The right side of the tongue goes numb. Causes of tongue numbness

Sometimes numbness of the tongue and lips can be a short-term phenomenon that goes away very quickly and does not cause any problems. But still, in some cases, this condition may indicate the presence of serious disorders in the body. The reasons for this condition can be very diverse.

How does tongue numbness occur?

Numbness of the tongue (paresthesia) manifests itself in different ways. Sometimes there is a slight and unnoticeable tingling sensation, which does not cause virtually any discomfort. In some cases, a strong tingling sensation occurs, “goosebumps”, and a symptom such as loss of sensitivity progresses. It often happens that in parallel with numbness of the tongue, numbness of the lips occurs.

In any case, it will not be possible to find out the reasons for the occurrence of such a condition on your own. Only with a thorough examination by specialists can the source of this pathology be detected and proper treatment received.

Causes of paresthesia

The main reasons causing numbness of the tongue:

This condition can be caused by various problems related to the spine This often concerns the cervical spine. In addition, cervical osteochondrosis may be indicated by frequent discomfort in the neck, numbness of the fingers, and decreased vision. It is also necessary to trace in what position the numbness occurs, as this can help to find out the exact causes of the disease.
Thyroid dysfunction often provoke a similar symptom. To find out, you need to undergo examination by an endocrinologist.
Often excessive taking antibiotics causes numbness of the tongue
A disease such as diabetes mellitus leads to dryness of the oral mucosa and becomes the reason for the development of such a pathological condition. Patients often observe, in addition to impaired sensitivity of the tongue, numbness of the lips, especially the upper ones. The reasons for this are low blood glucose levels or improper use of insulin.
Vascular diseases,stroke and heart attack may also affect the development of paresthesia of the tongue. Therefore, do not forget that numbness can be associated with serious illnesses
When removing or treating teeth, the dentist may touch a nerve, which sometimes impairs the sensitivity of the tongue. In this case, there is no need to worry, these symptoms pass quickly
Severe stress and regular worries often become the reason for the development of the above phenomenon
Vitamin B 12 deficiency causes various disorders and disruptions in the body, including numbness of the tongue
In addition to the listed factors, affect the numbness of the tongue and lips maybe toothpaste, which contains low-quality substances or chewing gum. In this case, you must stop using toothpaste and chewing gum.

Numbness of the tip of the tongue and lips

Numbness often affects the tip of the tongue and lips, causing discomfort; the reasons for this are:

Side effect from certain medications in particular, from antibiotics. By damaging nerve endings, they can cause numbness of the entire tongue, as well as its tip and lips.
Some oral diseases and speeches. Often such a disease is glossalgia. It often occurs in women after 40 years of age, causing problems with the digestive system, endocrine disorders, etc.
Age characteristics. For the most part, this applies to women during menopause. This period in the fairer sex is associated with various disruptions and changes in the body, the mucous membrane is disrupted and this often affects the sensitivity of the tip of the tongue, and sometimes the lips.
Various allergic reactions. It is known to be characterized by swelling, sensory disturbances, difficulty breathing, and numbness of the lips and tongue is often observed.
Often numbness of the lips is associated with various mental disorders. At the same time, rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, redness of the face, and a feeling of anxiety develop.
Severe numbness of the lips can also lead to high blood pressure, Loss of sensation in the lower extremities may also occur. In this case, you need to take medications that lower blood pressure or, in more complex cases, call a medical team.
Side effects during pregnancy associated with increased blood pressure and swelling.
Poisoning, alcohol and tobacco abuse, radiation.

In addition, numbness of the tip of the tongue and lips can also be observed in certain diseases:

Stroke
Diabetes
Hyperthyroidism
Neuritis
Syphilis
Multiple sclerosis
Brain tumors
Malignant tumors of the spinal cord
Bell's palsy
Certain types of migraine.

