Tingling and numbness in the tongue may be described as a ‘pins-and-needles’ sensation or sometimes a burning feeling. There may be an associated reduction in the capacity to detect certain tastes, feel pressure, or sense food texture.
Numbness in the tongue may be linked to a wide variety of conditions, such as, a long drawn out infection, prolonged pressure on the nerve, a vitamin or mineral insufficiency, multiple sclerosis, stroke, among others.
Numbness could be due to poor dental hygiene and bacterial multiplication or because of more serious permanent nerve damage or an underlying medical condition. Hence, it is very vital to ascertain the precise cause of any uncommon tingling numbness.
What Can Cause Numbness In Tongue?
There are a host of etiological factors that could cause numbness and tingling in the tongue. Common causes include:
- Stroke
- Trauma to the head
- A reduction in the flow of blood.
- A vitamin or mineral deficiency.
- A nerve related disorder.
- Multiple sclerosis (a medical condition which afflicts the brain and the spinal cord, resulting in difficulties in coordination and balance, fatigue and other problems).
Tingling tongue may be caused by nerve injury:
- Nerve damage due to a dental surgery.
- Fracture or dislocation of the jaw bone.
- Head injury causing swelling and impingement of the nerve.
- Oral or maxillofacial surgery which could injure the nerve to the tongue.
- A tumor which exerts pressure on the nerve.
Tingling tongue may be caused by certain diseases:
- Migraine
- Hypothyroidism
- Multiple sclerosis
- Stroke
- Seizures
- Transient ischemic attack (TIA).
Tingling tongue may occur due to other conditions such as:
- Alcohol or tobacco abuse.
- B 12 insufficiency.
- Deficiency or excess of minerals, such as calcium, potassium or sodium.
- Heavy metal poisoning.
- Side effects of certain medicines.
- Radiation exposure or radiotherapy.
Symptoms: Numbness in the tongue is characterized by a queer sensation of pin and needles or burning. It may be transient or may stay all day long. There could be associated presenting features as well; such as, altered sensation of taste, cannot feel food texture or even pain.
How To Get Rid Of Tongue Numbness?
It is essential that you confer with your health care provider and ascertain the exact cause of the problem, and seek medical advice. These guidelines will help you:
- In minor, transient cases of numbness, B12 supplementation is all that you need. Talk to your doctor and ask him for a B12 supplement and the duration of the supplementation treatment. Also stock up on foods that supply lots of B 12 such as – milk, eggs and green leafy vegetables.
- In case of stroke or TIA, your doctor will order a battery of tests to understand the precise cause and how bad it is. He will start medicines and therapy promptly to prevent worsening of the condition.
- Tobacco and alcohol abuse need appropriate management and medication.
- Migraine related numbness of the tongue can be treated easily. Ensure that you have a glass of ginger tea daily; ginger wards off the onset of migraine effectively. Also discuss with your physician and ask him whether medication is necessary.
- Hypothyroidism will need suitable medical treatment and you have to ensure that your thyroid profile remains normal. You need to follow the therapy routine and also incorporate a wholesome diet to manage the case well.