Why is my Tongue on Fire?!

You may have experienced a burning sensation on your tongue after consuming a hot pepper.  Don’t worry, you’re not actually hurting yourself!  This sensation is due to the presence of capsaicin. 

Now why is it that you may experience this burning sensation and pain alongside it?  Your tongue has many receptors on the surface of your taste bud cells. These receptors love savory experiences. TRPV1 receptors, to be specific, are ion channels that open when activated by high temperatures or compounds such as capsaicin. The capsaicin compound, from the hot peppers, likes to bind to these receptors and the activation of these receptors produces an influx of sodium and calcium. These receptors are sensitive to temperature (typically above 105-110 F) and pressure (good for sharp objects, for example), but they also warn your body of anything acidic beyond a point. These receptors are also present in your skin.  In addition, the nerve cells within your tongue get stimulated in the presence of capsaicin and they signal your brain to interpret this compound as either a painful burn or heat sensation due to a release in pain-signaling molecules giving you a sense of discomfort. Another interesting thing happening is the inflammatory response on your tongue, causing redness and swelling some times. 

So even though you may feel like you’re in pain and burning, your body is producing this perception when interpreting capsaicin.  As Wendy Bazilian, DrPH, RDN, nutritionist and author of Eat Clean, Stay Lean, “it’s a bit of a myth that hot peppers can actually create physical damage to the esophagus or tongue.”