Language, contrary to the idea of the average person, performs not one but a whole multitude of functions: it helps the normal promotion of food, allows us to taste, acts as the basis for articulate speech, etc.
This is a very important organ, therefore it is quite clear that sudden pain in the tongue is alarming.
Especially often the discomfort affects the tip of the tongue.
What is the reason that the tip of the tongue hurts and how to cope with the discomfort that has arisen?
The tip of the tongue hurts: causes, a possible diagnosis
It is clear that pain "out of nowhere" does not arise. This is a signal of a malfunction in the body. The causes of pain at the tip of the tongue are very diverse: from injuries to malignant tumors. If a similar symptom is observed, you can suspect:
• Tongue injuries. Of varying severity. Surely everyone knows such an unpleasant phenomenon as biting the tip of the tongue: during a meal or in a dream. At the first moment there is a sharp pain, tears from the eyes, etc. Then the pain subsides, but after an hour or two it again makes itself felt by less intense, but lingering pains. The cause of unpleasant sensations in this case lies in the formation of microtrauma of the tip of the tongue. Epileptic patients are especially prone to biting their tongue (in epileptics, as a rule, injuries are more severe).
• Lymph node inflammation. Submandibular lymph nodes can also cause pain in the tip of the tongue. Such sensations are reflected.
• Salivary gland inflammation.
• Allergic reactions. The most frequent localization of an allergic lesion is an individual feature of a particular organism. Some have unbearably itchy eyes, there is a feeling of dryness, burning, while others suffer from nasal mucosa. In some cases, the cause of the tip of the tongue hurts is an allergy.
• Stomatitis. The most common cause of pain. With stomatitis, a whitish-yellow ulcer develops on the tip of the tongue (in size it rarely exceeds the needle eye).
• Neurological reasons. This includes the so-called glossalgia. This is a mysterious condition in which only the tip of the tongue can hurt, and maybe the whole tongue. Scientists and practitioners agree that glossalgia is of psychosomatic origin. There are no obvious violations by the organ structures. This group also includes diseases of the cervical spine. So, with osteochondrosis, nerve roots are pinched, the innervation of the tongue is disrupted, and pain occurs.
• Inflammatory processes of the tissues of the tongue itself. They are the result of digestive problems, the presence of a focus of constant inflammation in the oral cavity itself (with caries, tonsillitis, tonsillitis, etc.).
• Smoking. Particles of tobacco disintegrate when saliva enters them and can irritate the tongue. Pain in the tip of the tongue and its warping - a frequent complaint of smokers "with experience."
• Vitamin or Iron Deficiency.
• Malignant tumors. If the tip of the tongue hurts, it could be cancer. But there is nothing to worry about: pain occurs only in the last stages of the oncology of the tongue, when the tumor is visible, as they say, with the naked eye.
As you can see from the list, the reasons are very different. Trying to diagnose yourself is not worth it, there is a great risk of making a mistake and starting the wrong treatment. Making diagnoses is the task of a knowledgeable specialist. At home, you can only guess what the source of the problem is.. This can be done based on the characteristic signs and symptoms of each of the described conditions:
1) Injuries to the tongue. The reason in this case is obvious: if the tip of the tongue was bitten the day before, we are talking about microtrauma.
2) Inflammation of the lymph nodes. It is characterized not only and not so much by pains in the tongue. Discomfort under the lower jaw (heaviness, feeling of fullness) is observed, the patient experiences pulling pains.
3) Stomatitis. Stomatitis is characterized by the formation of a whitish sore on the tip of the tongue. Burning pains, “sore”, intensified by mechanical action on the organ. To determine the cause - just look in the mirror. According to statistics, this is the most common reason that the tip of the tongue hurts.
Other diseases are not so obvious. In any case, fortune-telling when the conversation is about health is not a good idea.
The tip of the tongue hurts: first aid
Not knowing the exact cause of the pain, it is difficult to talk about effective first-aid methods. However, based on the fact that in 95% of cases the tip of the tongue hurts with stomatitis or microtrauma, some recommendations can be made.