In addition to the listed diseases, this phenomenon is diagnosed with tumors of the nasopharynx, multiple sclerosis, herpes zoster on the face, with some viral infections, etc.

Diagnosis of these pathologies is possible only in medical centers; in no case can such diseases be treated independently.

Particular attention should be paid to vascular problems, since they are becoming the leading cause of death in the world. In addition to impaired coordination and speech, a patient with a stroke attack is almost always diagnosed with numbness of the lips and tongue, and sometimes paralysis of one part of the face. If the listed signs are observed, you should immediately call an ambulance. Before her arrival, place the patient on a high pillow, provide access to air, and do not use any medications yourself.

Treatment

If numbness of the lips and tongue is observed with cervical osteochondrosis, it is treated with medications, and also includes massage and physical therapy. Regarding this condition with neuritis, the therapeutic course includes: glucocorticoids, vasodilators, vitamins. When such a phenomenon is observed in viral diseases, treatment of the underlying pathology is mandatory.

Multiple sclerosis, which causes numbness of the lips and tongue, is treated with hormone therapy, immunomodulators, and some other drugs. This therapy allows you to cope with this disease and remove numbness.

Allergies can also cause the above condition. In this case, the allergen is determined; for the most part, food products and some medications can cause an allergic reaction. In parallel with this, antihistamines are prescribed.

It must be remembered that almost always numbness of the lips and tongue appears against the background of some ailment, so it is necessary to initially treat the underlying disease.

Numbness of the tongue and lips at first glance seems like a minor problem. But, having found out why this can happen, and if it concerns certain diseases, you should seek medical help, where they will help make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe the correct treatment.

Language is a very sensitive organ of our body, one of the five senses. In addition to taste sensitivity, it, like skin, also has a very high tactile sensitivity, not inferior in this regard to the tips of the fingers on the hand. Therefore, this or that disturbance of sensations in the area of the tongue, in particular numbness, is immediately noticed by a person and in some cases causes anxiety. Why does such a subjective sensation as numbness of the tongue occur?

Numbness of the tongue can be temporary and permanent or paroxysmal. Temporary numbness, as a rule, does not pose any danger and is associated with taking any medications that contain anesthetics. In particular, this could be the throat spray Kameton, tablets used for stomach pain - Bellasthesin. Another cause of temporary numbness of the tongue (paresthesia) may be short-term damage to the sensory nerves innervating the mucous membrane of the tongue. This phenomenon occurs during some dental interventions (when removing a wisdom tooth).
Numbness of the tongue can also occur as a result of improperly administered dental anesthesia.

It is a completely different matter when it is constant or paroxysmal in nature and is accompanied by other phenomena of paresthesia - tingling, itching, burning. The complex of these sensations without visible changes in the tongue itself is called glossalgia and may indicate various diseases - compression of the cranial nerves by a tumor or surrounding tissues as a result of their swelling during inflammatory or allergic diseases.

In this case, the localization of sensations will help determine which specific nerve is affected - if there is numbness in the root area, the glossopharyngeal nerve should be immediately checked, since it is this nerve that innervates this area; numbness and paresthesia at the tip and lateral surfaces of the tongue indicate damage to the lingual nerve. Numbness of the tongue of neurological origin is characterized by a gradual (with a tumor) or abrupt (with inflammation) onset; often, starting with the tongue, paresthesia can spread to the area of the cheeks, lips, and palate. They may also be accompanied by other neurological symptoms - paralysis and paresis.

Other reasons numbness of the tongue Local and general microcirculation disorders and subsequent degenerative processes in capillaries, nerves and other tissues may serve. This situation can occur with diabetes mellitus, chronic alcohol intoxication, and hypovitaminosis. In this case, the phenomena of paresthesia develop slowly, gradually, from short-term “incomprehensible” sensations in the tongue to attacks of numbness, mainly in the mornings and late afternoon. Over time, the numbness becomes permanent.

