How to treat wounds on the tongue: causes, symptoms, methods of control

What it is

Officially, painful cracks on the tongue and along the edge of the tongue are called glossalgia. This is a fairly common neurosomatic disease.

Most common symptoms:

• dryness in the tongue area;
• itching and burning;
• swelling;
• soreness.

The insidiousness of glossalgia is that it does not go away on its own; without appropriate treatment it is impossible to get rid of a crack in the tongue.

At an early stage of the disease, the doctor may not notice pronounced cracks in the tongue, since they are microscopic and mainly manifest themselves as burning and pain. If you do not respond to this symptom in a timely manner, over time a crack may form at the tip or in the middle of the tongue, longitudinally, as well as cracks under the tongue and on the sides. In this case, the doctor also notes swelling and swelling of the tongue, atrophy of the salivary glands and filiform papillae on the surface of the tongue. The sooner you start treatment, the easier it is to get rid of glossalgia, so if you have cracks in your tongue, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Use of Medicines

If home remedies do not help get rid of sores on the tongue, then you cannot do without medications. Most often, doctors prescribe:

1. Antiseptic drugs that destroy bacteria, reduce the sensitivity of the mucous membranes of the tongue and oral cavity, thanks to analgesic components. This category includes: “Inhalipt”, “Gexoral”, “Strepsils”.
2. Products with disinfecting properties can be used: ethyl alcohol, alcohol solution of iodine, hydrogen peroxide.
3. Dental gels and ointments that not only disinfect, but also relieve pain. These include: “Kamistad”, “Cholisal”, “Solcoseryl”.
4. Rinsing the mouth with a solution of “Furacilin”, “Chlorhexidine”, “Chlorophyllipt”. If you don’t have these drugs on hand, you can prepare a rinse solution from iodine, salt and soda.

All of the listed remedies must be used only with the permission of a doctor and with extreme caution so as not to cause even greater harm to the mucous membrane of the tongue. Medicines should be applied to wounds purposefully, trying not to affect adjacent healthy areas.

Congenital fissures

It happens that a patient has cracks in the tongue since birth or childhood, which practically do not cause him any concern. Such cracks are usually transverse and are caused by the development and formation of the tongue.

Some patients have a so-called folded tongue, a congenital feature of tongue development. It is usually considered normal and does not require any treatment. The exception is red cracks in the tongue, which form at the bottom of the folds and cause pain to the patient. This happens with insufficient oral hygiene, so those with a folded tongue must carefully clean not only their teeth and gums, but also their tongue from plaque. If the owner of a folded tongue has developed cracks, treatment should be prescribed by a competent doctor, taking into account the design features of the patient’s tongue. To prevent the formation of folds in the depths, more attention should be paid to the sanitation of the oral cavity.

Glossitis

This pathology is a type of stomatitis. Manifests itself as an infectious inflammation of the mucous membrane of the oral cavity and tongue. The disease most often develops against the background of a variety of reasons that were listed earlier, and is manifested by a variety of symptoms.

Without therapy, the situation will only get worse, so it is better to visit a doctor for advice.

How do they look

Small cracks in the tongue can be completely invisible to the naked eye; only an experienced doctor can examine them using special instruments. The larger ones are clearly visible to the naked eye; they resemble longitudinal or transverse grooves on the tongue. Deep cracks look like crevices; sometimes the tongue appears to be cracked or split into two parts. If you notice such a problem, consult a doctor, even if nothing is bothering you at the moment. If an infection gets into the crack, the course of the disease may be complicated by the inflammatory process.

Traditional recipes for getting rid of ulcers

How to treat wounds on the tongue if there are no necessary medications in your home medicine cabinet? Then you can use folk recipes that will help alleviate the condition at least a little. Among these are the following:

1. Use of infusions of medicinal herbs. Among the gifts of nature, the following have powerful antiseptic properties: St. John's wort, sage, viburnum berries, and yarrow.
2. Aloe and sea buckthorn oil have healing properties. They can be applied several times a day to wounds.

3. The healing properties of oak bark, propolis, honey and onions have been proven.
4. A decoction of coriander will help cope with sores on the tongue. To prepare it, you need to take a tablespoon of seeds, pour 200 ml of boiling water, and simmer over low heat for half an hour. After cooling, strain and can be used to rinse the mouth. Before the procedure, the broth must be diluted slightly with water.
5. Juice from fresh cabbage will help eliminate the inflammatory process and reduce formations. Soak a cotton swab in the juice of the plant and treat the wounds.
6. Propolis. For treatment you need to prepare a decoction. Pour boiling water over several pieces of propolis and keep in a water bath for 30-40 minutes. Cool to room temperature and use to rinse your mouth every hour.
7. Potato. Peel raw potatoes. Cut into pieces to be applied to the wounds on the tongue. The starch in tubers relieves inflammation and reduces pain.
8. Onion and garlic. Grind one of the vegetables into a paste and apply to damaged areas on the tongue. Phytoncides promote rapid relief of the inflammatory process and suppress the development of pathogenic microorganisms.
9. You can also apply lemon juice directly to the wounds on your tongue.

Greater effectiveness can be achieved if you combine drug treatment with the use of traditional recipes. When using folk remedies, it is necessary to exclude the presence of allergies to some natural gifts.

