Bloody marks on the tongue - what can cause the symptom

Bloody marks on the tongue - what can cause the symptom and what to do about it

There are many possible reasons why your tongue may bleed. Most often, the prerequisite for this unpleasant phenomenon is banal damage to the organ during talking or chewing. However, in other cases, this symptom may indicate serious health problems. Such manifestations as a thick coating on the tongue, enlarged papillae, and even more so traces of blood, should at least alert you and also become a good reason to contact a specialist. Today we will look at the most common causes of blood above and below the tongue, and also find out what to do with this symptom.

Signs of deviations from the normal state of the tongue

It is quite possible that, once you look at your tongue, you will see a rather unsightly picture. Symptoms of deviation from the norm:

A coating of various colors, thicknesses, and with different locations of spots appears on the back of the tongue;
The sides of the tongue are bright red;
The taste buds look uneven, some of them increase in size and begin to disturb with unpleasant sensations, taste sensations change, their intensity weakens;
The oral cavity becomes unusually dry;
In some cases, the appearance of pain and burning is diagnosed;
There is an unpleasant odor from the mouth;
After cleaning the tongue, the plaque appears again after a short time.

In the plaque that appears on the tongue, laboratory testing can reveal leukocytes, pathogenic microflora, and exfoliated epithelial cells.

This video will tell you about plaque on the tongue due to gastritis:

Structure and purpose of the language organ

The tongue is a digestive organ. Essentially, this is a muscle that consists of striated tissue. It is covered with a protective layer - the mucous membrane. The anatomical structure of the organ includes two parts: the body and the root. The upper region is called the back, and under the organ is the frenulum. There are also terminal and longitudinal grooves - the first is located at the junction of the root and the body, and the second divides the organ vertically.

On a note! On the surface of the tongue there are many papillae, which contain taste buds. For example, those responsible for recognizing sweet taste are located on the tip, and salty taste is located on the sides. On the side, closer to the root, there are receptors that react to sour things, but the base of the organ is susceptible to bitter tastes.

The tongue not only allows us to enjoy the taste of our favorite treats, but also takes a very direct part in the conversational function. It also helps us chew food and is responsible for the production of salivary fluid, which, in turn, helps break down food particles and therefore participates in digestion.

Oral diseases (glossitis)

Glossitis is an inflammatory disease of the oral cavity that causes changes in the surface of the tongue. The tongue turns red and swells; A white coating, a burning sensation, and growths appear. There are more than 10 types of glossitis and only three of them are characterized by the appearance of cracks on the surface of the tongue.

Folded glossitis.

A congenital anomaly that is determined immediately after birth. Characterized by the presence of cracks of varying depths. Normally, they do not cause discomfort.

Diamond-shaped glossitis.

The affected area is diamond-shaped and has cracks in the middle of the tongue. Most often appears with gastritis with low acidity.

Desquamative glossitis.

It is sometimes called “geographical” because the lesions resemble the outlines of continents. Damaged areas can “move” on the surface of the tongue, almost always causing pain, burning, and shallow cracks. The reason for the appearance of such glossitis is still not clear. Some argue that this is an allergic reaction, others that it is a hormonal imbalance and gastrointestinal diseases.

Why might your tongue bleed?

Now let's figure out why blood still appears on the tongue. There are many potential causes of blood marks, but the most common is careless biting of an organ while speaking or chewing. Most often the tip suffers for this reason. As a result, painful ulcers may form on the surface of the epithelium. The choice of a specific treatment method in this case will directly depend on the extent of the damage. If the wound is small, but there is bleeding, it will be enough to treat the defect with an antiseptic solution. However, before using a pharmaceutical product, you should consult your doctor.

Why does the tongue bleed?

If the wound is serious and requires stitches, then you cannot do without the help of a specialist. In addition to banal biting, there are many other reasons that can lead to bleeding. Let's take a closer look at them.

Mechanical causes of bleeding

As noted above, the most common cause of blood is mechanical damage. However, this phenomenon is not always caused by careless tongue biting. The oral mucosa can be damaged as a result of careless cleaning of the tongue, injury from a sharp nut shell, seed or fish bone. It’s even more difficult with babies, because when children start teething, they diligently put everything they can get their hands on into their mouths. At this time, the risk of soft tissue injury increases significantly.