The mucous membrane of the tongue does not change in the first weeks and even months of the disease, but over time its smoothness becomes noticeable (a sign of destruction of the taste buds of the tongue), dilated veins become visible on the surface of the mucosa, and salivation decreases. All this occurs as a result of degenerative processes in the tissues of the organ due to insufficient microcirculation.

It can also serve as an indirect sign of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract - helminthic infestation (paresthesia occurs especially often with ascariasis), gastritis, cholecystitis, peptic ulcer. A disruption of the blood system can also lead to paresthesia (anemia); in addition, it has been noted that with malocclusion, numbness of the tongue also develops.

It’s worth mentioning separately paresthesia after dental procedures. In addition to the already mentioned incorrect anesthesia, numbness of the tongue can occur after the installation of artificial dentures and fillings. The thing is that sometimes they are made of several metals soldered together. Under the influence of saliva, these dissimilar metals begin to interact with each other, creating something like a regular battery. The electric current generated in this case (often called galvanic current) can irritate the mucous membrane of the tongue, causing numbness and paresthesia.

What to do if your tongue suddenly becomes numb? If you do not associate this phenomenon with taking any medications or with a dental procedure, you must consult a doctor and undergo a full medical examination to determine the underlying disease and its treatment. If numbness occurs as a result of exposure to galvanic currents, then replacement of a low-quality prosthesis or filling is necessary. For paresthesia caused by microcirculation disorders, it is necessary to take multivitamin preparations and other medications that improve metabolism.

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Indeed, in some cases this may be a sign of non-life-threatening conditions, but sometimes delay can be fatal. So why does this happen and is it worth sounding the alarm when your tongue suddenly goes numb?

How does it feel

Tongue numbness is felt differently in different people: some experience “goosebumps”, some feel a slight tingling or burning sensation, some may experience numbness in their tongue and lips, while others completely lose the sensitivity of their tongue. In any case, such strangeness of his “behavior” should alert you, especially if it does not go away for a long time or is regularly repeated.

A single case of tongue numbness is definitely not a cause for concern, but if it repeats regularly and lasts for a long time, then it is better not to delay a visit to the doctor

Causes of tongue numbness

In some cases, to understand why your tongue becomes numb, it is enough to remember what you did the day before. Eg:

You could have your tooth treated. Quite often, after a visit to the dentist and anesthesia, a person may experience numbness in the tongue. After all, the roots of the teeth border quite closely with the nerve endings of the tongue, so the doctor could accidentally press or damage his nerve. Usually the discomfort goes away after a couple of days, in the worst case it can last a couple of months.
You may have abused alcohol or nicotine. Due to the fact that nicotine is a vasoconstrictor, tongue numbness may occur after smoking. It is best, of course, to give up nicotine or try to reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke.
This could be a simple burn from a hot drink or food. Or if you accidentally get alkali or acid into your mouth.
If you are allergic, the condition could be triggered by an allergen. The condition can be triggered by anything - a food or drink, alcohol, toothpaste or even a brush or chewing gum.
This may be a consequence of taking medications. Sometimes the body can react this way to antibiotics or other medications. As a rule, the tongue returns to normal within a few days. But if such a side effect occurs, you should definitely consult with your doctor about replacing the drug with another one.
You might have been nervous. Quite rarely, but still there are cases when, due to stress, irritability, restless sleep or depression, a person experiences numbness of the tongue.
Maybe someone bit you. When bitten by a poisonous spider or snake, paresthesia may occur - numbness of the face, limbs, tongue; In addition, the person's heart rate increases, dizziness and drowsiness occur.
There are not enough or too many minerals in the body.
You took steroid hormones. In the process of taking them, taste sensations may disappear, hair may appear above the upper lip, stretch marks may appear on the stomach and buttocks, and body weight may increase.
It could also be adulthood. Due to hormonal imbalances in women, for example, during menopause, the mucous membrane becomes thinner, the epithelium is renewed more slowly - this explains why the tip of the tongue sometimes goes numb.
Or pregnancy. Sometimes this happens when the pregnancy reaches one week. In this way, a woman’s body reacts to increased blood pressure and swelling.

