Sores are tiny cuts or ulcers that may develop under the tongue or other parts of your mouth. They may appears as red or white patches on the affected areas. They causes pain, inflammation or a burning sensation that affects the normal functions of the tongue that includes speaking, chewing and swallowing food.
A sore tongue is usually caused by something visible. However, there are also other underlying conditions that can result to pain under the tongue. If the pain is persistence, it is recommended to visit your healthcare provider for diagnosis and treatment.
What Causes Sores under Tongue?
Some of the common causes includes the following:
- Canker sore
This is the common cause of open and painful sores on different parts of the mouth including under the tongue. They usually appear as yellow or white patches on the oral cavities. Canker sores are not contagious and usually heal on their own within 7 to 10 days.
Canker sores are also characterized with other symptoms like fever, swollen lymph nodes, inflammation in the mouth and generally feeling unwell. Chances of developing this condition increases when having stress, weak immune system, food allergies, hormonal imbalances, mouth injuries and vitamin deficiencies.
- Cold sores
Cold sore is a viral infection caused by herpes simplex virus 1. It causes fluid filled blisters to develop around the mouth and other parts of your face. On rare cases, cold sores can also develop inside the mouth including under the tongue.
There is no cure for cold sores, they normally heal on their own within seven to ten days. However, there are various antiviral medicines and painkillers that you can take to speed up the healing process and alleviate the symptoms.
- Biting or scalding the tongue
Accidentally biting or scalding the tongue can result to a sore under tongue or on the other parts. This problem is normally experienced with those people who has a habit of grinding the teeth during the night. Eating very hot foods without testing the temperature can also result to a sore tongue.
- Oral cancer
Oral cancer normally starts as tiny painless bumps that develop on the sides of the tongue. The floor of the mouth and under the tongue becomes second. Most people are diagnose with mouth cancer during the second stage when the most of the oral tissues are damaged.
The chances of treatment and survival are higher when oral cancer is detected early. Visit your doctor right away when experiencing unusual sore on different parts of your mouth that are persistence and resistance to some of home remedy treatments.
- Allergic reactions
Your body immune system can react to various allergens found in food, medicines and dental care products to cause an allergic reaction. Food allergy can affect the oral cavities resulting to sore or painful tongue, lips, inside cheeks and other parts. It can also affect the skin.
The common foods that can trigger an allergic reaction includes shellfish, eggs, cow’s milk, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soy. Apart from sore tongue, you may also experience other symptoms that includes rash, swelling, sneezing, stomach pain, watery eyes and runny nose.
- Oral lichen planus
This is an inflammatory skin condition that commonly affects the legs and arms. However, this condition can also affect the mouth. When the mouth is affected, you may develop a sore under tongue and on the walls of the mouth.
The exact cause of oral lichen planus is unknown. However, it is linked to allergic reactions and other body infections. It is recommended to visit your healthcare provider for diagnosis and treatment when you notice some of its symptoms.
- Nutritional deficiencies
Inflammation or pain under tongue or other oral cavities can be symptomatic to certain nutritional deficiencies in your body. Inadequate intake or poor absorption of vitamin B can lead to deficiencies in your body. Deficiency of vitamin B and minerals like iron and zinc can lead burning tongue syndrome.
To avoid nutritional deficiencies, you have to take a balanced diet that contain plenty of vegetables, dairy products, whole grains, chicken meat and fish. You can also take vitamin supplements to boost their level in your body.
- Tongue irritations
Smoking tobacco and excessive consumption of alcohol can cause irritations to various parts of your tongue. Tobacco smoke also contains toxic chemicals that can damage your tongue. Taking hard and acidic foods can also lead to tongue irritations.
- Excessive mouth dehydration
Having inadequate moisture in your mouth can lead to dryness, bad breath, sticky feeling and tiny cracks or sore under tongue to develop. Dehydration results from inadequate water intake, internal body conditions that affects the salivary glands, medication and hormonal changes
It is important to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water. You can also chew sugarless gums and candy to simulate the production of saliva in your mouth. You can also consult your doctor when having a problem with your salivary glands.
- Other causes
There are also other causes that can result to a painful under tongue. Some of them includes medical conditions like diabetes and anemia, viral infection such as foot hand and mouth, oral conditions like oral thrush, geographic tongue and leukoplakia.
Although some of the sores may heal on their own within 1-2 weeks, it is important to consult your doctor when having extreme painful patches or persistence bumps on the tongue. You will be diagnosed and treated depending with the cause of your condition.
Why does it Hurt under the Tongue
Pain under the tongue is normally caused by something visible. Although the pain can also result from something serious that requires treatment. The common cause of pain on or under the tongue includes:
- Trauma or injuries from accidentally biting or scalding the tongue.
- Irritations from smoking tobacco excessively.
- Burning tongue syndrome in some postmenopausal women.
- Certain medical conditions like diabetes and anemia.
