Tongue Problems: Types, Symptoms and Treatment | GetWellGo

Explore types, symptoms, and treatments for tongue problems with GetWellGo. Trusted international care to help you regain oral health and confidence today.

Tongue Problems: Types, Symptoms and Treatment | GetWellGo

  • Category

    Dermatology

  • Published By

    GetWellGo Team

  • Updated on

    23-May-2025

Tongue Problems Symptoms

A tongue disorder may be due to an infection, nutritional shortage, allergic reaction, a general medical condition or trauma. Common indications of tongue problems and what they could mean are as follows:

Signs that you may have a common tongue problem

  • Pain or burning: Pain, burning or a tingling feeling on the tongue
  • Swelling: Inflammation or swelling in the tongue
  • Discoloration: White, red or black changes in the skin
  • Spots or sores: You may have ulcers, bumps or blisters.
  • Dryness: Tongue feels thirsty or is sticky.
  • Coating on Tongue: Deposits on the tongue may be white, yellow or brown in color.
  • Numbing or tingling: Someone experiences a loss of normal sensation or tingles.
  • Difficulty moving the tongue: Stiffness or reduced motion.
  • Cracks or fissures: When you have deep cuts or grooves on your tongue.
  • Enlarged papillae: Outwardly raised bumps found on the surface of the tongue

Tongue Pain Treatment

Choosing a treatment for tongue pain depends on the main problem. The following is a guide explaining typical problems and what to do for tongue pain.

Reasons for Tongue Pain and How to Treat Them

Aphthous ulcers are known as canker sores

  • Soar-like sores that are white or yellow
  • Use a salt water rinse, try over-the-counter gels (like benzocaine) and limit your intake of cooked spicy or acidic foods.

Burning Mouth Syndrome

  • An uncomfortable feeling, dry saliva and different taste    
  • Use alpha-lipoic acid, clonazepam, saliva substitutes and manage your stress or anxiety.

Trauma 

  • A sore place on the body or a cut    
  • Use salt water to clean the wound, avoid citrus and chili, stick to soft foods and you should be better in a few days.

Fungal infection (oral thrush)

  • White levels on the skin, soreness and red tongue
  • Wash products (such as Lamisil, ketoconazole) and oral hygiene

Nutritional deficiencies (B12, iron and folate)

  • A tongue that is sore, inflamed and has no bumpy parts    
  • Foods containing B12, iron and lots of leafy greens, eggs and meat should be part of your diet.

Allergic reactions

  • A tongue that is swollen, red and itches
  • Avoid dust allergies, take antihistamines and head to an emergency if breathing issues occur

Geographic tongue

  • Dark, red spots outlined with white, along with unease
  • Usually, there isn’t any treatment necessary, though corticosteroids may be needed for itching or pain.

Dry mouth (xerostomia)

  • Feeling a bit of pain, dry mouth and bad breath
  • Stay hydrated, use products that help increase saliva production, avoid drinking caffeine or alcohol and chew on sugar-free gum.

Oral cancer

  • Repeated pain, growing lumps and ulcers that do not get better
  • It is very important to find tumors early, biopsy, surgically remove them and perform chemo/radiation where necessary.

Swollen Tongue Causes

Anything from feeling mildly irritated to having a deadly allergic response can cause a swollen tongue (also known as glossitis or macroglossia).

The Causes of a Swollen Tongue:

  • Allergic Reactions: Swelling, shortness of breath, the appearance of hives and low blood pressure are all signs of anaphylaxis and should be treated urgently by a doctor
  • Angioedema: Swelling under the skin is known as angioedema and can commonly develop allergies or the use of ACE inhibitors.
  • Infections: Symptoms of (bacterial, viral, fungal) infections include redness, swelling, pus or fever—for instance, oral thrush, herpes or a bacterial infection
  • Trauma: Problems like biting your tongue or eating spicy foods, hot foods or using mouth appliances can create irritation.
  • Nutritional deficiencies: If you have a smooth, swollen, sore tongue, it may be due to a lack of vitamin B12, iron or folate in your diet
  • Hypothyroidism: If someone has hypothyroidism, it can lead to a larger tongue, tiredness, extra weight and dry skin beneath the skin.
  • Amyloidosis: May lead to persisting tongue inflammation because of excess protein deposits.
  • Down syndrome: A larger tongue appearance
  • Cancer of the tongue/mouth: An area that is swollen, firm, on one side and may have ulcers or bleeding
  • Hereditary Angioedema: In people with this condition, swelling may happen many times after stress, injury or infection

Burning Tongue Syndrome

Burning Tongue Syndrome, also known as Burning Mouth Syndrome involves a lasting burning or tingling feeling in the tongue or mouth with no noticeable reason.

Signs and Symptoms of Burning Tongue Syndrome

  • Burning or scalding discomfort on the tongue, lips, gums or the roof of your mouth
  • Dry mouth or unusual taste (like it’s metallic or bitter)
  • Feeling pins and needles
  • Grows worse as the day goes on
  • The mouth shows no lesions or signs, making diagnosis more complicated.

Reasons Why BMS Problems Occur

There are a total of two types:

Primary (Idiopathic, without a known cause)

  • No medical or dental condition can be easily found
  • Can be linked to problems affecting the nervous system (neuropathic pain)

Secondary BMS

Often people associate it with:

  • Nutritional deficiencies    
  • Hormonal changes    
  • A dry mouth is also known as xerostomia.    
  • Allergies/irritants    
  • Reflux is also known as oral candidiasis.    
  • Anxiety/depression    
  • Medications    

Tongue Infection Treatment

How you treat a tongue infection depends on whether it is bacterial, viral or fungal. This section lists the common tongue infections and explains their usual treatments.

