The left side of my tongue started hurting yesterday. I can see no visible sign of damage. It almost feels like a bruise of my tongue...
Sleeping sucks. I keep waking up from the pain. Swallowing also hurts.
I did just get over a cold, where I had a sore throat for 10 days! (Dr. said it was NOT strep).
ANSWER!!!!
YES, here is your Answer! "Burning Tongue"
Burning Tongue common Symptoms:
• Dry Mouth
• Sore mouth
• Itchy mouth
• Sticky mouth
• A tingling or numb sensation in the mouth or on the tip of the tongue Burning
tongue
• A metallic taste
affects women seven times as often as men. Women goingthrough hormonal
transitions, such as the time leading up to menopause, are at an even greater
risk of developing the symptom, because hormonal imbalance is known to cause
burning tongue. Continue reading to learn more about burning tongue, its
causes, and the options available to treat burning tongue.
About Burning Tongue:
Also known as burning mouth syndrome, burning tongue has a self-explanatory
name. It also goes by its medical names: glossodynia, glossopyrosis, oral
galvanism, stomatodynia and stomatopyrosis. Burning tongue is accompanied by
burning pain on the tongue, especially on the tip or back of the tongue, or
other areas of the mouth.
Did you know? Burning mouth pain is often absent during the night but
progressively increases throughout the day and into the evening.
Following the onset, which is often instantaneous, burning tongue has been
known to last for several years. There are typically no visible signs or
lesions on the tongue or mouth in those who suffer from it.
On the left are some other common symptoms of burning tongue
Causes of Burning Tongue:
There are several possible causes of burning tongue, but because it is most
common in postmenopausal women, researches believe the primary cause in women
is hormonal imbalance, specifically low estrogen levels. In fact, burning
tongue affects up to 40% of menopausal women, with the onset typically
occurring between three years prior to menopause and 12 years following
menopause.
Estrogen is known to play a part in the make up of the saliva, which
researchers believe can cause burning tongue once estrogen levels decrease. But
perhaps more prominently, estrogen affects the bitter taste buds located at the
back of the tongue. Without adequate levels of estrogen, some women begin to
lose their bitter taste buds. These taste buds are surrounded by a basket-like
collection of pain neurons that activate when the taste buds are damaged by
lack of estrogen.
Other Causes of Burning Tongue.
Although hormonal imbalance is the primary cause of burning tongue in women at
the age of menopause and older, there are other causes of burning tongue as
well. They are:
• Diabetes
• Oral candida (oral yeast)
• Dry mouth (xerostomia)
• Medications (diuretics, oral diabetic meds, some blood pressure meds)
• Blood abnormalities (dyscrasias, anemia)
• Nutritional deficiencies (especially vitamin B-12, niacin, iron, or folic
acid)
• Gastric acid reflux
• Allergies (foods, toothpastes, mouthwashes, chewing gums)
• Geographic tongue
• Dental disease
• Noxious oral habits (tongue biting, scalloped tongue)
• Psychological causes (depression)
• Chronic infections
• Inflammatory disorders
• Lingual nerve damage
• Tobacco use
• Oral cancer
Treatment for Burning Tongue:
Did you know? Chewing Sugar-free gum can be an easy remedy for burning tongue.
Because burning tongue brings with it physical pain and discomfort, those who
suffer from it often seek treatment for it. When exploring treatment options,
it´s important to begin with methods that are the least obtrusive, with the
least likelihood of side effects, and progress from there.
This means that lifestyle changes are the best place to begin. Some simple
tasks can alleviate some of the discomfort of burning tongue. Drinking more
water, for instance, can stimulate saliva production and relieve some of the
symptoms. Certain foods may be best to avoid, such as spicy foods, cinnamon, or
mint.
Typically, combining lifestyle changes and alternative medicines will produce
the best outcome. Alternative medicines can be different herbs and supplements,
or even techniques like acupuncture. When seeking out alternative medicines,
keep in mind that because burning tongue during menopause is associated with
hormones, look for substances that bring a natural balance to the hormonal
levels, for this will go a long way to alleviate burning tongue.
Finally, if still experiencing burning tongue, there are different drugs and
surgeries that can be explored. Drugs are often prescribed simply to cope with
burning tongue but to nothing to treat the source of the problem. This final
option also comes with the most risks and side effects.
idk whats wrong with it. it needs to go awayy!!