Biting tongue: causes, preventions, and treatments
Dr. B. Kanagasabapathy
[M.D.S. (Ortho), Fellow ICOI]
Biting your tongue is one of the annoying, painful mishaps we often face. It usually happens accidentally and can lead to immense pain and bleeding. They are usually common and frequently minor in children. But they are more severe in adults. When you are biting your tongue, it can be difficult and painful to function back normally.
In this blog, we will explain why biting your tongue hurts so much and how to prevent it from happening again.
The tongue is an essential muscle in our body, playing a vital role in key human functions, including breathing, speaking, and eating. It is quite common for most people to bite their tongues accidentally. Fortunately, it is not a cause for concern in most cases.
The healing process of biting your tongue depends on its severity. Some heal on their own in a couple of days, and some require medical attention, like medications and stitches. This type of injury may take several weeks or months to completely heal.
A tongue bite always could bleed. Even small bites also tend to bleed but they usually don’t need medical attention.
But make sure to seek a doctor if you experience
- excessive bleeding
- The swollen and red appearance
- Severe pain or discomfort
- Warm feeling around the tongue
- Fever associated with it
- Visibly deformed tongue
- Pus or red streaks on your tongue
Causes
You might bite your tongue
- while eating
- while sleeping
- while playing sports
- during traumatic events like a bike or car accident or a fall
- due to stress or depression
- during a seizure
- during dental anesthesia
- Body-focused repetitive behavior (BFRB) patterns, such as snoring nail-biting
- unconscious or vigorous chewing
Preventions
1. If you tend to bite your tongue while sleeping you can consult your dentist and oral devices like a mouthguard to prevent biting. These devices easily cover your teeth and stop your tongue from moving around. Also, it could stop you from chewing or grinding.
2. People who have epilepsy might bite their tongue due to seizures which can be severe. They should get treatment for epilepsy to prevent bites while sleeping. Your doctor may prescribe some medications to stay away from any situations that trigger seizures.
3.If you are a sports person it is common to bite your tongue during certain sports activities like hockey. So it is always necessary to wear a helmet or mask to prevent accidental bites.
4. When you are eating certain hot or cold foods or when you are eating too fast you will be more likely to bite your tongue. Take time to cool or warm those kinds of foods properly to prevent this problem.
Treatments
The treatment for biting injury will be based on the severity of your injury.
your doctor may determine that you need:
- Antibiotics to prevent and treat infections
- Painkiller to reduce the pain and soreness
- Stitching the wound to close
- tongue reattachment to connect the bitten-off part (in very rare cases)
Bottom line
Biting a tongue is always a painful thing but you can prevent and heal them with a little care. Sometimes they need medical attention to heal. Also, follow some wound healing methods to speed up the recovery. In the meantime, you can take action immediately to help prevent your tongue and mouth from further injury.