During pregnancy, this can happen once, since the woman’s body is constantly restructuring, swelling occurs, and blood pressure rises.

What diseases can be

However, in addition to harmless reasons, there are others that can be dangerous to health if you do not seek help from a specialist in time. Numbness of the tongue may be one of the symptoms:

Migraines with aura. This rather rare disease most often affects people prone to depression and stress. They have a disturbance in the functioning of their sense organs - they can see flashes of light or stripes, hear some sounds, smell unpleasant odors; There may be problems with speech, numbness in the fingertips, and a tingling sensation in the tongue.
Diabetes mellitus. Since this is a disease of the endocrine system responsible for the production of insulin, diabetes disrupts various metabolic processes in the body (from carbohydrate to water-salt). Because of this, dry mouth occurs, a person is tormented by constant thirst, trembling in the hands and partial loss of sensitivity of the tongue.
Hypoglycemia. A fairly common occurrence in patients with diabetes is when the upper lip becomes numb due to irregularities in insulin intake. This happens due to a decrease in the level of glucose in the blood when it is below 3 mmol/l. With hypoglycemia, a person experiences weakness, a feeling of acute hunger, he breaks into a cold sticky sweat, his hands begin to tremble, and parts of the body and face go numb. This condition is quite unpleasant, but it can be quickly corrected by measuring your blood glucose level and then eating 20 g of foods that increase it - this could be honey, sugar, caramel or fruit juice. If symptoms of hypoglycemia recur frequently, you should consult your doctor about the dosage of the drug, by adjusting which you can eliminate the problem.
Angioedema. Everyone knows hives. Sometimes, along with it, damage to the deeper layers of the skin occurs, and a person begins to suffer not only from redness and raised rashes, but also from swelling of various parts of the body, a decrease or loss of their sensitivity, tingling, etc. This is angioedema, or Quincke's edema , in which the limbs, ears, lips, and genitals swell. If the larynx swells, the condition becomes life-threatening because the person may simply suffocate. This is an autoimmune disease, and the attack can be triggered by contact with an allergen. In order to determine what causes such a reaction, a special analysis is carried out.

If the symptoms are long-lasting and recur, go to the doctor immediately

After identifying the provocateur, the person is prescribed antihistamines, anti-inflammatory, hormonal, and diuretic drugs. However, even without treatment, the swelling lasts for a couple of days, and the test goes away along with unpleasant symptoms. As a rule, a relapse of the disease lasts 2-3 years, and then the body heals itself.

People suffering from this scourge should always have corticosteroid and antihistamines in their medicine cabinet to help stop the attack.

