Linda Bartoshuk, PhD
Linda Bartoshuk, PhD, is a professor in the department of community dentistry and behavioral sciences and director of human research at the Center for Smell and Taste at the University of Florida in Gainesville.
Q: At a restaurant, I unknowingly ate a hot chili pepper—and instantly, my mouth felt like it was aflame! If this happens again, what can I do to halt the burning pain as quickly as possible?
A: Capsaicin, the active ingredient in that chili pepper you ate, is a notoriously potent stimulus for pain, as you clearly found out. But it is interesting to note that in the concentrations found in common chili peppers, capsaicin merely stimulates the nerve fibers that transmit pain signals without doing any actual damage to tissues. This knowledge may help you feel better psychologically, if not physically, when you experience that intense chili-induced burning sensation.
The pain caused by capsaicin exposure subsides on its own within five to 15 minutes, depending on the specific type and size of the hot pepper you ate. Because capsaicin is oil-based, drinking water will not hasten relief. To help dissolve the oily substance, you are better off swishing and then swallowing mouthfuls of a fat-based liquid, such as milk. (You could swish and spit instead of swallowing, but that would not be very polite in a restaurant!) A cold drink works better than a hot one because cold diminishes the firing of the pain fibers. In addition, try taking some bites of a sweet food—the burn of chili peppers will be inhibited by the sweetness.
