The tongue is located in the mouth and plays an important role. With its help, not only the formation of a food lump occurs, but also the taste of food is determined. The slightest sores on this organ reduce the quality of life, despite the fact that they heal fairly quickly. Before you figure out how to treat wounds on the tongue, you need to understand the reasons for their appearance.
Why sores appear on the tongue
All causes of wounds in the tongue can be divided into several groups:
- Diseases of the oral cavity.
- Injury to the mucosa.
- Serious pathologies of the body.
Oral injuries
Damage to the mucous membrane of the tongue can occur in the following cases:
- Brushing teeth too hard.
- A broken tooth or a damaged filling.
- Eating foods that can irritate the mucous membrane of the tongue and lead to sores.
- Installation of poor-quality dentures or braces.
- Injury to the tongue duringmeal time cutlery.
- Teeth biting.
- Tongue burn from hot drink.
Given the large presence of capillaries in the mucous membrane of the tongue and the content of the bactericidal substance lysozyme in saliva, wounds on the tongue in an adult or child of mechanical origin heal quite quickly and do not require the use of special medicines.
Other triggers
There are several more reasons that can lead to the appearance of wounds in the tongue:
- Hormonal imbalance, which is often observed during the bearing of a baby or on critical days in women.
- Diabetes mellitus.
- Hereditary predisposition.
- The presence of viral infections in the body.
- Deficiency of certain vitamins and minerals, such as B12, iron.
- Drinking coffee in large quantities.
- Brushing your teeth with a paste containing sodium lauryl sulfate.
- Alcohol abuse.
- Smoking frequently.
- Poor oral hygiene.
- Heatstroke.
- No morning meal.
If there are wounds on the tip of the tongue, the doctor will tell you how to treat, but first you need to find out the cause in order to find an effective therapy.
Let's consider some common pathologies of the body that can provoke such lesions.
Glossit
This pathology is a kind of stomatitis. Manifested as an infectionmucous membrane of the oral cavity and tongue. The disease develops most often against the background of a variety of reasons that were listed earlier, and is manifested by a variety of symptoms.
Without therapy, the situation will only worsen, so it is better to visit a doctor for advice.
Sores on the tongue with syphilis
Among the serious pathologies that cause sores in the tongue is syphilis. With the development of such a pathology, not only internal organs, bones, and the nervous system are affected, but mucous membranes also appear.
When syphilis develops, white sores appear on the tongue. In the early stages of the development of the disease, they do not cause discomfort and are almost invisible. With the development of the inflammatory process in the body, the wounds on the tongue of an adult become larger and more painful.
Such sores heal for a long time, without effective therapy for syphilis itself, it is difficult to achieve a complete cure.
Afty Bednar
In infancy, sores on the child's tongue may also appear. How to treat them, the pediatrician will tell you. This happens in some cases due to frequent sucking on a bottle or pacifier.
Sores on the baby's tongue are covered with a coating that is difficult to remove. The mucous membrane becomes red and swollen, becomes painful, and the baby refuses the breast or bottle.
This pathology can also develop in older children if they have a bad habit of sucking their fingers, taking them in their mouthstoys.
How to treat wounds on the tongue if they are caused by thrush? This pathology often develops in babies, so visiting a pediatrician will help the child quickly get rid of the discomfort and pain that accompanies the pathology.
Gingivostomatitis
This is an ulcerative necrotic disease of an infectious nature. Wounds are formed on the tip of the tongue and other parts of the mucosa in the oral cavity. Ulcers turn red, swell, start to bleed, a greenish coating appears that has an unpleasant odor.
If the disease is not treated, then the patient's temperature rises, pustules form, and general well-being worsens.
Allergy is the cause of sores
If the sores on the tongue, the photos of which can be seen on the stands in many clinics, do not have purulent contents, then the reason may be hiding in a common allergic reaction. It may appear in response to eating certain foods or using hygiene products.
