The numbness and tingling of the tongue is particularly unpleasant due to the intense innervation and sensitivity of this part of the body. The tongue can become numb not only from oral diseases, but also from allergies, neurosis, stroke and even migraines. What are the most common causes of such paresthesia?

Contents:

  1. Numbness of the tongue - causes
  2. Numbness of the tongue - accompanying symptoms
  3. Numbness of the tongue - treatment

Numbness and tingling of the tongue , often accompanied byburning , is technically called paresthesia. The tongue is covered with a thin layer of mucosa, beneath which the nerve endings hide. This is why we feel the irritation of these endings by temperature or taste so clearly.

Numbness of the tongue - causes

Causes for a numbness of the tongue vary widely. They can be associated with minor ailments, but also herald serious diseases.

  • Allergy

Numbness of the tongue may be a symptom of an allergy to contact with an allergenic substance found in food, drink or medicine.

  • Hypersensitivity

Most people develop a numbness or tingling sensation after eating fresh pineapple, and it is not an allergic reaction. This is how we can react to the bromelain contained in pineapple.

  • Stimulants and drugs

Numbness (most often burning) may be related to smoking, drinking alcohol or sucking throat pills.

  • Vitamin and mineral deficiencies

The cause of numbness of the tongue may be vitamin deficiency (e.g. vitamin B12) and hypocalcaemia, i.e. too low calcium concentration. Such symptoms can be quickly remedied by supplementing the deficiencies of vitamins and minerals.

  • Migraine

Migraine is one of the most common causes of tongue numbness.

  • Nerve Injury

Another cause of numbness of the tongue is nerve damage, which can occur through trauma, dental or surgery to the face and jaw.

Numbness of the tongue occurs in the course of many medical conditions, such as:

  • shingles
  • herpeslabia
  • oral thrush
  • mouth ulceration
  • multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • epilepsy
  • hypothyroidism
  • stroke
  • brain tumor
  • gastrointestinal reflux
  • xerostomia (dry mouth syndrome)
  • caries and dental diseases
  • hypoglycemia during diabetes

Fungal infectionsare another cause of the numbness of the tongue. In addition to this symptom, there is also a white coating on the tongue, mouth ulcers and cracking mouth corners.

Viral infections , for example, cold sores may translate into numbness of the tongue.

  • Syphilis

The same will happen with a bacterial infection, e.g. with syphilis spirochetes. Such infections spread through oral contact with a person infected with syphilis.

  • Neurosis

Numbness of the tongue is also one of the symptoms of neurosis. This symptom can occur together with numbness of the hands, dizziness, numbness of the entire face, shortness of breath and anxiety attacks.

  • Anesthesia

This symptom also appears after dental anesthesia, but it wears off fairly quickly.

Numbness of the tongue - accompanying symptoms

When numbness of the tongue is accompanied by:

  • taste disturbance
  • visual disturbance
  • numbness of lips or parts of face

Contact your doctor urgently.

Other symptoms of numbness and tingling of the tongue are:

  • disturbances in consciousness (hallucinations, confusion, delusions, sleepiness)
  • speech disorder
  • paralysis (not feeling one or more parts of the body)
  • urinary and fecal incontinence
  • difficulty breathing

The next ones are:

  • facial muscle weakness
  • convulsions
  • epileptic seizures
  • visual disturbance
  • severe eye pain

In order to eliminate or confirm the risk to he alth, blood tests or specialized diagnostics are necessary.

Numbness of the tongue - treatment

Treatment will always depend on the cause of the symptom.

If your numbness is allergic, you should eliminate allergenic foods from your diet. If specific diseases are the cause, they must be treated. Mastering the underlying disease will relieve you from unpleasant numbness of the tongue. It is a bit worse with neurological diseases, because treatment does not always eliminate this symptom.

During the visit to the doctor, it is important to describe the symptoms in detail and to present the situations in whichnumbness of the tongue appears.

The patient's honesty will allow the doctor to properly guide the further diagnosis and treatment.

Sometimes a GP may be helpless because they cannot order some tests. Then he will issue a referral to a specialist.

About the authorAnna Jarosz A journalist who has been involved in popularizing he alth education for over 40 years. Winner of many competitions for journalists dealing with medicine and he alth. She received, among others The "Golden OTIS" Trust Award in the "Media and He alth" category, St. Kamil awarded on the occasion of the World Day of the Sick, twice the "Crystal Pen" in the national competition for journalists promoting he alth, and many awards and distinctions in competitions for the "Medical Journalist of the Year" organized by the Polish Association of Journalists for He alth.

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