Painful sore tongue

Information of Tongue Problems

The tongue is often referred to the strongest muscle in the human body but it is actually a group of muscles and its primary purpose is to make talking, tasting and swallowing food possible. A healthy tongue can easily be recognized by pink color.

Tongue problems such as soreness and discoloration can be rather uncomfortable at times because the tongue is in constant use.

Tongue problems can be caused by a large number of different factors and medical conditions. Most of them are not serious at all and their treatment is usually fairly easy.

Causes of Sore Tongue

A tongue can sometimes become white and that medical condition can be caused by numerous different medical conditions. One of the most common ones is medically referred to as leukoplakia. It is characterized by an excessive growth of cells in the mouth which leads to the formation of white patches on the tongue.

It is usually triggered by irritation and certain types of tobacco products. Oral thrush can also be the cause of white tongue. It is a yeast infection which involves white patches in the oral cavity and is medically referred to as candidiasis.

It mostly affects those with weakened immune systems. Another cause may be oral lichen planus which involves raised white lines on the surface of the tongue.

Tongue can also become red and in some cases it may even involve enlarged red taste buds on its surface. This condition may be caused by numerous different types of vitamin deficiencies. In most cases those vitamins are vitamin B12 and folic acid. Another condition that may trigger a red tongue is called geographic tongue, although it is medically referred to as benign migratory glossitis.

It involves a pattern of red spots formed on the surface of the tongue. This condition does not require any specific treatment and it usually resolves on its own. Scarlet fever is an infection caused by streptococci and has to be treated with antibiotic medications.

Another condition is called the Kawasaki syndrome. Sometimes a tongue can be exposed to overgrowth of the papillae and bacteria which may cause the tongue to appear black and covered in hair.

It is not a serious medical condition and it usually affects those who do not practice any dental hygiene. Sore throat may be caused by a traumatic injury such as scalding or biting. Other causes may include excessive smoking, canker sores, burning tongue syndrome, enlarged papillae, anemia, diabetes, and oral cancer.