Reasons for appearance

Reasons for education:

• lack of nutrients, iron and vitamin PP in the patient’s body;
• anemia;
• lack of B vitamins;
• allergic reaction to toothpaste or medications;
• chronic fatigue and constant nervous tension;
• mechanical damage to the tongue (nervous biting, chewing);
• disruption of capillary blood flow in the tongue;
• the patient has diseases such as gastritis, enterocolitis, hepatitis, cholecystitis;
• wearing uncomfortable dentures.

The main reason why the tongue is cracked is mechanical injuries due to a lack of vitamins and microelements in the patient’s body. In this case, it is enough to bite your tongue while chewing food so that a painful crack forms at its tip.

Another fairly common reason why a patient’s tongue is cracked is a malfunction in the patient’s central nervous system, which is caused by chronic fatigue, frequent stress, and lack of sleep. This is a reason to suspect a problem with the hypothalamus.

It happens that patients are perplexed: why there are cracks on the tongue, there seems to be no visible reason for their appearance. In this case, the answer to the question of why cracks appear can only be given by an experienced doctor, after a thorough diagnosis. It is necessary to do a detailed blood test to determine which microelements and vitamins are missing in the patient’s body. Quite often, correction of the nutritional system helps get rid of the disease.

Many people are probably interested in the question of what cracks mean. After all, the tongue, as is known, signals the presence of many diseases and pathological conditions of the human body. Cracks in the tongue are a sign of a lack of vitamins and microelements in the body. Quite often, cracks are caused by worms, as they deplete the human body, causing anemia and iron deficiency. They also indicate a diseased liver, since with this disease the human body does not receive many microelements important for health.

Cracks in the tongue on the side can be a sign of thyroid disease; in this case, it swells and is injured at the edges by the patient’s teeth.

Other provoking factors

There are several other reasons that can lead to the appearance of wounds on the tongue:

1. Hormonal imbalance, which is often observed during pregnancy or during menstruation in women.
2. Diabetes.
3. Hereditary predisposition.
4. The presence of viral infections in the body.
5. Deficiency of certain vitamins and minerals, for example, B12, iron.
6. Drinking coffee in large quantities.
7. Brushing your teeth with a paste that contains sodium lauryl sulfate.
8. Alcohol abuse.
9. Frequent smoking.
10. Poor oral hygiene.
11. Heatstroke.
12. Avoiding morning meals.

If wounds appear on the tip of the tongue, your doctor will tell you how to treat it, but first you need to find out the cause in order to choose effective therapy.

Let's consider some common pathologies of the body that can provoke such lesions.

Treatment

The main question that worries patients with glossalgia is how to cure cracks in the tongue. In fact, everything is not so difficult. The treatment method depends on the cause of glossalgia.

1. First, it is necessary to eliminate the dental causes of tongue cracks - correct an incorrect bite, replace defective fillings, and adjust the prosthesis. Next, the patient should be carefully examined by a therapist, neurologist, and, if necessary, by an endocrinologist and gastroenterologist. And only after this should treatment for glossalgia be prescribed.
2. Typically, treatment for fissures consists of drug therapy and physiotherapeutic procedures. Treatment with medications is to improve blood circulation in the tissues of the oral cavity, as well as to improve general cerebral circulation. For this purpose, drugs such as trental, cavinton, nicotinic acid, and vitamin C are prescribed.
3. The tone of the autonomic nervous system should also be improved; for this purpose, sedatives are prescribed - tincture of valerian, motherwort, persen.
4. Additionally, the doctor may prescribe procedures such as hirudotherapy or electrical neurostimulation using a TENS device. A good effect is achieved by using electrophoresis, as well as iontophoresis of novocaine.
5. If the tongue is severely painful, the doctor may prescribe local painkillers - lidocaine, dicaine.
6. If the patient has cracks in the tongue, plaque and burning, it is necessary to adjust the diet. During treatment, you should completely exclude from the diet foods that irritate the surface of the tongue - such as sour juices, vegetables, pickles and marinades. You should not consume large amounts of spices, especially pepper and salt. It is advisable to quit smoking.
7. After each meal, be sure to brush your teeth and rinse your mouth with salted water or a decoction of medicinal herbs. Oak bark, sage, propolis, and honey have a healing effect.

Sores on the tongue due to syphilis

Among the serious pathologies that cause sores on the tongue is syphilis. With the development of such a pathology, not only internal organs, bones, and the nervous system are affected, but also the mucous membranes are revealed.

As syphilis develops, white sores appear on the tongue. In the first stages of the disease, they do not cause discomfort and are almost invisible. With the development of the inflammatory process in the body, wounds on the tongue of an adult become larger and more painful.

Such sores take a long time to heal; without effective therapy for syphilis itself, it is difficult to achieve a complete cure.

How to prevent pathology

It is easier to prevent the disease than to deal with long-term treatment later. Preventive measures include the following tips:

1. Brush your teeth carefully so as not to injure the oral mucosa.
2. Choose a brush of medium hardness.
3. Visit the dentist regularly to treat caries and remove damaged teeth.
4. To clean your teeth, purchase toothpastes that do not contain sodium lauryl sulfate.
5. In the diet, reduce the amount of spicy, sour foods that can irritate the mucous membranes.
6. Use cutlery carefully.
7. Treat infectious and bacterial diseases in a timely manner.

Any wounds and ulcers in the mouth are not only painful and unpleasant, but can also be a symptom of a serious pathology, so you should not rely on self-medication, but rather visit a specialist. Only after finding out the exact cause can effective therapy be selected.