“For example, it used to often happen to me that I wake up in the morning and blood is flowing from my tongue. It doesn’t whip, of course, but still. True, after brushing my teeth everything went away. And then I finally decided to get braces and went to see an orthodontist. While talking to the doctor, I told her about my problem, and then she explained that it was all due to an incorrect bite and crooked teeth. It’s just that at night, when I involuntarily clenched my jaws, my teeth began to rub my tongue, which then caused bleeding. Now I’m in braces, which, by the way, also seriously scratched all the mucous membranes, but here wax saves me ... "
Camilla R., 28 years old, from correspondence on the forum www.32top.ru

Tongue injury is a common cause of bleeding.
Other common external factors include a fall or blow to the face. At high risk are people with damaged teeth, the sharp edges of which can easily damage the integrity of soft tissues. Also, many problems are caused by incorrectly installed fillings, worn-out prosthetic structures that require relining or replacement, as well as orthodontic devices, which contain many small parts that can injure surrounding tissues.

I would like to pay special attention to hematomas that form directly on the body of the tongue as a result of mechanical influences. A bruise appears when a vessel located inside an organ bursts. This situation can lead to swelling of the soft tissues, which can lead to difficulty breathing and other serious consequences.

Pathological causes of bleeding

Why else might bloody marks appear on the tongue? There are a number of potential pathological causes for this symptom, but the most common condition in this case is glossitis. It is this disease that leads to the appearance of traces of blood on the organ, and it develops for several reasons:

entry of harmful microorganisms into an open wound,
allergies to hygiene products,
exposure to chemicals, acrid tobacco smoke or low quality alcohol,
frequent consumption of spicy and acidic foods.

The photo shows glossitis of the tongue.
The spread of infection into soft tissues sometimes leads to the appearance of cracks, blisters and bleeding ulcers. Such neoplasms can also result from disturbances in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and central nervous system. By the way, cracks very often become an allergic reaction or the result of a deficiency in the body of vitamins B, A, PP1.

Other reasons

Avitaminosis.
A deficiency of microelements can cause sensitivity of the mucous membranes and the appearance of cracks in the tongue.
Allergy.
New dental care products and foods can cause increased sensitivity of the gums and tongue.
Worms.
The presence of parasites leads to the fact that the body does not absorb nutrients and beneficial microelements, which causes the condition of the mucous membrane to worsen.
Hormonal disbalance.
Stress.

How to determine health status by language. Source: Yulianna Pliskina YouTube channel

Treatment of bleeding

What to do if bleeding comes from the tongue, and how to quickly stop it? First of all, it should be noted that treatment here will directly depend on the cause of the problem and the extent of the injury. To reduce bleeding and relieve pain, dental experts advise you to adhere to the following recommendations:

first you need to thoroughly wash your hands and treat them with an antiseptic, for example, wipe them with alcohol or a special pharmaceutical solution. You can also use sterile gloves. The most important thing is not to allow infection to enter the open wound,
after this, you should go to the mirror, tilt your head slightly forward to prevent blood from flowing down your throat and obstructing your breathing. It is imperative to remove all foreign objects from the oral cavity: chewing gum, piercings, dentures, if any,
To stop the bleeding, you will have to put a little pressure on the organ. To do this, you will need a clean bandage, gauze or cotton wool, which must be applied to the damaged area. You need to keep the napkin in this position for at least 10 minutes. The tongue is characterized by an intense blood supply, so coping with the problem will not be difficult. After the specified time has passed, you need to remove the napkin and make sure that the blood has stopped flowing,
After this, you need to rinse your mouth with cool water - cold causes blood vessels to constrict. Only after this can treatment be carried out with an antiseptic.

To stop bleeding, you need to cover the wound with a bandage.
If your tongue hurts a lot, try applying a piece of ice wrapped in sterile gauze to the wound. To alleviate the condition, you can take a painkiller tablet. If the wound is quite deep, be sure to go to the doctor.

What you should absolutely not do

If blood appears on the tongue, it means there is an open wound on its surface. In order not to aggravate the situation and not provoke the development of inflammatory processes, it is important to adhere to some restrictions. So, if you inadvertently injured the main speech organ, refrain from the following actions:

cauterizing the wound with alcohol - this will only further injure the mucous membrane,
drinking hot tea will increase bleeding,
treating the wound with brilliant green or iodine,
pressing the wound with a bare finger or teeth, trying to stop the bleeding by pressing the tongue to the roof of the mouth.

Until the bleeding has completely stopped, do not eat or put anything foreign in your mouth until the wound has completely healed. It is also strictly forbidden to self-medicate with antibacterial drugs - they can only be prescribed by the attending physician.

When to see a doctor

In some situations, there may be a need for emergency assistance from a specialist. You should consult a doctor if you cannot stop the bleeding on your own, and if there is severe swelling of the soft tissue in the area of injury. A hematoma has appeared on the tongue, pharmaceutical products do not help cope with severe pain, and pus begins to leak from the wound - all this is a serious reason for concern and an urgent visit to the doctor.

If pus appears, you should definitely contact a specialist.

