Pain on the tongue

Introduction

The tongue is formed by a very mobile interplay of muscle strands in the oral cavity, which serves to crush food, form speech, transport food and perceive taste. But what if this large muscle hurts and causes problems? The oral cavity is a site of many diseases and often a mirror image of the overall condition of the organism.

The pain of the tongue is medically referred to as “glossalgia”. The burning of the tongue is called “Glossodynia” or also “Burning-Mouth-Syndrome”. An inflammation of the tongue is called “glossitis”. It is estimated that about two to three percent of the population suffers from burning of the tongue every year.

Causes of pain in the tongue

The causes for pain, swelling or burning of the tongue extend over a wide area. Mechanical causes are often underlying. Tongue pain can also be related to other diseases or medications.

Oral hygiene and nutrition also play a role. The simplest possibility that leads to pain in the tongue is small mechanical injuries. Often the tongue is irritated, for example, by a sharp edge or a dental prosthesis that does not fit correctly.

Also a not well fitting total or partial denture can irritate the tongue permanently. A piercing can also injure the tongue. When eating food, one quickly burns oneself with food that is too hot or accidentally bites the tongue while chewing.

Inflammatory changes of the tongue are a common side effect of other diseases. These include syphilis, diphtheria, AIDS or scarlet fever (raspberry tongue). But also the suffering from diabetes, herpes or liver diseases liver cirrhosis falls into this category.

Furthermore, one may be allergic to certain foods, often nuts, special fruits, cheese, etc. The body may also be deficient in vitamin A, B, C or iron. Especially the vitamin B12 deficiency should be mentioned here, which can lead to anemia.

The technical term for this is “pernicious anemia“, which can be fatal if left untreated. The tongue is inflammatory reddened, very smooth, has fire-red spots surrounded by light or grayish areas. The papillae of the tongue can be completely lost, this is called mirror tongue.

Antidepressants or ACE inhibitors have a tongue burning as a side effect. The tongue can be affected by radiation of head and neck tumors. Psychological causes often affect the tongue, especially the burning sensation is typical.

If the soul suffers, if you have excessive stress in everyday life, if serious problems are deeply hidden unprocessed or if you are accompanied by depression, burning of the tongue can be an indication of such a problem. The tongue can also burn due to a reflux of stomach contents and thus also stomach acid into the esophagus. If the body is supplied with toxic substances in the form of medication, drugs or through tobacco consumption, this can also cause problems with the tongue. Also known is the so-called map tongue, which, as the name suggests, is named after reddened islands with white edges. However, this is benign, the trigger for it probably hereditary, but not yet known.