9 Possible Causes of Tingling Tongue
Dr. B. Kanagasabapathy
[M.D.S. (Ortho), Fellow ICOI]
Everyone encounter numbness or sharp needle like pain in their tongue at some point in their life. It seems weird and disappears on its own in a few days.
Tingling tongue is due to the numbness that occurs with the damage, irritation or compression in a nerve or a branch of nerves in our body. Our tongue is a muscular organ and it is mainly comprised of nerves, tissues, and blood vessels. When the nerves inside the tongue are agitated with a medical condition or activities like accidental biting, it causes numbness or tingling sensation.
Keep in mind that if the tingling feel in the tongue exists for a prolonged period, it will be a sign of chronic disease in your body. Tingling tongue or numb tongue is associated with a myriad of atypical conditions & disorders that are discussed in this post. Keep reading to know more.
1. Allergies
When your tongue is exposed to food, drink, medicine or other compounds that your immune system detects as harmful, it will make your tongue swell, itch and tingle.
Besides food and drink allergies, some people encounter tongue numbness with a condition called Oral Allergy Syndrome. People suffering from this condition encounter irritation in the mouth, burning sensation in lips, and tingling tongue when they take certain raw fruits or vegetables.
We recommend to avoid such fruits, drinks and lower the dosage of medications that have an allergic reaction on your oral cavity.
2. Nerve Damage
Damaging the nerves inside your tongue will also result in tongue numbness or a tingling sensation. It is likely to happen after dental works or tongue piercing.
A dentist may accidentally injure the underlying nerve or blood vessels while injecting anesthesia. It can make your mouth tingle whilst it heals on its own within a few weeks.
Piercing an ornamental ring to your tongue might hurt the nerves underneath the tongue if the piercing is done carelessly.
3. Raynaud’s Phenomenon
Raynaud’s Phenomenon is a rare case and a benign condition that affects the tongue.
Typically, it affects the arteries and veins that carry blood to your fingers and toes. This ends in lowering the blood flow to those organs and leads to discoloration in the affected regions.
At times, the condition tends to reduce blood flow to the tongue and eventually ends in a tingling sensation. This makes your tongue appears red or pale.
4. Cold Sores
Cold Sores are small fluid-filled lesions that mostly develop on the tongue and lips. It occurs when an individual comes into contact with Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV – 1). The small blisters are grouped to form patches and they break at some point, resulting in a scab.
Even though the cold sores heal within 2 to 3 weeks, the scab exists for many days. The inflammation and discomfort from the sore can make the nerves in the tongue more sensitive, resulting in a tingling or burning sensation.
5. Vitamin & Mineral Deficiency
Lack of vitamins or minerals will reflect in the improper functioning of the body. It exhibits various signs and symptoms. Tingling tongue is one of them. Such tingling sensation in the tongue, fingers, and toes arises due to the deficit of Vitamin B12 and Folate.
Vitamin B12 and Folate are crucial to keep your nerves healthy. If this deficiency is left untreated, it will end in permanent nerve damage.
Shortage of these following minerals also provokes tongue numbness:
- Zinc
- Iron
- Phosphorus
- Calcium (Hypocalcemia)
6. Migraines
Migraines means throbbing pain (intense headache) that occurs on one side of the head. The exact pinpoint of this condition is yet unidentified. It is believed that faulty chemical signals in our brain might be a reason for this problem.
Migraines are acknowledged with various discomforts like mouth numbness, pin and needle sensation in the tongue. Other symptoms include:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Trouble Speaking
- Dizziness
- Light Sensitivity
7. Hypoglycemia
Hypoglycemia – the low blood sugar condition triggers various dilemmas when it lowers below the prescribed level. Diabetic patients who take too much dosage or skip meals are highly prone to tingling tongue and other side effects associated with this condition.
Other symptoms of diabetic hypoglycemia include:
- Fast Heartbeat
- Severe Hunger
- Heavy Dizziness
- Confusion
- Shakiness
8. Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)
TIA also referred as “mini-stroke” restricts the flow of blood to the brain. When it happens, our brain cannot receive oxygen to produce energy in the brain. Lack of oxygen supply to the brain will cause various problematic conditions to facial muscles, nerves, and tongue.
Thus, stroke has a bad impression on our tongue as restricting tongue movements, tingling feel, and so on.
9. Multiple Sclerosis
The odd condition where the immune system harms our brain nerves and spinal cord is termed as “Multiple Sclerosis”. It causes numbness in the muscles, tissues, and nerves in our faces. Moreover, it constrains the tongue movements and makes even chewing harder.
Other possible problems linked to Multiple Sclerosis are as follows:
- Mouth Numbness
- Pin and Needle sense in Tongue
- Dizziness
- Visionary Problems
- Difficulty in urinate
Bottom line
Typically, the tingling tongue goes on its own but medical attention is crucial when you notice it for many weeks and it accompanies by difficulty in speaking and a facial droop.
Treating the underlying condition or root causes linked to the tongue problem is the right way to resolve this oral dilemma.
Have queries on chronic tongue numbness or pin and needle sense in your tongue? Contact our dentists. We are ready to clear your doubts.
