Tongue pain

There is a saying "My tongue is my enemy!" I would like to rephrase it and say "My tongue is my friend!", since it is really capable of signaling us about hidden problems in the health of our body with pain in the tongue. Even in ancient times, folk healers, witch doctors and other sorcerers believed that a person's tongue can tell a lot about the state of his health. And the ancient Indian health care system "Ayurveda" believes that different zones of the tongue directly respond and transmit the work of each internal organ separately.

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Why does it hurt?

Since pain in the tongue is a very unpleasant sensation, people who feel it usually rush to the doctor. Such pain can occur as a consequence of injuries (biting, burning, scratching a chip of tooth enamel, poorly installed dentures, etc.). It can also be caused by painful viral ulcers. The reason for their occurrence is not fully known. However, such ulcers can appear not only on the tongue, but also throughout the oral cavity. Today, more and more doctors are inclined to conclude that such ulcers occur as a result of nervous tension, stress and other nervous disorders. Often, pain in the tongue is caused by various allergic reactions and iron deficiency in the body. Therefore, it can be a symptom of anemia.

But most often doctors make two diagnoses for pain in the tongue:

1. Glossitis is an inflammation of the tongue tissues, which can be superficial or deep. Deep glossitis is treated surgically, as it causes complex inflammatory processes in the chin and neck area. Superficial inflammation of the mucous membrane is called "catarrhal glossitis". It can rarely be regarded as an independent disease. In most cases, such catarrhal inflammation of the tongue is a consequence of diseases in the gastrointestinal tract. It can also be provoked by such reasons as caries, difficulties with teething, tartar, mechanical trauma with the ingress of microbes and even excessive smoking.
2. Glossalgia is a medical term used to describe pain in the tongue, the cause of which cannot be clearly determined. This disease is the result of some disturbances in the functioning of the central nervous system and, in particular, the hypothalamus. Pain in the tongue with glossalgia can arise spontaneously and disappear just as unexpectedly, or it can last for quite a long time. The characteristics of the pain are different - pulling, pulsating, increasing and subsiding. In any case, even the most insignificant glossalgia causes a person great discomfort.

Where and how to cure tongue pain

If the pain in the tongue is caused by mechanical damage or a viral ulcer, then after a while it may go away. But if the pain does not go away, and especially if it gets worse, then you need to consult a doctor. First of all, you should contact a dentist. You may also need to be examined by an otolaryngologist and a neurologist. If the diagnosis is "deep glossitis", then in this case it will not be possible to avoid surgical intervention. If the glossitis is catarrhal, then various combinations of medications, oral sanitation and antiviral drugs can quickly get rid of the pain in the tongue. In the case when the patient is diagnosed with glossalgia, a comprehensive examination and treatment by a dentist is prescribed (correction of taste, removal of metal parts, cleaning from tartar, etc.) and additionally neurological therapy with valerian, hawthorn, motherwort, euphyllin.

Perhaps pain in the tongue really gives us some kind of signal and we need to be able to recognize it in time. By listening to our own body, we can avoid many complex diseases and incurable diagnoses. The main thing is to understand what our tongue is telling us.