Tongue is a very powerful muscle which helps a person chew and swallow food. It enables a person to speak. But there are also many problems associated with the tongue, such as swelling, pain or trouble moving it, which can actually make the routine activities difficult. Other problems of the tongue, like the changing of texture or colour of your tongue, can feel quite upsetting and strange when you don’t even know the cause of it. Though, most of the problems of tongue are not that serious, but sometimes the changes can signal a condition that is serious. And when you don’t even know the reason and wonder Why does my tongue hurt so much, seeing a healthcare provider or a dentist is the best possible thing. They will help you find out if there is any serious condition. But to help you before and know what things can cause you tongue pain, we got your covered through this article.
As you scroll down, you will find out complete details on things that cause your tongue to hurt, including what are the common symptoms, how these problems are diagnosed, treatment for them and much more. So just keep reading below to check out all the info.
What Are The Common Symptoms Of Tongue Problems?
As we proceed further to find out why does my tongue hurt, it is important to know about the symptoms of tongue problems. So some common symptoms which might affect a person’s tongue are-
- Partial or complete loss of taste.
- Swollen or an enlarged tongue.
- Trouble in moving the tongue.
- Soreness, pain or a sensation of burning throughout the tongue or in its some parts.
- Change in the colour of the tongue (like dark red, yellow, white, brown, black or purple).
- Change in the texture of the tongue (smooth, hair like growths on it or covered in raised patches).
Why Does My Tongue Hurt?
Tongue pain, which includes burning and soreness, is one of the major and common problems of the tongue. Usually, the pain in the tongue is a result of inflammation and infection. Now, below are the details of some of the most common causes of tongue pain-
- Mouth Ulcers and Sores- Cold sores or fever blisters, mouth ulcers and canker sore could form on or around your tongue easily. And this can feel a lot painful, which also makes eating difficult.
- Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia- This is a very rare condition which actually affects the nerve that runs through a portion of our tongue. This can cause some serious pain at the back side of our tongue.
- Dental Issues- One of the other major reasons for tongue pain is the poor oral hygiene, which leads to unsightly colour change, like black, white or yellow hairy tongue. And so the dentures that are poorly fitted can cause pain in both tongue and mouth.
- Injury- There are situations when an injury might happen due to consuming drinks or foods which are too hot. And so these can cause a painful and burned tongue.
- Burning mouth syndrome (burning tongue)- This is also a reason of why does my tongue hurt and it’s a kind of painful condition which makes your tongue and the top of your mouth feel like it’s burned. And a person is more likely to have a burning mouth syndrome when he is postmenopausal or above 60 years.
And so you might just feel the tongue pain along with symptoms affecting your tongue, such as tongue colour change or swollen tongue, like with geographic tongue, glossitis & anaemia.
So How Are These Tongue Problems Diagnosed?
- Ask about the symptoms- They might first ask you how long you have started to notice changes in your tongue and if the condition has become worse over the last few days. Then, they might ask you if you have tried out any remedy to get rid of it, and if they have helped you & improved the symptoms.
- Then, ask about your habits and lifestyle- They might then ask you about the oral habits, in case they suspect that your tongue problems are anywhere related to dental care.
- Then, perform a physical exam- After this, they might proceed further by examining your tongue. And an exam is generally enough to make a diagnosis.
- Perform a blood test- Then, they also might need to do a blood test, in case your examiner suspects that the problems of your tongue are related to nutritional deficiency and anaemia.
- Finally perform a biopsy- And after all the above things, you might also remove a sample of tissue from your tongue & test it in a lab, in case they suspect that you have any abnormal cell, as with precancerous and cancer conditions.
And all these tests and experiences will help to find out what’s likely causing the tongue problems to you & the answer to why does my tongue hurt.
How Are These Problems Treated Afterwards?
- First Aid- You might need to get some basic first-aid to care for your burned and painful tongue.
- Speech Therapy- You might also need help with your swallowing and speech, in case you have a nerve condition which is kinda affecting your tongue.
- Regular Medicine- You might require antibiotics or antifungal medicines if you have a tongue infection.
- Dental Visits- And you might also have to visit your dentist regularly if your tongue continues to hurt because of the issues with your oral hygiene.
How To Reduce The Chances Of Developing Problems Related To Tongues?
So not all the problems or conditions of why does my tongue hurt, and which cause tongue pain are preventable, but still you can reduce the chances of inflammation or infection by practising some good oral hygiene. Try to brush at least twice in a day and floss attests once. Also, scrape your tongue to remove the bacterias that are present and get regular dental cleanings.