Tongue infection types and their treatments:

Fungl (Oral thrush/Candidiasis)    

  • If you get oral thrush, nystatin mouth rinse can help and for more severe thrush, fluconazole by mouth is needed; remember good oral hygiene.

Bacterial Infection (e.g., due to injury or poor hygiene)

  • Amoxicillin and Metronidazole (as your doctor has given them to you) along with salt water rinses.

Viral Infection (Herpes Simplex)    

  • Administration of Acyclovir or Valacyclovir, followed by pain relief with gel; lidocaine.

Geographic Tongue (Non-infectious but causes inflammation)    

  • Generally, no medication is necessary; use a topical corticosteroid if the area hurts.

Glossitis (Inflamed Tongue) from deficiency/infection        

  • If B12, iron or folate is lacking, use supplements.

Tongue Discoloration

Tongue discoloration is sometime harmless, but it may also point to some health concern. Sometimes, the color of your tongue reveals things about your general health.

Types of Tongue Discoloration & What They May Mean

White: Patchy or coated; may scrape off (thrush) or stay fixed (leukoplakia)

  • Oral thrush (Candida) 
  • Leukoplakia 
  • Lichen planus 
  • Dehydration or dry mouth

Red / Strawberry tongue: May be smooth, swollen, or patchy

  • Vitamin B12 or iron deficiency 
  • Kawasaki disease (in kids) 
  • Scarlet fever 
  • Geographic tongue

Yellow: Often a precursor to black hairy tongue

  • Bacterial overgrowth 
  • Poor oral hygiene 
  • Smoking 
  • Dry mouth

Black or Brown: Hair-like projections trap pigments and bacteria

  • Black hairy tongue (harmless) 
  • Smoking 
  • Antibiotic use 
  • Pepto-Bismol (bismuth) use

Blue or Purple: May need urgent evaluation if linked to oxygen deficiency

  • Poor circulation 
  • Cyanosis 
  • Blood vessel disorder

Green: Needs medical evaluation

  • Rare, usually fungal or bacterial overgrowth

Pale: Indicates lack of red blood cells or nutrients

  • Anemia 
  • Nutritional deficiency

Tongue Cancer Symptoms

Cancer in the tongue can form on the front part, called the oral tongue or on the base which is in the oropharynx. Because early symptoms can be mild, catching the disease as soon as possible is important.

Common Symptoms of Tongue Cancer:

  • Persistent sore or ulcer
  • Lump or thickening
  • Pain    
  • Red or white patches
  • Bleeding
  • Numbness
  • Difficulty swallowing or chewing
  • Sore throat or hoarseness
  • Swelling in the mouth or neck
  • Ear pain
  • Speech Difficulties

Numbness in Tongue

Numbness in the tongue—also known as tongue paresthesia—may give the tongue a tingling sensation, reduce feeling a bit or cause a pins-and-needles sensation. Sometimes the changes happen only on one side or on both, while others may set in and last a long time or clear up after a while.

Common Causes of Tongue Numbness:

  • Nerve damage or compression
  • Vitamin B12 deficiency
  • Stroke or TIA (mini-stroke)
  • Multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Allergic Reaction
  • Migraines with aura
  • Oral infections or inflammation
  • Tumors or cysts
  • Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
  • Anxiety or panic attacks
  • Reflux or GERD

How to treat tongue sores?

Many tongue sores are irritating and uncomfortable, but most can be cured easily at home unless they result from something else. Depending on what is causing them, treat them in these ways:

Common Types of Tongue Sores & Treatments:

Canker Sores (Aphthous ulcers)

  • Saltwater rinse 
  • Topical gels (e.g. benzocaine, Orajel) 
  • Avoid spicy/acidic foods 
  • B12 or folate if deficient

Injury/Irritation

  • Saltwater or baking soda rinse 
  • Ice chips for pain 
  • Avoid further irritation

Oral Thrush (Fungal infection)

  • Antifungal meds (nystatin, fluconazole) 
  • Good oral hygiene

Herpes Simplex (Cold sores on tongue)

  • Antiviral meds (acyclovir, valacyclovir) 
  • Ice or numbing gel

Nutritional Deficiencies

  • Supplement B12, iron, folate 
  • Balanced diet

Allergic reactions or sensitivity

  • Identify and avoid the irritant 
  • Antihistamines if needed

Lichen Planus or Autoimmune

  • Corticosteroid mouth rinse 
  • Regular monitoring by a dentist or doctor

Why Choose GetWellGo for Tongue Problems?    

GetWellGo is regarded as a leading supplier of healthcare services. We help our foreign clients choose the best treatment locations that suit their needs both financially and medically.

We offer:

  • Complete transparency
  • Fair costs.
  • 24 hour availability.
  • Medical E-visas
  • Online consultation from recognized Indian experts.
  • Assistance in selecting India's top hospitals for tongue problems.
  • Expert dentists/ENT Specialist/Oral Surgeon with a strong track record of success
  • Assistance during and after the course of treatment.
  • Language Support
  • Travel and Accommodation Services
  • Case manager assigned to every patient to provide seamless support in and out of the hospital like appointment booking
  • Local SIM Cards
  • Currency Exchange
  • Arranging Patient’s local food

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