Questions of physiology
The tongue is an organ consisting of striated muscle tissue, externally covered with a mucous membrane. It relates to the digestive system, participates in the process of grinding food, preparing products entering the oral cavity for the further process of digestion. The spade-shaped body of the tongue helps to mix food, crushed into small fragments and moistened with saliva.
The tongue contains many taste buds, which determine the sensation of taste. At the tip there is an area responsible for recognizing sweet taste, on the sides of the front of the tongue the salty taste is determined, and on the lower part - sour. The root zone is responsible for the perception of bitterness. The tongue is the most mobile organ of the speech apparatus, so it ensures the reproduction of a huge number of words and individual sounds.
Causes of bleeding
Why does my tongue bleed? The most common cause is trauma, which can be thermal (burn), mechanical (cut, bite), chemical (irritation) or physical in origin. The taste of blood in the mouth may appear when eating quickly, after talking, or when chewing. Injury can be caused by sharp protrusions of dentures or the edges of decayed teeth, fragments of food (bones), cutlery (fork, knife), during dental procedures (preparing the dentition for the installation of crowns).
Mechanical damage
If your tongue is bleeding, the cause is most likely mechanical damage. As a rule, this is an injury caused by negligence during eating, talking or dental procedures. Physical injuries are mainly caused by a maxillofacial blow or an accident. Thermal damage occurs when burned with steam, drinking too hot drinks, the cause may be fire, radiation, or an electrical appliance. Chemical damage occurs when aggressive chemicals come into contact with the mucous membrane.
Who is at risk?
Basically, diseases that lead to bleeding are observed in adults. Moreover, according to statistics, men are 2 times more likely than women to be diagnosed with problems with the gastrointestinal tract - the stomach, duodenum. As we noted above, ulcerative pathologies hold first place in terms of the number of diseases. The peak age for diseases is 40-45 years.
However, the problem is not limited to adults. The diagnosis associated with ulcerative lesions of the gastrointestinal tract is often made to adolescents who uncontrollably consume junk food and drinks. Cases of the formation of intestinal polyps are also common.
Gastric and intestinal bleeding is increasingly being detected even in newborns. Basically, they are caused by intestinal volvulus. In 3-year-old children, leakage can be caused by the formation of a diaphragmatic hernia, as well as abnormalities in the development of the organs of the lower gastrointestinal tract.
Pathological condition
If your tongue bleeds, this may be one of the symptoms of glossitis. Inflammation is caused by viral or bacterial microflora; it can be an independent pathology or accompany some systemic diseases. For example, stomatitis is often caused by the entry or activation of the herpes virus into the body. Mechanical injuries contribute to the development of the disease; smokers and people who abuse alcohol are at risk.
If the tongue bleeds, common causes of this condition are concomitant pathologies: liver diseases (carcinoma, cirrhosis, hepatitis), chronic renal failure, chronic inflammation of the gastric mucosa, intestinal inflammation, peptic ulcer. This symptom is characteristic of intoxication with salts of heavy metals, helminthiases, and vitamin deficiencies.
Why is there a problem?
Medicine knows about 200 causes of bleeding in the digestive tract. At the first symptoms, you should seek professional help from a doctor and under no circumstances self-medicate, as this will only worsen the condition.
Ulcer
The most common reason. With an ulcer, the integrity of the mucous membrane of the organ is disrupted, and the main difference of the disease is deep tissue damage. The disease is chronic - with remission and exacerbations. On the mucous membrane of the stomach, esophagus or duodenum, areas of inflammation are formed, in which the protective function (mucus secretion) is reduced. Gradually, the mucosal tissues, including the walls of blood vessels, become thinner, which leads to their rupture.
Phlebeurysm
The problem may occur in the esophagus or stomach due to increased pressure in the portal vein. The most common cause is cirrhosis of the liver. Rupture of a large vessel with varicose veins is extremely dangerous, since at this moment there is a copious outflow of blood. According to statistics, in 40% of cases it stops spontaneously. And the activity of bleeding depends on the degree of liver damage.
Colon diverticulosis
With this disease, the lining of the colon bulges, forming diverticula. The reasons for their formation in medicine are not completely clear; they are mainly associated with increased intraluminal pressure. Basically, the pathology is typical for adult patients over 50 years of age. In the acute course of the disease and rupture of intrawall blood vessels in the area of diverticula, intestinal bleeding occurs.
