Tongue Symptoms
Diagnosing Your Tongue Symptoms
Making an attempt to diagnose your tongue symptoms can be quite challenging. Your tongue is made of muscles that allow you to talk, swallow and taste so, since you are constantly using these muscles for necessary daily activities, it can be uncomfortable and frustrating if you experience various tongue symptoms that include soreness or discoloration.
White Tongue Symptoms
There are a few different causes that can create tongue symptoms that offer either white spots or a white coating to be present.
- Oral Thrush – This is a type of yeast infection that develops in your mouth. It is characterized by white, cottage cheese-like patches in your mouth and on your tongue. It is most common in infants, denture wearers, people with weak immune systems, diabetes or individuals with asthma that take inhaled steroids.
- Leukoplakia – Cells in your mouth grow excessively with this condition and form white patches on your tongue and in your mouth. It is not a dangerous condition on its own but it can be considered a precursor to cancer. This is often developed by people that use tobacco products.
- Oral Lichen Planus – If your tongue symptoms consist of raised white lines that are lace-like, you could have oral lichen planus. Causes are unknown but it is recommended to practice good oral hygiene and avoid tobacco.
Red Tongue Symptoms
There are many factors that can cause your pink tongue to simply turn red.
- Scarlet Fever – Many people are familiar with the tongue symptoms that are associated with scarlet fever that cause your tongue to look like a red strawberry. If you have a red tongue accompanied with a high fever you need to seek medical attention immediately.
- Vitamin Deficiencies – Having a deficiency of vitamin B12 or folic acid can cause your tongue to turn a reddish shade.
- Geographic Tongue – Also called benign migratory glossitis, it receives its name due to the red spots that form a map-like pattern on your tongue. Occasionally these spots will be surrounded by a white border. This is generally a harmless condition.
- Kawasaki Syndrome – Commonly seen in young children under five years old, it affects blood vessels and causes a strawberry-like tongue. If the child is also ill or has a fever, Kawasaki syndrome may also cause swelling and redness in the feet and hands.
Bumpy And Sore Tongue Symptoms
There are a great assortment of reasons that can cause your tongue to have bumps on it or be sore or both.
- Smoking – Excessive smoking can cause your tongue to be sore from irritation.
- Trauma – Biting your tongue or burning it on something too hot will cause your tongue to be sore until it heals. Clenching or grinding your teeth may also cause the sides of your tongue to be painful.
- Canker Sores – These mouth ulcers can often develop on your tongue. It is unknown what the cause is but it is believed to be due to stress.
- Enlarged Papillae – If a few of your taste buds become irritated and inflamed, painful bumps may form on your tongue and it may swell.
- Burning Tongue Syndrome – Many post-menopausal women experience this syndrome that feels as though their tongue has been burned.
- Medical Conditions – Anemia, diabetes and various other medical conditions are known to cause sore tongue symptoms.
- Oral Cancer - Traditionally, most tongue symptoms are nothing serious to worry about and they will usually heal themselves however, if you have a sore or lump present on your tongue for over a week that does not seem to be decreasing in size or improving, you should seek medical attention. Many early stages of cancer do not hurt so do not assume that your lump is nothing serious. It may be nothing but you are always better to be safe and have things checked out.