the tip that felt "burnt".  I went and looked in the mirror.  I had a "swollen" area that was clearly irritated that felt, as I say very similar to when you burn your tongue on a drink that's too hot.

I rinsed my mouth out a few times and then I googled.... without any answers, but I started to wonder if I'd had some kind of allergic reaction, and if so, what to?

My guess, honestly was to the Doritos as that was the colour my mouth was when I rinsed it out to take a look.  Plus they have that chemically powder stuff.  Double plus, lately sometimes my gums get irritated when I have tomatoes so... that's my guess.  Just not sure why it was localized to one area and why it felt like a burn.

I do not, not at all, feel like going in to my doctor right now and my dentist is still closed and it resolved itself, pain wise by the next day although the bump was still there for a few days.  But, yeah.  I'm curious.  And, no, I don't feel like Doritos anymore... funny how that works.

But, yeah... "chemical burn"?  Allergic... bump?  I have no idea, but my tongue did not like something, or... was trying to tell me something, and I'm willing to try to listen, for sure!

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