- Oral cancer that affects the tongue and other oral cavities
- Canker sores.
- Salivary glands diseases and tumors.
The pain may subside after some time when caused by minor injuries. However, it is recommended to visit your doctor when the pain becomes persistent, it can be as a result of a serious medical condition that requires a medical treatment.
White Sore under Tongue Meaning
Having white sores under your tongue can result from a number of things. The common causes includes canker sores, cold sores, lichen planus, oral cancer and exostosis among other condition. White sores on bottom of the tongue can affect both adults and children.
The sores varies in size and appearance depending with the cause. You can experience a little single sore or a clustered with oval or irregular in shape. Apart from the tongue, other parts of your mouth like inside the cheeks, gums and lips can also get affected.
The sores are always characterized with other symptoms like pain, inflammation or a burning sensation, fever, swollen lymph nodes, sore throat and can even cause weight loss when caused by a serious underlying condition.
The sores normally heal after some time. However, to avoid the sores from recurring, try to find out and treat the underlying cause. This can be done with the help of your health care provider.
Why you have Red Sore under Tongue
Red sores under the tongue can harmless when caused by less serious conditions like eating spicy and acidic food. However, this condition can also be symptomatic to serious underlying conditions. The red sores are normally painful, they are likely to go away on their own with little or no treatment.
In most cases, red sores under the tongue or any other part of your mouth results from irritations. If you are eating very hot, spicy and acidic foods or wearing ill-fitting dentures, then you are likely to experience red sores in your mouth.
Other conditions like exostosis can also result to painful red sores underneath the tongue. This condition occurs when as extra bone develops in the lower jaw and presses against the underside of the tongue. It normally develops a bump that may become an open sore.
Canker sores may be the other reason as to why you are experiencing bumps underneath the tongue. There are various factors that can trigger the occurrence of the canker sores. Some of them includes food allergies, injuries to the oral tissues, weak immune system and other underlying body conditions.
The sores normally heals after 7 to 10 days. However, you can speed up the healing process by taking over-the-counter pain killers and using other remedies that has a soothing effect on the sores.
What Causes Canker Sores under Tongue?
Canker sores are also known as aphthous ulcers, they are round or oval shaped with a white or yellow center and a red boarder. They can develop on different parts of the mouth including on the surface or under the tongue, inside your cheeks, lips and gums.
They are usually open and painful sores. Before appearing, they may cause a burning sensation on the affected areas. There are three different types of canker sores that includes minor, major and herpetiform canker sores.
Minor canker sores are the most common and usually appears as a small oval shaped sores that heals on their own within 7 to 10 days without scarring. However, you can also suffer from major canker sores, although they are not common.
They are larger and deeper as compared to minor canker sores. They are extremely painful, healing may take up to one and a half month and they causes extensive scarring.
On the other hand herpetiform canker sore are uncommon and usually appears later in life. They are bigger in size and occurs in a cluster of sores. They are irregular in shape and normally heals within 7-10 days without scarring.
Although the exact cause of canker sores is unknown. There are various factors that can trigger the outbreak of this condition. They include the following:
- Allergic reactions to certain bacteria in your mouth
- Hormonal fluctuations during menstruation in women
- Nutritional deficiencies of vitamins and minerals especially vitamin B-12, zinc, iron and folate
- Weak immune system
- Excessive mental or emotional stress
- Injuries to trauma to the mouth tissues either from biting, dentures that are unfit or aggressive brushing.
- Dental care products containing sodium lauryl sulfate
- Viral infections.
Canker sores are also characterized with other symptoms that includes a tingling or burning sensation on the affected areas of the mouth and small oval-shaped sore under tongue and other parts of the mouth. Severe outbreak can also cause fever, swollen lymph nodes and generally feeling unwell.
This condition normally heals on its own without treatment. However, to ease the symptoms avoid eating spicy, salty and acidic foods that can cause irritation. It is also important to refrain from smoking and alcohol consumption during the healing process.
How to Stop Sores under the Tongue
Having sores on or under the tongue can be very stressful due to the discomforts that they cause. Although the sores normally heals on their own within a short time, there are various treatment you can use to get rid of them fast. They includes the following:
- Stop the cause of the sores
Canker sores is the main cause of recurrent ulcers under the tongue. This condition can result from brushing the teeth roughly, using a toothpaste that contains sodium lauryl sulfate, emotional or mental stress and much more.
Therefore, when trying to treat this condition, it is important to use a soft bristle brush and a toothpaste that does not contain sodium lauryl sulfate when performing an oral cleaning. Try to relax and have enough resting time to avoid stress.
- Treat the underlying condition
Internal body conditions like diabetes, weak immune system, and gastrointestinal tract diseases like celiac disease or Crohn’s disease are the major cause or recurrent mouth ulcers. It is therefore recommended to visit your healthcare provider for diagnosis and treatment of such conditions.