The first aid task is to relieve pain. It may happen that first aid is enough to eliminate the problem itself. What can be done:
• Rinsing the oral cavity with antiseptic solutions. Suitable means are suitable, such as furatsilina, hydrogen peroxide. Furacilin tablet should be diluted in half a glass of water. If it wasn’t at hand, a three percent peroxide (3-4 caps per half a glass of water) will do. It is not worth experimenting with potassium permanganate (this kind of "advice" is found on the Internet): it is a powerful carcinogen.
• This is one of the few cases where folk remedies are truly effective. A small amount of homemade ointment can be applied to the tip of the tongue. To make it, you need to beat the protein of one egg and add about half a teaspoon of aloe juice to it. Aloe has a proven antibacterial effect and promotes tissue repair.
• If the pain is very intense, you can treat the tip of the tongue with Novocaine, Lidocaine.
• Rinses with chamomile and oak bark are also effective.
Usually these measures are enough to alleviate the condition.
When providing first aid, you need to keep in mind several points:
• Processing solutions should be warm (35-37 degrees).
• Processing should be carried out at least four times a day.
• Immediately after treatment, you should refrain from eating and taking fluids.
• Consider possible allergies to herbs and medicines.
Even if the pain has subsided, it is further recommended that you visit a doctor. Who to contact:
• Therapist and / or dentist (primarily).
• Otolaryngologist (ENT doctor).
The tip of the tongue hurts: how is it treated
The elimination of pain is not an end in itself. The main task is to eliminate the root cause of the development of this manifestation. The treatment is almost always conservative. In exceptional cases (with malignant neoplasms, severe glossitis), surgical treatment is performed. If the problem lies directly in the language, the treatment regimen is almost always the same. The following groups of drugs are used:
• Antiseptic drugs. They are used both for the treatment of an existing infectious lesion, and for the prevention of such. This includes Vinisol, Furacilin, Chlorhexidine and other topical drugs. The already mentioned aloe, oak bark, and chamomile have an antiseptic effect. If you are not allergic to these herbs, their use can be a good help.
• Antihypoxants. Such drugs contribute to the rapid healing of microtrauma and ulcers due to the improvement of local metabolic processes. Names: Solcoseryl and others.
• Antibacterial drugs. They are used to combat infectious agents. Before starting antibiotic therapy, studies are carried out on the sensitivity of microflora. More often cephalosporin antibiotics are prescribed: Rocefin, Cefixime. Semi-synthetic drugs (such as Doxycycline) are also used. Tetracycline is also suitable for the destruction of most pathogens, but this drug is outdated, and in addition, it has a lot of side effects.
• Antifungal drugs. Used for the treatment of glossitis, stomatitis of fungal origin. Antifungal agents can seriously undermine health, so self-administration is unacceptable. Assigned: Exifin, Nystatin, Lamisil.
• Sedatives. They are used to treat glossalgia.
• Antihistamines. With an allergic lesion. Citrine, Suprastin, etc.
• Vitamin and Mineral Complexes. Assigned to fill the deficit of necessary substances for vitamin deficiency and lack of trace elements.
• Anti-inflammatory drugs. If the tip of the tongue hurts with pathologies of the cervical spine.
The list is impressive. The number of specific items in the transfer will take more than one page. It is clear that the patient is not able to independently figure out such an array of medicines.
The tip of the tongue in a child hurts - which doctor treats it
There are no fundamental differences in the methodology for treating language problems in children. The most common cause of this in children is stomatitis. This is understandable, because children often violate the rules of hygiene: they put dirty objects in their mouths, forget to wash their hands, etc.
The first specialist that is wiser to turn to therapist. Following it is recommended to "visit" the dentist: diseases of the teeth and oral cavity in his competence. If the source lies in the pathologies of the upper respiratory tract, an otolaryngologist will help. Other causes are rare among younger patients.
Thus, if the tip of the tongue hurts, there can be many reasons for this. Fortunately, really serious reasons are extremely rare. To get rid of this unpleasant manifestation, it may be enough to use antiseptics or simple folk remedies, but you should not neglect a visit to a doctor.