VSD. In fact, this disease does not exist as such, it’s just that in our medicine this is what we call a set of symptoms characteristic of human psychological disorders - anxiety or depression. As a rule, they are accompanied by severe sweating, tremors, excitability, rapid heartbeat, tingling and numbness of the limbs, face, discomfort in any organ (pathology is not confirmed), and hypochondriacal moods. Making this diagnosis is possible only after consulting a doctor and excluding other pathologies. Treatment usually involves visiting a psychologist and taking antidepressants.
Cervical osteochondrosis. As a result of this pathology, the sensitivity of the nerves of the tongue decreases, which limits its mobility. In some cases, people with this disease even change their voice, becoming rougher.
Stroke. As a rule, this condition is accompanied by nausea, dizziness, acute headache, paresthesia of the lips, tongue and limbs. In this case, delay can cost life - the person needs to be provided with emergency medical care, an ambulance should be called.
Anemia. With a lack of vitamin B12 and iron in the body, a person may experience paresthesia of the fingers and toes, and may lose balance when walking.
Heavy metal poisoning (mercury, zinc, lead, cobalt, tin).
Multiple sclerosis. This disease can cause numbness in many other parts of the body.
Bell's palsy. The disease is characterized by dysfunction of the facial nerves, accompanied by loss of sensation in the cheeks, face, lips and tongue.
Glossalgia. A disease of the tongue in which a burning, tingling, or numbness is felt for no apparent reason. Glossalgia is a secondary manifestation of an underlying disease, or occurs as a result of trauma to the mouth with dentures or after dental procedures.
Facial, jaw, cervical trauma, as well as hemorrhage resulting from brain damage.
Oral candidiasis. With this disease, a person’s tongue becomes covered with a whitish coating, and if you try to remove it, you can cause bleeding in parts of the tongue. The disease is difficult to tolerate because it is very difficult for a person to chew and eat food.
Brain tumors. Numbness of the tongue is not the main symptom, but still occurs with this disease. Most often, the course of the disease is accompanied by severe headaches, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, low blood pressure and body temperature. Such symptoms should raise suspicion of cancer. When diagnosing, the doctor must exclude, first of all, the presence of space-occupying formations in the neck and head.
Hypothyroidism. With a lack of thyroid hormones, it is likely that paresthesia of the tongue will develop.
Lyme disease. The disease, caused by the bite of an infected tick, is characterized by disruption of nerve conduction.

A lot of diseases, including truly life-threatening ones, have a similar symptom in their description, so it’s definitely not worth “joking” with such symptoms

As you can see, there can be a lot of reasons that cause this symptom, and without a proper examination one can only guess about them. Often people ignore this phenomenon, not realizing that numbness of the tongue can be a symptom of a dangerous disease. Therefore, if this is not related to dental treatment or allergies, and the phenomenon is regular, do not delay your visit to the doctor and do not self-medicate. Go to a therapist. If necessary, he will give a referral to a neurologist, endocrinologist, psychiatrist, or dentist. And, of course, he will collect anamnesis and prescribe a number of necessary tests.

Tongue goes numb

Numbness of the tongue, complete or partial loss of sensitivity indicate disorders in the human body. They can concern only one organ or signal a disease in which the conduction of nerve impulses is disrupted.

Why does my tongue go numb?

The following reasons are typical for loss of sensitivity:

chemical burn;
thermal burn;
mechanical damage to the organ;
tooth extraction (most often a wisdom tooth);
local allergic reaction;
use of unsuitable toothpastes and rinses;
age-related changes in women;
pregnancy.

Very often, the cause of tongue numbness is tobacco smoking, which negatively affects the nerve endings in the mouth. Source: flickr (Stepan Nesmiyan).

Diseases that cause numbness of the tongue

The loss of sensation in any organ itself is called paresthesia. These causes, associated with mechanical damage, relate to ordinary paresthesia, in which the transmission of nerve impulses, the so-called leakage, is temporarily disrupted. But, if the nervous system is affected, then paresthesia occurs without any visible disturbances or damage and is called chronic.

Nerve conduction disorders occur in the following diseases and conditions:

infectious nerve damage;
tumor lesion;
stroke;
neurodegenerative damage;
autoimmune process;
a consequence of diabetes mellitus;
consequence of alcoholism;
metabolic disease;
lack of important vitamins;
cervical osteochondrosis;
after suffering from chicken pox.

In these conditions, desensitization of the oral cavity may not be the only symptom. If the nervous system is affected, tingling sensations and loss of sensation often occur along the peripheral nerves of various organs.

Important. Numbness of the tongue is not an independent disease; there is always a causative factor that leads to disruption of nerve conduction.

The process of numbness of a muscle organ can occur immediately or increase gradually. Also, either only the tip of the tongue loses sensitivity, or numbness occurs under this organ, on the sides.

The tip of the tongue goes numb

If the tip of the tongue goes numb after eating, this may indicate an allergic reaction; if a larger area of the organ is affected, then this may be glossalgia, which is a functional disorder. It often manifests itself due to disorders in the autonomic nervous system.