- Make some changes to your diet
Making some changes to your diet can also help to get rid of sore under tongue. Ensure that your diet contains plenty of vitamin B, folate, zinc and iron. You can also take supplements when suffering from nutritional deficiencies of the above vitamins and minerals.
Refrain from taking spicy, acidic or salty foods when having mouth or tongue sores. They may cause irritation of the sores. Canker sores can also result from taking acid fruits like citrus, tomatoes and strawberries.
- Avoid irritating the sores
Irritations to the sores may delay the healing process. Try to avoid ill-fitting dentures that may scratch your open sores. It is also important to avoid smoking tobacco and excessive consumption of alcohol. Tobacco smoke contains toxic chemicals that causes inflammation of the tongue.
- Try some of home remedies treatments
There are various home remedy treatments that contains antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties that are important in fighting the bacteria that causes infection and relieving the pain. Some of the remedies includes the use of saline solution, hydrogen peroxide, over-the-counter medicines, ice chips and aloe Vera among others.
- Consult your doctor for treatment
Make an appointment with your doctor for diagnosis to find out the exact cause of the sores. After diagnosis the doctor will give you some prescription medicines that may include dexamethasone, tetracycline, topical gels and ointments and other treatments that may include an injection.
How to Treat Sore under Tongue
Sores on or under the tongue normally heals without treatment within 1 to 2 weeks. However, to speed up the healing process and alleviate pain and other discomforts, there are various home remedy tips you can use. They include the following:
- Rinse your mouth with warm saline solution
Rinse your mouth with saline solution 2-3 times a day. It helps to disinfect the ulcers and hence preventing any bacterial infection. Warm saline solution also helps to reduce any swelling that may be accompanied with your condition. Here is how it is done:
- Mix 1 teaspoon of sea salt with 1 glass or warm water and stir well.
- Swish the solution into your mouth for 20 seconds
- Spit out the solution and rinse your mouth well using warm water
- Repeat 2-3 times a day until your condition improves.
- Use some ice chips or ice cold drinks
This remedy is effective on how to heal canker sores fast. It helps to reduce the swelling of the sore as well as numbing the affected area. When using this treatment, don’t allow the ice to over-stay on the affected area as it may cause burning.
- Place some ice chips below your tongue for some time
- Alternatively, you can take ice cold drinks frequently throughout the day
- Reduce the acidity of your mouth
Minor canker sores can result from excessive acid in your mouth. There are a number of things that you can do to lower the acidity of your mouth. They includes:
- Reduce or avoid acidic and spicy foods such as citrus fruits and carbonated drinks.
- Use a cotton ball to dab milk of magnesia on the sores.
- Chew some antacid tablets 2-3 times a day.
- Use hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is an effective disinfectant that will help to guard your sore under tongue against bacterial infections. It also helps to speed up the healing process. The procedure below shows how to use this remedy:
- Mix equal quantities of 3% hydrogen peroxide and water
- Use the solution as a mouthwash to swish in the mouth for 20 seconds
- Repeat this procedure twice daily until your condition improves.
- Honey
Honey was used from ancient times in treating various oral problems. It contains both antiseptic and antibacterial properties that help to prevent bacterial infection. It also has the soothing effects that helps to relieve pain and other discomforts caused by the sores.
- Apply few drops of natural honey directly to the sore. Although it will hurt for a few seconds but it will help to relive the inflammations
- Alternatively, you can mix 1 teaspoon of natural honey with ¼ teaspoon of turmeric powder to make a paste.
- Apply the paste on the affected areas. leave it for 20 seconds before rinsing your mouth with warm water
- Repeat this remedy 2-3 times daily until when your condition improves.
- Practice good oral hygiene
Improving your oral care hygiene can help heal canker sores fast. It reduces the amount of bacteria and other pathogenic micro-organisms that causes infections. Using a high quality mouthwash can also help to relive inflammations or burning sensation that results from the sores.
- Brush your teeth after taking every meal and floss regularly.
- When having canker sores, use a mouthwash containing dexamethasone or tetracycline to relieve the pain.
- Reduce the pain
Having a sore under tongue can cause inflammation, pain or a burning sensation. It is therefore important to alleviate the pain and other discomforts as the healing process continues. This can be done by:
- Taking over the counter pain killers such as aspirin, ibuprofen or acetaminophen. Children are not supposed to take aspirin as it may cause some complications
- Avoid taking spicy, salty and acidic foods that causes irritation.
- Use aloe Vera
Aloe Vera is an effective natural remedy on how to fix canker sores on tongue. It contains both antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that helps to fight bacteria as well as reducing the inflammations.
- Obtain fresh aloe Vera leaf and obtain a gel from it.
- Apply the gel directly to the sores under your tongue and other areas that are affected.
- Repeat this remedy 2-3 times a day
- Alternatively, you can rinse your mouth with the gel 2-3 times a day.