Inflammation of the tongue: severe swelling of the tongue, often occurs due to tongue infection, allergic reaction, or trauma caused by biting and tooth irritation, and is sometimes painful. This problem may occur due to the use of some medicines. However, it is good to know that severe inflammation and swelling of the tongue cannot be a sign of cancer or a malignant tumor. However, it causes problems that need to be diagnosed and treated. In the following, we discuss the cause, symptoms, and complications of tongue inflammation. If you are looking for the cause of tongue enlargement in the mouth, reading this article can help you find the cause and how to treat it.
The tongue plays an important role in eating and speaking. Therefore, the swelling of this member can be painful. This small organ consists of 8 muscles, all of which are covered with a mucous membrane. There are taste buds on the upper surface of the tongue. With the help of these ridges, you recognize the real taste of food (saltiness, sourness, bitterness, etc.).
A tongue that becomes swollen and inflamed is associated with certain symptoms, which include:
Note that the symptoms of severe swelling and infection of the tongue may appear only in this organ or in other parts of the body. Considering all the symptoms related to swelling of the tongue, experts determine the cause and treatment method.
Severe inflammation and swelling of the tongue or glossitis have different types that we will introduce below:
Acute tongue inflammation or acute glossitis is a type of inflammation and swelling in the tongue that appears suddenly and its symptoms are usually very severe. This type of glossitis is usually caused by a severe allergic reaction.
Chronic glossitis is also a type of severe inflammation and swelling of the tongue that keeps recurring. This type of inflammation may be a sign of another disease and is one of the symptoms of that disease.
Atrophic glossitis, also known as Hunter’s glossitis, occurs when a large portion of the tongue’s villi are lost. This disease causes changes in the color and texture of the tongue. In this type of glossitis, the tongue will have a shiny appearance.
The cause of tongue swelling can be different for each person. Habits and lifestyle as well as environmental factors play a big role in the occurrence of tongue swelling. The causes of swelling of the tongue and the general causes of this condition are:
The cause of tongue enlargement in traditional medicine is not different from other sciences, in other words, traditional medicine considers the reasons mentioned at the beginning of this article to be the cause of swelling and enlargement of the tongue. But the most important and main cause can be considered muscle enlargement and vascular lesions. However, people without specific symptoms of another disease may report an enlarged tongue.
When the tongue becomes swollen and severely inflamed, it leads to two basic problems:
People who have some of the following conditions may develop this disease:
To treat severe swelling and infection of the tongue, the cause must first be determined. For example, when this complication is caused by an infectious disease, the doctor prescribes antibiotics. But when the reason is the consumption of foods containing spices or hormonal disorders, the use of such medicine cannot be effective. In any case, it is the jaw, mouth, and face specialist who treats the swollen tongue by observing the symptoms and causes.
Examinations are performed for the patient at the same stage of diagnosis, which include:
Oral and maxillofacial specialists diagnose the cause of the disease according to the initial examinations and then treat it.
As mentioned, tongue inflammation can be caused by tongue infection or some diseases. But in general, the treatment of swelling of the tongue is done in two stages. In the first stage, the patient must observe self-care tips. In other words, first of all, the level of inflammation and severe swelling of the tongue should be controlled with home methods. Important points before treatment are:
However, if it is not possible to treat the tongue infection with only home care, you should visit an oral and maxillofacial specialist to treat the inflammation and severe swelling of the tongue.
Sometimes people go to the doctor because of the swelling of the vein under the tongue. First of all, we should note that the dark color of the vein under the tongue is not a sign of disease or a specific medical condition. But if these veins become swollen and painful, you should see a doctor. According to the cause of this complication, the way to treat the swelling of the vein under the tongue is also determined. Swelling of the sublingual vein or sublingual varicose veins can be caused by the following:
The following methods can be used to treat the swelling of the vein under the tongue:
Oral and maxillofacial specialist treats tongue inflammation according to symptoms and severity or mildness. In this case, if the amount of severe swelling and inflammation of the tongue is low, mouthwashes containing anesthetics or painkillers are prescribed to treat it. In cases where the tongue is severely infected, antibiotics or local anesthetics are used.
Oral cancer is an abnormal growth of cells anywhere in the mouth or lips. Many types of oral cancer begin in squamous cells, which are the thin, flat cells of the mouth. Oral cancer causes sores on the tongue or a constant feeling of numbness in the mouth.
Symptoms of oral cancer include sores or lumps that appear on the lips or other parts of the mouth. Sometimes, white spots may appear in the oral mucosa, which do not go away with cleaning. These symptoms are different from the symptoms of swelling and inflammation of the tongue and are considered serious oral problems. However, swelling of the tongue is not a serious problem if it does not block the airway and can often be treated with proper hygiene and diet.
Oral cancer treatment can include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy, or immunotherapy.
It was mentioned earlier that the cause of tongue pain can be caused by the complications of inflammation and swelling of the tongue. Therefore, please note that whenever the severe swelling of the tongue leads to pain and fever, it is necessary to visit an oral and maxillofacial specialist. In cases where this complication is mild, it will be possible to treat tongue pain within three days. But if the swelling and inflammation of the tongue lasts for more than 3 days, be sure to see a doctor. Skin rashes and severe weight loss are also signs of a dangerous inflammation of the tongue, and you should see a doctor.