Multiple studies have confirmed that there is a link between sores in the oral cavity and one of the components of toothpaste - sodium lauryl sulfate.
Some drugs cause sores on the tongue
Medication therapy in some cases can provoke side effects, among which there may be wounds on the tongue. Most often, such conditions are caused by treatment with the following medicines:
- Nicorandil heart drug.
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug"Indomethacin".
- "Phenytoin", which is used to treat epilepsy.
- Cytotoxic drugs, which are often part of chemotherapy treatment.
Treatment of wounds in the tongue that have arisen due to drugs require an integrated approach. If the cause is definitely established, then the drugs will have to be stopped for a while, unless the severity of the consequences exceeds the benefits of treatment, for example, with cancer. It is not recommended to make a decision on your own in such cases, it is better to discuss this issue with your doctor.
Signs of pathology
Sores on the tongue can appear in different places, and the process of their formation goes through several stages:
- In the first stage, swelling and small blisters appear on the tongue.
- Next comes the expression of bubbles.
- Wounds are covered with a layer of white or yellow plaque, a red border appears.
There are no age preferences for wounds on the tongue, they can appear in children and adults. The frequency of their formation varies from several times in a lifetime, while others may appear with enviable regularity.
Usually the sores go away quickly, but if the wound on the tongue does not heal, then you should visit a doctor and find out the reason.
Urgent doctor
It is urgent to contact a specialist if:
- A large number of sores, wounds and neoplasms appear in the oral cavity.
- Open wounds appear, accompanied by severe painfulsensations.
- Sores appeared on the background of wearing prostheses or artificial structures in the oral cavity.
- The tongue has wounds and is bleeding.
- The general condition worsens, the temperature rises, weakness.
- Wounds and sores are rapidly increasing in size.
- Headache worries, there is a feeling of fullness in the mouth.
If you have these symptoms, only a doctor will tell you how to treat wounds on the tongue.
Diagnosis of causes
To identify the provoking factors of pathology, the following studies may be needed:
- blood test to confirm or rule out anemia;
- determining the level of glucose in the blood;
- syphilis test;
- testing for vitamin deficiencies, especially B12 and B3.
Only after establishing the cause, the doctor will decide how to treat wounds on the tongue in an adult or child.
Wound Therapy
If there are sores on the tongue that do not cause discomfort, but do not go away for a long time, then you need to see a doctor to rule out a serious pathology that develops in the body.
Complex therapy is needed, which will be aimed at:
- Removing the provoking factor.
- Combat symptoms.
- Increase immunity.
How to treat sores on the tongue of a child or an adult depends on the cause of their appearance. Therapy may include conservative methods and traditional recipes.
Treatment of woundsin language
If the wound on the tongue arose after biting with teeth, then you can rinse with a solution of soda or hydrogen peroxide. To eliminate pain, you can dissolve tablets with "Lidocaine".
In the case when an infection has become a provocateur of sores and sores on the tongue, then the therapy may be as follows:
- With stomatitis of a fungal nature, wounds can be treated with ointments with an antifungal effect. For adults, Nystatin is suitable.
- You can not do without antiviral ointments in the presence of wounds on the background of a viral disease.
- The formed sores with purulent contents must be treated with antibacterial agents, for example, Tetracycline or Achromycin.
- The fight against the inflammatory process in the oral cavity is carried out with the use of "Fluocinonide" or "Triamcinolone".
- In case of severe soreness, wounds can be treated with a gel with analgesic properties "Oragel". You need to apply the remedy on the sores several times a day.
- To prevent scarring at the site of wounds after healing, it is recommended to use gels or ointments with regenerating properties.
- It is recommended to rinse your mouth daily with pharmacy rinses, such products can be prepared independently using sage or chamomile.
Given that white formations on the tongue often occur due to disorders in the gastrointestinal tract, the fight against them should combine the use of probiotics to normalize the microfloraintestines.
Medication use
If home remedies do not help get rid of sores on the tongue, then medication is indispensable. Most often doctors prescribe:
- Antiseptic drugs that destroy bacteria, reduce the sensitivity of the mucous membrane of the tongue and mouth, thanks to painkillers. This category includes: Ingalipt, Geksoral, Strepsils.
- Detergents can be used: ethyl alcohol, alcohol solution of iodine, hydrogen peroxide.
- Dental gels and ointments that not only disinfect, but also relieve soreness. These include: Kamistad, Cholisal, Solcoseryl.
- Rinsing the mouth with a solution of "Furacilin", "Chlorhexidine", "Chlorophyllipt". If these preparations are not at hand, you can prepare a rinse solution from iodine, s alt and soda.
All of the listed funds should be used only with the permission of a doctor and with extreme caution so as not to cause even more harm to the mucous membrane of the tongue. Medicines should be applied to wounds purposefully, trying not to affect neighboring he althy areas.
Folk recipes for getting rid of ulcers
How to treat wounds on the tongue if there are no necessary drugs in the home medicine cabinet? Then you can use folk recipes that will help at least slightly alleviate the condition. Among these are the following:
- Using herbal infusions. Among the gifts of nature, powerful antiseptichave properties: St. John's wort, sage, viburnum berries, yarrow.
- Aloe, sea buckthorn oil has healing properties. They can be applied several times a day to wounds.
- Healing properties are proven in oak bark, propolis, honey and onions.
- Helps to cope with sores on the tongue decoction of coriander. To prepare it, you need to take a tablespoon of seeds, pour 200 ml of boiling water, simmer for half an hour. After cooling, strain, can be used to rinse the mouth. Before the procedure, the decoction must be slightly diluted with water.
- Juice from fresh cabbage will help eliminate the inflammatory process, reduce education. In the juice of the plant, moisten a cotton swab and treat the wounds.
- Propolis. For treatment, you need to prepare a decoction. Pour a few pieces of propolis with boiling water and keep in a water bath for 30-40 minutes. Cool to room temperature and use as a mouthwash every hour.
- Potatoes. Peel raw potatoes. Cut into pieces that need to be applied to the wounds on the tongue. The starch in the tubers relieves inflammation and reduces soreness.
- Onions and garlic. Grind one of the vegetables into gruel, apply to damaged areas on the tongue. Phytoncides contribute to the rapid relief of the inflammatory process, inhibit the development of pathogenic microorganisms.
- You can also apply lemon juice to the wounds on the tongue.
Greater efficiency can be achieved by combining medicationtreatment using folk recipes. When using folk remedies, it is necessary to exclude the presence of an allergy to some natural gifts.
Danger of sores on the tongue
If you do nothing and do not find out the cause of the appearance of ulcers and wounds on the tongue, then there is a high probability of developing various complications. These may include the following:
- Abscess formation.
- Formation of an abscess with purulent contents inside.
- When an abscess breaks, pathogenic microorganisms can enter the bloodstream, which will provoke the spread of infection throughout the body.
When sores and ulcers appear on the tongue that do not go away for a long time, but only with time the situation worsens, you should not postpone a visit to the doctor. Timely therapy will avoid serious consequences.
How to prevent pathology
Disease is easier to prevent than to engage in long-term treatment. Preventive measures include the following tips:
- Gently brush your teeth so as not to injure the oral mucosa.
- Choose a medium hard brush.
- Regular visits to the dentist to heal caries, repair damaged teeth.
- For brushing your teeth, purchase toothpastes that do not contain sodium lauryl sulfate.
- In the diet, reduce the amount of spicy, sour foods that can irritate the mucous membrane.
- Use cutlery with care.
- Treat infectious and bacterial diseases in a timely manner.
Any wounds and sores in the mouth are not onlypainful and unpleasant, but it can also be a symptom of a serious pathology, so you should not rely on self-treatment, but it is better to visit a specialist. Only after finding out the exact cause, you can choose an effective therapy.