Tumors and polyps
They occur in the small and large intestines and are benign neoplasms that grow into the intestinal lumen. Most often, bleeding is minor and chronic. The danger lies in possible degeneration into malignant tumors.
Haemorrhoids
This is the formation of venous nodes around the rectum in the anal area. The main causes are thrombosis or tissue inflammation. The disease can be acute or chronic, and its common causes are a sedentary lifestyle, excessive exercise, and obesity. Bleeding (the color may be scarlet or dark) is minor and occurs most often after bowel movements.
More rarely, esophagitis, acute hemorrhagic gastropathy, erosive duodenitis, and Mallory-Weiss syndrome are found as causes of bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract. In the lower part, bleeding can be caused by tumors, vascular malformations, and various inflammations.
Symptoms of glossitis
The first sign of the disease is a feeling of discomfort in the oral cavity. Then salivation increases, swelling occurs, the tongue becomes bright red, taste sensations become dull, and eating becomes painful and difficult. Often the patient's speech becomes slurred due to swelling. If left untreated, mushroom-shaped growths may form on the tongue. If the disease is caused by an infection, then symptoms of inflammation are characteristic: local fever, swelling, general deterioration of well-being.
Causes and symptoms
Several causes of tongue bleeding have been identified.
Mechanical injury
No one is immune from mechanical injury; it can happen at any time. A very common occurrence is biting while talking or eating with teeth or cutlery (knife, fork). Sometimes provocateurs are poor-quality dentures or dental procedures (filling).
The consequences directly depend on the location of the damage. If the tip of the tongue is damaged or a shallow wound is inflicted, then the capillaries are damaged and bleeding is insignificant. If the deeper layers of this organ are affected, then the vein may be injured; such bleeding is very dangerous, since it is difficult to stop.
With such damage, mechanical erosion or ulceration is observed on the surface.
More often, this negatively affects the functioning of the tongue: speech becomes difficult, eating becomes more difficult. This occurs due to a violation of receptor activity.
6 Treatments for Bleeding Gums
Therapeutic measures in such cases directly depend on the depth of the damage. For small wounds, it is enough to treat with an antiseptic and more carefully monitor oral hygiene.
Deep lesions require suturing. In such situations, you should never self-medicate, but be sure to provide first aid to the victim: stop the bleeding, clean the mouth and ensure rest.
Chemical injury
Very often the tongue is injured by hot spices or chemicals. This can happen after using strong cleaning products and not washing your hands afterwards.
It is enough to touch the food and the caustic components remain on it, transferring to the tongue, they quickly cause irritation. In milder cases, you can apply ice and treat with an antiseptic; if the damage is more serious, you should immediately consult a doctor.
Physiological trauma
People who suffer from “folded glossitis” have many cracks in their tongue since childhood, and they often bleed. It is quite difficult to cure such a disease; it takes a lot of effort, time and finances. However, lack of treatment leads to impaired blood supply and the development of inflammatory reactions in the oral cavity.
Inflammation or glossitis
Glossitis is an inflammatory process of the tongue, its provocateurs are various diseases and injuries to the mucous membrane of this organ, in addition, the manifestation can be caused by pathogenic microorganisms, anatomical features, lack of vitamins, and infectious processes.
The following can cause an exacerbation of the disease:
- Bad habits (alcohol, tobacco products).
- Hot spices.
- Hot products.
- Allergy.
- Mouth fresheners
- Sucking caramel.
This causes itching, burning, swelling, bad breath and slight bleeding.
Diagnosis and treatment
If your tongue hurts or bleeds, you should consult a doctor. The specific clinical picture allows a diagnosis to be made during a routine dental examination. To clarify, bacteriological, biochemical, histological, cytological or serological diagnostic methods are used. Based on the results of the examination, the doctor will make a diagnosis. Glossitis can be:
- deep, localized in the area of the floor of the oral cavity;
- diamond-shaped, usually developing against the background of chronic diseases;
- folded - congenital anomaly;
- desquamative (“geographical language”);
- Gunter's, which is a symptom of folic acid or vitamin B12 deficiency;
- interstitial, accompanying syphilis in the third period.
If your tongue bleeds, what should you do? To make eating easier, you should give preference to pureed soft dishes and soups. During the day, as well as before and after meals, rinsing with a weak antiseptic solution (chlorhexidine, furatsilin) is recommended. In cases of severe pain, applications with antiseptics are used. Plaque is removed with a swab soaked in proteolytic enzymes. The skin regeneration process is accelerated by local products with vitamin A.
In rare cases, surgery may be required. Strong anti-inflammatory, antifungal agents and antibacterial drugs are prescribed according to indications. Hormonal medications (hydrocortisone, prednisolone) in the form of ointments for topical use are used in short courses for difficulty breathing.
Diagnostics
Diagnostic measures are not difficult for a specialist, but there is a need to find out the reasons that led to bleeding. Most often, if the injury is traumatic, a thorough examination of the oral cavity is sufficient to determine the severity of the injury.
To determine glossitis or infectious processes, the following measures are prescribed:
- chemistry .
- Bacteriological cultures to detect pathological microorganisms.
- Cytological examination.
- Polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
- Enzyme immunoassay - search for specific antibodies in the blood or antigens to the disease.
- RPR test - to exclude syphilis.
- Scraping for the presence of Treponema pallidum.
Only after this can the dentist give any recommendations and prescribe the necessary therapeutic measures.
Possible complications
In advanced forms of the disease (if the tongue constantly bleeds, removal of plaque is accompanied by severe pain, there are purulent ulcers), an abscess may form. At the same time, salivation increases significantly, the tongue greatly increases in size, acute throbbing pain occurs, and speech is impaired. A serious complication is the development of phlegmon. Suppuration becomes pronounced, speech and breathing become difficult, the patient refuses to eat, and possible attacks of suffocation. Symptoms of general intoxication of the body become pronounced.
How to make a diagnosis
The doctor examines the patient, assessing his external condition, the shade of the skin and mucous membranes. Then he measures blood pressure - often it is low.
In the clinic, the patient undergoes a general blood test. Using it you can quickly get an idea of the level of hemoglobin and the volume of other blood cells. Additionally, the diagnosis is made by biochemical analysis, but it is usually prescribed several days after the onset of blood loss, since the chemical composition of the blood changes only over time.
The main diagnosis concerns the detection of the very cause of the violation of the integrity of blood vessels. To do this, doctors use the following hardware examinations.
- Endoscopy - examination of the esophagus, stomach, duodenum using a flexible tube with a miniature camera allows you to quickly detect a problem area;
- Contrast radiography - an effective method for detecting bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract involves injecting a safe contrast solution into the organ, followed by an X-ray;
- Magnetic resonance imaging is a modern method that allows you to obtain comprehensive information about the condition of all tissues of a particular organ of the gastrointestinal tract.
Treatment of cracked tongue
If the tongue bleeds in the morning, then first of all mechanical factors and an allergic reaction to oral care products should be excluded. It is necessary to adjust dentures and fillings, correct the bite, change toothpaste or brush (replace with a softer one). Treatment usually includes rinsing with disinfectants and sanitation of the mouth.
First, you should contact a dentist, who, if necessary, will refer the patient to a therapist, endocrinologist or other specialized specialists. Complex vitamin supplements, pharmaceuticals, and physical therapy are often prescribed. If there is a concomitant disease that can cause the tongue to bleed, then treatment must be started.
It is important to adjust your diet. Usually it is recommended to exclude smoked, spicy and salty foods, and give up bad habits. As part of drug therapy, painkillers (Lidocaine, Novocaine), disinfectants (potassium permanganate, soda, furatsilin solution) and normalization of blood supply (Trental, Capoten), and electrophoresis are used.
Modern medicine offers hirudotherapy among the methods of treating cracks in the tongue that cause bleeding. Leeches are placed directly on the tongue and lips, sometimes on the palate. Many years of experience in using this method of therapy have shown excellent results, but not every patient will decide on a specific procedure.
Treatment
Before prescribing a specific treatment for tongue bleeding, it is necessary to accurately determine the cause of the pathology.
That is why the patient is given a full examination of the body and an appointment with specialized doctors, including a gastroenterologist, endocrinologist and neurologist. Moreover, you cannot let the disease take its course, as serious consequences are possible.
Usually the doctor prescribes the following treatment:
- Complete sanitation of the oral cavity (bite restoration, correction or replacement of dentures), high-quality treatment of wounds.
- Disinfection of the affected mucosa with such agents as potassium permanganate, Furacilin.
- Analgesics for severe pain, for example, Novocaine, Lidocaine.
- Medications to normalize blood circulation in the brain, for example, Nicotinic acid, Cavital, Trental. Such drugs also promote rapid healing of the affected area.
- Antibacterial treatment in the presence of purulent formations, the wound is opened and cleaned. No stitches are required. A drainage is installed to drain the pus.
- Carrying out physiological procedures.
- Rinsing the mouth with decoctions medicinal herbs (chamomile, sage, oak bark, St. John's wort).
Bleeding can appear for various reasons, but in any case, the presence of such a sign indicates certain malfunctions in the human body. Therefore, if such a symptom appears, you must immediately consult a doctor for the necessary and timely treatment.
How to stop bleeding
If the tip of the tongue is bleeding, then in most cases it is enough to hold cold water or ice in the mouth so that the blood vessels narrow and the bleeding stops. Later, the oral cavity should be disinfected. If the blood flows strongly, then in most people it causes panic. If veins are damaged in the deep layers of muscle tissue, you need to act in a collected manner.
First, you should treat your hands with a disinfectant solution, and only then begin to study the extent of damage to the organ. Unwashed hands can introduce many bacteria into an open wound. To prevent the risk of infection, all precautions must be taken. The head must be lowered down over a sink or some kind of container and the oral cavity should be opened slightly so that the blood can flow freely. It cannot be assumed that blood flowed down the larynx into the respiratory organs.
You can stop bleeding by applying pressure to the injury site. To do this, you need to use a sterile cloth, napkin, cotton wool or bandage. You need to hold it until the bleeding stops completely. You can wrap a piece of ice in a cloth and apply it to the damaged area. Usually such measures are enough to stop the bleeding. If severe pain occurs, you can take a general pain reliever. If damaged by acids, the aggressive effect can be neutralized with a moderate alkali solution. After exposure to any chemicals, the mouth should be rinsed with plenty of running water.
In case of complex organ injuries, it is necessary to call an ambulance. Urgent medical attention will definitely be required if the bleeding cannot be stopped within thirty minutes.
Pharyngeal bleeding
Causes.
Gunshot and non-gunshot wounds of the pharynx, incl. Iatrogenic after adenoidectomy, tonsillectomy, juvenile angiofibromas, angiomas, disintegrating malignant tumors, varicose veins of the palatine arches, the posterior wall of the pharynx, the root of the tongue, disorders of the blood coagulation system.
Symptoms.
Discharge of fresh blood from the oral cavity, sometimes from the nasal cavity. Coughing and vomiting mixed with altered dark blood are possible. The source of bleeding is identified during oropharyngoscopy. Usually, fresh blood is visible flowing down the back wall of the pharynx and soft palate, as well as blood from the tonsil niches, and traces of blood on the tongue.
Complications.
Hemorrhagic shock, posthemorrhagic anemia.
First medical aid.
The patient is placed on his side, cold is applied to the neck area, and hemostatic drugs are prescribed. According to indications, nasopharyngeal tamponade (posterior nasal tamponade) is performed, a bleeding wound in the oropharynx (tonsil niche) is pressed with a gauze swab on a clamp with solutions of hemostatic drugs, and a hemostatic sponge. The victim is urgently evacuated to the otorhinolaryngology department.
Specialized assistance
are provided taking into account the etiological factor, the location of bleeding, the degree of blood loss, the severity of the patient’s condition, and the effectiveness of previous treatment.
To do this, they repeatedly perform adenoidectomy, nasopharyngeal tamponade, ligation of blood vessels, application of a tonsillocompressor, suturing of the tonsil niches with catgut, and influence the bleeding areas with physical factors - an electrocoagulator, cryoapplicator, low-frequency ultrasound, high-energy laser, radio wave.
Stopping bleeding from the throat can be difficult. In some victims, after preliminary tracheostomy, tight pharyngeal tamponade is performed, and in case of threatening bleeding, ligation of the external carotid artery is performed.
For vascular tumors of the pharynx, sclerotherapy and hemostatic therapy are performed. For posthemorrhagic anemia, red blood cells and plasma are administered intravenously.
