Causes of the problem
A red spot on the tongue can be a manifestation of a variety of pathologies, for example:
- Vitamin deficiency
Redness of the tongue is caused by a deficiency of B vitamins and niacin.
- Allergy
Response to food, drinks, drugs
- The burn is
not only thermal, but also chemical. The Internet is full of different, sometimes strange, advice. Experimenting on yourself can have sad consequences.
- Hormonal imbalance
Red spots on the tongue often appear in women during pregnancy and menopause.
- Infections of various etiologies
Bacteria and viruses provoke inflammatory processes, one of the symptoms of which is discoloration.
Red spots on the tongue are not yet a diagnosis. A doctor needs to conduct an examination to determine the exact cause.
Redness of the tongue may indicate various diseases.
Causes of pathology
There are quite a few potential causes for the appearance of red spots, but the most common situation leading to the occurrence of this symptom is injury to the organ. This could be accidental biting, damage from a denture or braces, too hard food, fish bones or sunflower seed husks, or sharp edges of a crown or filling. The spots may look like burns caused by drinking a hot drink or food. In addition, such neoplasms often become the result of disturbances in the functioning of the internal systems of the body. So, let's take a closer look at the most common reasons for encountering a similar symptom:
- allergies: food, medicinal or cosmetic irritants can lead to the appearance of suspicious rashes on the surface of the tongue,
- venereal diseases: the symptoms in question are especially characteristic of syphilis - small ulcers are concentrated on the front of the organ,
- viral infections: in this regard, the herpes virus is usually to blame. First, tiny bubbles with liquid appear on the mucous membrane, which quickly burst, and painful ulcers appear in their place. In this case, a person may experience severe itching and pain, especially when eating,
- stomatitis: damage to the mucous membrane, in which red spots may appear on the tongue, completely different in both shape and size,
Tongue allergies can cause rashes and swelling
“My husband once developed red spots on the back of his tongue, right in the middle. He noticed them when he took a sip of hot tea and was stunned by pain. At first there was one spot, they thought it was a burn. Then more of them appeared, and eventually the entire tongue became covered with some kind of rash. At this point I took him to the dentist. As a result, they diagnosed stomatitis, like a child’s, by God! They prescribed pills and rinses, everything healed quickly. By the way, the doctor said that most likely the burn caused the disease.”
ElenaD, Krasnodar, from correspondence on the women's forum
- pathologies of the digestive system and gastrointestinal tract: in such cases, inflammation of the filiform papillae is usually observed, which as a result increase in size. The symptom can be provoked by too spicy, sour, fatty or salty foods, as well as consumption of low-quality alcohol, stress, severe emotional overexcitation,
- oncology of oral tissues: the beginning of the formation of a malignant tumor can be indicated by small bright spots and ulcers dispersed throughout the oral mucosa, including on the tongue,
- anemia: a deficiency of B vitamins in the body leads not only to the appearance of clearly visible red areas on the organ, but also to the development of heartburn, nausea, depression,
- glossitis of a certain type: spots with a whitish edge have an uneven shape and size, constantly change, disappear and appear in different parts of the organ. The disease, widely known as “geographical” tongue, often occurs in children, including infants, who are already born with characteristic spots,
- herpes zoster: this disease is typical only for adults, since it is practically not diagnosed in children. The rash covers the entire surface of the tongue; the person’s temperature rises, severe itching and burning occur.
The photo shows glossitis of the tongue.
As can be seen from all of the above, red spots most often become the result of certain disorders in the functioning of internal organs. However, for the appearance of this symptom, some additional factor is usually required, which can be an unbalanced diet, constant consumption of foods that irritate the mucous membranes, regular mechanical damage, smoking, frequent consumption of low-quality alcohol, poor hygiene, weakened immunity, serious stress and excessive physical exercise.
Diagnosis
It is difficult to independently distinguish relatively harmless manifestations of diseases in the form of red spots from serious disorders. Any rash on the tongue already indicates systemic problems, but some of them indicate serious cases.
Erythroplakia requires immediate surgical intervention. Therefore, it is better not to take the position “it will go away on its own,” but to consult a doctor.
Since spots on the tongue are a symptom of disease, examination is usually aimed at identifying the causes. Laboratory tests, flora tests, histology and medical history allow us to make the correct diagnosis and prescribe appropriate treatment.
Write a comment
Blizzard
January 12, 2015 at 3:16 am
I have had a spotted tongue since childhood. My mother took me to doctors, everyone said that it was a geographic language and that it was okay that this happened to many people. Everything would be fine if the tongue itself did not become inflamed. Nobody prescribed anything as a treatment. And so, many years later, I accidentally read this article and became convinced once again that the cause of my geographic tongue was a food allergy, which at first did not manifest itself outwardly. First, the tongue became spotted, then most likely the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines became inflamed, and only then spots appeared on the skin, which dermatologists called atopic dermatitis. For how many years doctors “fed me” Suprastin and other antihistamine tablets, prescribed hormonal ointments and still without improvement. Positive results came only after I prescribed a stomach-friendly diet for myself. And the spots on the tongue disappeared. Thanks for the detailed, interesting article.
