What are the Bumps on your tongue?
Your tongue is used for many different everyday activities such as swallowing, talking, and tasting food. It is also referred to many times as the organ in your body that is the strongest. There are many different reasons why a person might have bumps on their tongue with many times not being any cause for alarm although there may be times that you should be concerned if you find bumps on your tongue.When your tongue is healthy it is natural to have some bumps on your tongue which are not really bumps but small nodules that are called papillae. You should be concerned if you should wake up with small white or red bumps on your tongue that are painful, which should be checked out by your physician.
Causes
As mentioned, it is normal to have some small bumps or nodules on a healthy tongue but if you have many of them that are red or white, and painful, here are some of the things that might be the cause of them.
Injury
This a very common reason for having spots on your tongue that are red. There are various types of injuries such as biting your tongue when you fall asleep or during a deep sleep, eating certain foods which can be coarse or hard, and more.
Allergies
These can be caused by an allergic reaction to some type of medication or food.
Oral thrush
This is because of a yeast infection that is caused by the Candida sp. This cause will usually affect the elderly, especially if they wear dentures or infants. It can also affect people who are on steroids that they inhale to give them relief from any lung diseases or diabetes. Many times this cause happens after using antibiotics that have killed the bacteria found in the mouth that is good.
Leukoplakia
This is a medical condition that will cause cells found in your mouth to excessively grow which usually leads to white patches forming on your tongue and your mouth. It could be an early sign of cancer and usually start when your tongue becomes irritated by some type of foreign object(s) being present. Normally these foreign objects are some type of tobacco products.
Herpes
This can be either herpes simplex or oral herpes and is a medical condition that can cause red lesions that are small and can be painful on your tongue. Usually these will occur for seven days and any part of your mouth like the roof of your mouth, throat, and gums can be affected. You will usually get from having oral sex because it is related to genital herpes.
Stomatitis
It is also referred to as an aphthous ulcer. It is usually caused because of dental hygiene that is poor.
Scarlet fever
The bumps that are caused by the streptococcal infection which is also known as scarlet fever and when you have those red bumps on your tongue it is the accompanied by a fever that is really high.
Kawasaki syndrome
This cause, is usually found in a child who is under five years of age and affects their blood vessels.There are also some vitamin deficiencies that could also cause bumps on the tongue. It could also happen because of the absence of folic acid in your body or having a very low level of folic acid in your body.
Treatment
The treatment that is used depends on what is causing these bumps on your tongue. Most of the time they will go away on their own but if they are causing you pain or do not seem to be going away, it is time to talk to your physician. Some of the treatments that can be used include:InjuryUsually this cause of bumps on the tongue will go away on its own. To get instant relief you can use an antiseptic but you should first talk to your physician to see which one you can use safely on your tongue. You can even use a saltwater rinse on your mouth. If it is bad or does not seem to be going away your physician may prescribe an antibacterial medication to help prevent infection.AllergiesThis is usually treated with over-the-counter antihistamines that your physician has recommended. If it becomes worse your physician may prescribe prescription antihistamines or allergy medications.Oral thrushTo help restore the good bacteria in your mouth that helps disease in your mouth you can eat plain yogurt. Plain yogurt has active and live cultures of the good bacteria. Your physician may also prescribe medication to restore the good bacteria in your mouth.LeukoplakiaThe best way to get rid of these types of foreign objects is to get using tobacco products in any form.Scarlet feverTo treat this cause your physician will usually prescribe antibiotics.