You should also definitely visit a dentist if, some time after the injury, a thick coating with obvious grooves begins to form on the tongue, and there is a burning sensation and discomfort when eating. Remember: a consultation with a specialist is never superfluous, especially if we are talking about an open wound on the oral mucosa.

Gorbacheva I.A., Integrated approaches to the treatment of patients with combined diseases of internal organs and inflammatory periodontal lesions, 2004.

Black tongue

Fungus

Gastritis

Colitis

23008 September 28

IMPORTANT!

The information in this section cannot be used for self-diagnosis and self-treatment.
In case of pain or other exacerbation of the disease, diagnostic tests should be prescribed only by the attending physician. To make a diagnosis and properly prescribe treatment, you should contact your doctor. Black tongue: causes of appearance, what diseases it occurs with, diagnosis and treatment methods.

Definition

Black tongue is a condition in which a person's tongue is completely or partially dark or black in color. This symptom is more common among older people, although it occurs in all age groups, and is more common in men than women.

Varieties of black tongue

Normally, the tongue has a pale pink color, it is moist, with a smooth surface and clearly visible papillae.

Plaque on the tongue is formed by food debris and exfoliated dead cells of the mucous membrane of the tongue, which can become saturated with food dyes. The appearance of a thin, white, easily cleaned plaque that does not have an unpleasant odor is considered acceptable, and the formation of a dense plaque with a non-physiological color is regarded as a pathology.

On the surface of the tongue there may be individual black dots, one large spot, the tongue may be colored on the sides or completely.

Most often, a black tongue is caused by staining from plaque, such as food or medications, but it can also result from excess melanin deposits or lead poisoning.

In addition, there is such a thing as “black hairy tongue” - a benign and temporary phenomenon in which the filiform papillae of the tongue lengthen, and the keratinized cells of the epithelium of the tongue do not exfoliate and become black or brown due to the activity of certain bacteria and fungi. The length of the papillae can reach 1-3 cm, and the diameter is 2-3 mm. Hyperplastic filiform papillae are located mainly on the posterior and middle third of the dorsum of the tongue. The tongue takes on a “hairy” or “furry” appearance. The disease occurs in both children and adults, but is much more common in older people. Patients may complain of a foreign body sensation on the tongue, itching of the palate, burning of the tongue, dry mouth, impaired taste sensitivity, and bad breath. If enlarged taste buds touch the palate, a gag reflex occurs, especially during conversation.

Possible reasons for the appearance of a black tongue

A black tongue is often associated with poor oral hygiene. In addition, people who abuse tea and coffee, smoke, suffer from alcoholism, and use intravenous drugs are at risk. Dry mouth contributes to the tongue turning black when, due to insufficient salivation, more bacteria accumulate on the tongue, the activity of which leads to the plaque becoming pathologically colored. Severe dehydration of the body is accompanied by the formation of a dark, sometimes almost black coating, which is difficult to remove from the tongue.

Some medications give the tongue a black color, for example, activated carbon, iron, bismuth, or antibiotics that disrupt the balance of microflora in the mouth.

A black tongue can also be observed in harmless situations, for example, after eating blueberries, red wine, and foods that contain dyes (sweets, chewing gum, lollipops).

Diseases that can cause the tongue to turn black

A black tongue is often observed with severe advanced candidiasis of the oral cavity, with sore throat, with pathology of the gastrointestinal tract (diseases of the liver, gallbladder, pancreas), adrenal insufficiency, acid-base imbalance and with the development of increased acidity (acidosis). If a chromogenic fungus has settled in the mouth, then the gums, teeth and tongue become covered with a black coating with a greenish tint. In adrenal insufficiency (Addison's disease), one of the signs of the disease is hyperpigmentation of the skin and mucous membranes due to increased levels of melanin. Pigmentation of the oral mucosa occurs, spots and stripes of brown or grayish-black color appear on the red border of the lips, in the corners of the mouth, on the gums and on the lateral surfaces of the tongue.

Predisposing factors to hypertrophy (enlargement) of the papillae with a black hairy tongue can be diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (anacidic gastritis, hypoacid gastritis, colitis, infectious diseases). In some cases, the formation of a black hairy tongue occurs against the background of a deficiency in the body of riboflavin (vitamin B2). In addition, black hairy tongue occurs with pulmonary tuberculosis, papillary pigmentary dystrophy, and after the use of certain medications (for example, antibiotics).

Which doctors should I contact if a black tongue appears?

If you have an oral disease that has caused the formation of a black coating on the tongue, you should consult a dentist.

If plaque is associated with an infectious disease, for example, sore throat or candidiasis, then treatment is carried out.

For diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, you should contact.

If the cause of the black tongue is Addison's disease (adrenal insufficiency), then consultation is required.

Diagnostics and examinations for the appearance of a black tongue

Some tests may be needed to determine the cause of tongue discoloration: