Table of contents:
- Various causes of swollen tongue
- 1. Food allergies
- 2. Irritation or trauma
- 3. Certain drugs
- 4. Infection
- 5. Skin conditions
- 6. Certain diseases
- 7. Nutritional deficiencies
- 8. Tongue cancer
A swollen tongue that feels painful makes it uncomfortable to use in chewing food. Therefore, swollen tongue should not be underestimated. There are many things that can cause a swollen tongue. In fact, the swollen tongue you are experiencing could be due to a serious medical condition.
In medical terms itself, swelling of the tongue is also known as glossitis which is accompanied by redness and other symptoms depending on the cause. Knowing the various causes of a swollen tongue can help you determine the right treatment.
Various causes of swollen tongue
The tongue is a collection of skeletal muscles in the mouth which is covered by a mucous membrane. When observed, the surface of your tongue has small reddish bumps. Now, these protrusions are called papillae, which function as a sense of taste so that you can feel various kinds of flavors in food, such as bitter, sweet, sour, salty, or savory.
In fact, your tongue can become swollen at any time for a number of reasons. Dr Anna Feldweg from Harvard Medical School on the Everyday Health page explains that a swollen tongue can be caused by a number of things.
Here are some of the most common causes:
1. Food allergies
Food allergies are the most common cause of a swollen tongue. People who have food allergies are more likely to develop a swollen tongue.
In fact, not only is the tongue swollen, food allergies can also cause a number of parts of your body to experience swelling, such as lips, eyes, and so on.
Avoiding foods that trigger allergies is the best way to prevent your tongue from becoming swollen.
Swollen tongue caused by allergies may have a mild reaction. Symptoms of an allergic reaction that is the cause usually begin within minutes or hours after the tongue has come into contact with the trigger.
Many dentists see that allergic reactions that arise as a cause of tongue swelling are also due to reactions to chemical additives in toothpaste, mouthwash, denture cleaners, and other oral care products.
2. Irritation or trauma
Chewing food, did you suddenly bite your tongue? Besides the pain is not playing, it can also be the cause of your tongue to swell, you know.
Eating foods and drinks that are too hot can also cause your tongue to swell.
Not only that, irritation on the tongue caused by the habit of cleaning the tongue or brushing your teeth too hard can also cause the tongue to swell.
3. Certain drugs
Even though it has a function to treat certain conditions, the drugs you use can actually trigger a number of reactions in the body. Swollen tongue, for example.
For some people, the use of high blood pressure medications such as ACE inhibitors and NSAIDs such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen can cause their tongue to swell.
Swollen tongue caused by using ACE inhibitor drugs usually occurs if this is your first time taking the drug. Even so, a person may experience a swollen tongue every time they use an ACE inhibitor drug.
If this is the case, it could be a sign that you are allergic to the drug.
Reactions to certain drugs can result from the body releasing too much bradykinin, an immune system chemical normally needed to open blood vessels. It can cause swelling if it is overproduced.
Swollen tongue is a rare side effect of drugs, but it poses a risk to certain medications, especially the types of drugs that cause a non-allergic type of swelling of the tongue.
In other, rare cases, drugs that can cause tongue swelling are usually medications for depression and medications for high cholesterol.
4. Infection
Another cause of a swollen tongue is an infection in the mouth. An infection that occurs on the tongue or on the floor of the mouth can also cause your tongue to swell.
Thrush, Candida yeast infection (Candidiasis), and oral herpes are some of the conditions that can trigger swelling of the tongue.
5. Skin conditions
Diseases that affect the skin can also cause irritation of the tongue, causing slight swelling. For example, mouth sores and mouth erosions occur with this disorder and cause the tissue around the tongue to swell:
- Pemphigus: a group of autoimmune diseases that have the potential to cause canker sores and skin blisters.
- Oral lichen planus: a disease that not only causes a rash on the skin, but can also occur in the mouth.
- Oral psoriasis: which can cause geographic tongue and tongue cracking, creating discomfort and swelling of the tongue.
6. Certain diseases
Types of diseases that can cause glossitis are mainly when there is nutritional deficiencies, such as celiac disease, protein-calorie malnutrition, and pernicious anemia.
Diseases that attack the immune system such as Sjögren's Syndrome can also cause changes in the mouth that lead to glossitis.
7. Nutritional deficiencies
Iron deficiency occurs when a person doesn't have enough iron in their blood. This can trigger glossitis because low iron levels can cause low myoglobin levels, a substance in the blood that plays an important role in the health of all body muscles, including the tongue.
Apart from iron, vitamin B12 deficiency can also cause glossitis.
8. Tongue cancer
In fact, inflammation is the body's defense mechanism against harmful bacteria and parasites. However, if the swelling on the tongue is prolonged and unusual, you should be vigilant. The reason is, this could be a sign of a serious medical condition, such as tongue cancer.
Symptoms of tongue cancer are usually characterized by the appearance of lumps, sores, or white patches that cover the surface of the tongue or the surrounding area. It is also often painful, making it difficult for you to chew or swallow.
If your swollen tongue is accompanied by other symptoms that persist and don't go away, don't hesitate to consult a doctor immediately.
