Various processes take place in the mouth that serve to maintain general health. One example represents the production of saliva to protect the teeth and initiate digestion. During this process, a lump may be discovered under the tongue. Most often, the cause turns out to be harmless.
What are nodules under the tongue?
Lumps under the tongue should always be clarified by a doctor, because the causes are very diverse. In most cases, however, a serious disease is not to be expected. A lump represents a change in the tissue. In principle, this can develop in various parts of the body. Nodes under the tongue should always be clarified by a doctor, because the causes are very diverse. In most cases, a serious disease is not to be expected. However, because in principle a tumor can also be responsible for the lump, it is advisable to make an appointment quickly. Approximately 1.5 liters of saliva are produced in the mouth every day. The salivary gland under the tongue is responsible for most of the production. Changes can often be traced back to the gland. Most complaints are unpleasant, but can be brought under control by certain measures.
Causes
The causes of a lump cannot be generalized. Patients often suffer from inflammation of the salivary gland. This is usually accompanied by increased body temperature and pain. The affected region is reddened, swollen and sensitive to pressure. If the immune system is generally weakened, pathogens can invade and trigger the inflammation. Both bacteria and viruses come into question. Poor oral hygiene promotes inflammation. Children are particularly likely to suffer from the condition. At the same time, inflammation is the most common disease of the salivary glands. The disease is accompanied by pain, which increases especially during food intake. More saliva is released during chewing. In addition to inflammation, the formation of salivary stones cannot be ruled out. If the composition of the saliva changes or if not enough fluid is absorbed, the risk of a salivary stone increases. In this case, certain substances settle in the outlets of the salivary gland, which, once they reach a certain size, impede the flow of saliva. The most serious cause of a nodule under the tongue is oral cancer.
Diseases with this symptom
- Salivary gland inflammation
- Cancer
Diagnosis and course of the disease
The diagnosis is made by a doctor. Before the physical examination, there is a detailed conversation between the patient and the doctor. During this, accompanying phenomena such as pain and fever should be mentioned, as well as the time since the lump under the tongue became noticeable. Other symptoms in particular provide the doctor with important information for an accurate diagnosis. If he has already developed an initial suspicion through the conversation, this is checked using various methods. First, the lump is palpated. An X-ray can help to determine the cause. If there are still doubts, these can be eliminated with the help of a tissue sample. Such an examination is mainly used in cases of suspected cancer. The course of the disease depends on the underlying cause. Although inflammation of the salivary glands is often perceived as painful, it does not leave any permanent damage after successful treatment. Salivary stones can be removed in various ways, but carry the risk of renewed discomfort. In the case of a tumor, the chance of recovery is linked to the time of diagnosis, among other factors.
Complications
Nodules under the tongue carry various risks depending on the underlying disease and cause more or less serious complications. Often, nodules under the tongue are caused by inflammation of the salivary glands located under the tongue. The nodules then form due to swelling of the glands, which is usually associated with pain for the affected person. The pain increases the more intense the salivary gland inflammation is. Thus, complications are possible when eating or swallowing. When eating, other pathogens may penetrate the already inflamed area and thus aggravate the salivary gland inflammation.Without treatment, the inflammation often subsides only slowly and leads to general malaise and difficulty in eating due to the pain. When the inflammation is treated, patients sometimes suffer from side effects of the medication. If the causes of the nodules under the tongue are malignant, such as oral cancer, failure to treat them poses a threat to life. Without therapy, the tumor continues to grow, affects other organs and displaces tissue structures. However, similar complications are also possible when oral cancer is treated, especially if it starts late. In this case, the cancer partially spreads to the throat and impedes breathing and food intake.
When should you see a doctor?
