Glossitis or Sore Tongue

Mouth | Odontologie | Glossitis or Sore Tongue (Symptom)


Description

The tongue helps us to hold and direct the food and drink we swallow, while the taste buds contribute to the experience of food flavour. A sore tongue is any pain or discomfort of all or a part of the tongue. Pain is a sensation triggered by the nervous system in response to tissue inflammation or damage. A sore tongue will feel like a dull, stabbing, shooting, burning, or pins-and-needles sensation.

Causes

The tongue is composed mainly of muscle. A sore or painful tongue can result from infection, inflammation, trauma, malignancy and other abnormal processes of the tissues of the tongue. One common condition that causes a sore tongue is glossitis, an inflammation of the tongue that also results in tongue swelling and discoloration that is caused by irritants, infection or other disorders.

Depending on the cause, a sore tongue can begin suddenly and resolve on its own, such as after biting your tongue. Tongue pain or soreness that develops over time and worsens may be a sign of a more serious condition, such as cancer. A sore tongue is usually caused by some form of trauma, such as biting your tongue, or eating piping-hot or highly acidic food or drink. Other causes of a sore tongue include:

(1) If your top and bottom teeth don’t fit neatly together, tongue trauma is more likely.

(2) Some people may experience a sore tongue from grinding their teeth (bruxism).

(3) Disorders such as diabetes, anaemia, some types of vitamin deficiency and certain skin diseases can include a sore tongue among the range of symptoms.

(4) A sore tongue can be caused by disorders including black hairy tongue.

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