How To Heal A Tongue Burn ASAP

You take a giant gulp of coffee without thinking, and then the burn sets in — fire in your mouth! We've all been there, and it's the pretty much the worst. Fortunately, I'm breaking down how to heal a tongue burn fast because you obviously need to be able to drink more caffeine ASAP! (In the mean time, hello sweet, sweet homemade iced coffee.)

So what exactly happens when you burn your tongue anyway? The foodie scientists at Food Republic explained, "Generally speaking ... burns from pizza and other foods rarely prove more intense than first degree burns. These are often the result of scalding burns caused by hot liquids, like water or oil, and steam." They add, "Depending on where the tongue is damaged, your ability to taste the various components of food — sour, sweet, bitter, salty and umami — may be be affected, but only until your mouth has a chance to heal itself."

Luckily, your tongue is one of the fastest healing body parts, so you should be back to normal and able to taste everything fully again soon.

To speed up the process, follow the tongue burn treatment tips below. And next time, don't forget to blow on your coffee before gulping it down!

1. Coat With Honey

A spoonful of sugar might make the medicine go down, but according to Simple Remedies, a spoonful of honey on a mild tongue burn is a great way to help it heal. Honey also has antimicrobial properties that will help keep a burn from getting infected.

2. Suck On Ice Cubes (Or Popsicles!)

Popping an ice cube or popsicle in your mouth will immediately cool things down and prevent your burn from getting any worse. Bonus points for the deliciousness factor.

3. Consider Seeing A Doctor

If the burn is especially severe or not healing after a day or two, definitely don't hesitate making an appointment with your dentist! They can provide prescription numbing creams to soothe the pain.

4. Apply Vitamin E

Solgar Vitamin E Soft Gels, $8, Amazon

To keep the burnt tissue healing, Shila Yazdani, DDS, told Everyday Health, "A remedy is to squeeze a 1,000 IU vitamin E capsule over the burn; it helps to regenerate healthy skin and tissue."

Also, you can use the rest of the vitamin E on your skin!

5. Avoid Certain Foods

For the next week or so, Hadie Rifai, DDS, advised on Everyday Health that you'll want to avoid, "certain foods that could make the pain worse [including] sharp, crunchy foods or foods that may be spicy or contain citrus and could exacerbate the lesion."

Reach for ultra-cooling yogurt instead!

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Images: Getty Images (5); Courtesy of Brand