A lump under the tongue does not always need to be treated directly by a doctor. In fact, in most cases it is an inflammation of the salivary glands caused by existing bacteria. In most cases it is a harmless infection, which does not necessarily need to be examined by a doctor or treated accordingly. In other cases, treatment by a doctor is mandatory, because under certain circumstances a lump under the tongue can develop into a serious infection. At this point, extreme caution is required, because it is not uncommon for pus to form. An abscess can even develop, which requires urgent medical treatment. If you avoid going to the doctor at this point, you are taking a very big risk. Blood poisoning can occur very quickly, so that even acute danger to life can threaten. Thus, the following applies: If the node under the tongue triggers significant pain, then a visit to your own family doctor should not be put off for a long time.
Treatment and therapy
Treatment depends on the diagnosed cause. To eliminate an inflamed salivary gland, it is necessary to identify the exact pathogen. Depending on the type of bacteria, for example, a specific antibiotic is prescribed. At the same time, a brisk salivary flow can support the healing process. Sugar-free candies and chewing gum are recommended for this purpose. Optimal oral hygiene and gentle massages can loosen smaller salivary stones. In case of severe pain, doctors usually prescribe painkillers. The treatment of a salivary stone depends primarily on its size as well as its position. Stones that are located near the exit of the gland and do not exceed a certain size are considered easy to treat. Extensive massage may help here. A larger stone may require a small incision to push it out of the gland in this way. A very large, deep salivary stone must first be crushed. The remnants drain away during saliva production. Increased salivary flow contributes to rapid flushing out. Acidic foods have a stimulating effect on the glands. If these measures do not help, surgical intervention must be used. A salivary stone in conjunction with severe inflammation must be remedied in some patients by removing the entire gland. Because humans have a total of six salivary glands, loss is usually tolerable. In the context of cancer, the exact treatment is tailored to the patient. If the tumor permits, the degenerated cells are surgically removed. Surgery is followed by radiation treatment to destroy any remaining cancer cells.
Outlook and prognosis
At first glance, a lump under the tongue is not an uncommon clinical picture. It is difficult to make a prognosis as to how a lump under the tongue will develop, as the causes can be many and varied. If the lump under the tongue is an infection caused by bacteria, then the lump will disappear by itself within three to four days. However, pain is to be expected during this time, which may even severely restrict food and fluid intake. In addition, various cold symptoms may also occur. Even if not treated, these phenomena occur regularly. They can be taken care of or treated with appropriate medication. If the lump turns out to be a tumor, this clinical picture can be fatal. If left untreated, the cancer will spread and spread throughout the body. Only with a prompt removal of the tumor, a positive prognosis can be made. Oral cancer is accompanied by severe pain throughout the body.In addition, it is also difficult to eat, as well as dizziness and nausea. Often, affected people lose weight very quickly within a short time.
Prevention
A nodule under the tongue can be prevented to a certain extent. As part of prophylaxis, sufficient water should be ingested. This stimulates the production of saliva and thus flushes the glands. Certain underlying diseases such as diabetes and gout require individual treatment to prevent salivary stones, which can result in nodules under the tongue. Furthermore, regular oral hygiene is important. Brushing the teeth prevents pathogens from entering the salivary glands and causing inflammation. As soon as pain and changes occur, a doctor should be contacted.
What you can do yourself
The prognosis for the lump or lumps under the tongue is as varied as their cause. It is not a unique or uncommon medical condition. A nodule, due to an infection caused by bacteria, causes pain and possibly difficulty eating. However, it recedes on its own within a few days. The same is true for lumps under the tongue that appear due to a cold. In the diseases like diabetes or gout, salivary stones are possible to grow like nodules under the tongue. Both diseases, with the right medication, have a good prognosis in terms of improving the quality of life. However, if it is cancer, the future outlook is different. In the case of an untreated lump under the tongue, the tumor can spread and spread unchecked anywhere in the body. A positive prognosis is only conceivable if the lump is detected early and surgically removed. This type of cancer in the mouth can be detected relatively quickly, as the pain is usually intense and radiates throughout the body. This is often accompanied by difficulty in eating, as well as dizziness and nausea. Due to these limitations, many patients experience rapid weight loss. In general, care should be taken to maintain optimal oral hygiene, and consumption of acidic foods, such as lemons, stimulates salivary flow and contributes to the rapid flushing of a crushed salivary stone.