Infectious, vascular diseases of a systemic nature can lead to loss of sensitivity. It is very important to determine what caused it in order, firstly, to carry out therapy correctly, and secondly, to block a possible serious disease at an early stage.

Bilateral and unilateral numbness

When the glossopharyngeal nerve is damaged, the root of the tongue becomes numb or sensation loss occurs on one side of the organ. In addition, salivation will be impaired, pain will appear in the ear, oral organs, and tonsils. Nerve damage, in turn, is caused by injuries, infections, and tumors.

Loss of sensitivity on the sides of the organ or only on one side may indicate osteochondrosis, which means that a nerve has been compressed in the cervical spine. Other possible reasons include:

laryngeal cancer;
touching a nerve during tooth extraction or other operations in the oral cavity;
laryngeal carcinoma.

Psychogenic disorders also provoke paresthesia on both sides of the tongue. This alarming condition can be accompanied by several symptoms:

sweating;
dizziness;
discomfort in the solar plexus area.

What to do if your tongue goes numb

Before starting treatment, it is necessary to determine the diagnosis.

For diagnosis and timely assistance, you should visit a neurologist or psychotherapist.

To eliminate the symptom and treat the pathology at a deeper level, you can turn to homeopathy.

Homeopathic treatment

Homeopathic treatment should be started after a correct diagnosis has been made. It is important to remember that numbness of the tongue is just a symptom that indicates a disease. Homeopathic treatment is prescribed based on many factors:

psycho-emotional state,
the patient's appearance,
reactions of his body,
what symptoms accompany the disease.

When appointing, his constitutional type is taken into account. Homeopathy treats not the disease, but the person - this is one of its basic principles.

Moreover, even with the same diagnosis, each patient is prescribed an individual drug. This individual approach ensures the effectiveness of treatment. Homeopathy can be used in complex treatment as an auxiliary method.

The following medications are intended for the treatment of anxiety disorders, VSD, and increased nervous excitability:

Nervoheel is a composite homeopathic drug that acts as a sedative, usually used as part of complex therapy, as an additional remedy for alopathic drug therapy. The drug helps with seizures and depression.
Barita carbonicum (Barium carbonicum) is a drug that is equally suitable for the elderly and adolescents. Can help people suffering from nervous disorders and circulatory disorders.

Strontiana carbonica - used for cervical osteochondrosis, which can cause numbness of the tongue.
Traumeel S is a composite homeopathic medicine for diseases of bones and joints, osteochondrosis and neuralgia.

As a symptomatic drug:

Natrium muraticum - prescribed for tingling in the tongue, lips and nose.
Cocculus indicus - for numbness of the face and tongue as well.
Rheum palmatum - numbness of the tongue.
Gwako (Micania guaco) - tongue paresis.
Laurocerasus (Laurocerasus officinalis) - “wooden” tongue. A burning sensation in the tongue when the tongue feels cold.
Natrium muriaticum - numbness and even tingling, burning sensation, feeling like there is hair on the tongue.

Tongue goes numb: reasons

The tongue is an unpaired muscular organ located in the oral cavity.

Its position depends on the function it will perform. The process of chewing and swallowing is carried out with the help of the tongue. Thanks to the large number of receptors on the mucous membrane of the organ, a person can distinguish tastes. Moreover, a separate area of the tongue is responsible for a specific taste stimulus. Well, an important role of this body is participation in communication.

Doctors classify numbness of the tongue as one of the types of paresthesia. Paresthesia is a tingling sensation due to a violation of the sensitivity of a certain area (in this case we are talking about the tongue).

As a rule, numbness of the tip of the tongue or the entire tongue is not an independent disease. This is only a symptom of some underlying diagnosis, which can increase gradually and be accompanied by a number of other symptoms. Therefore, in order to begin treatment and rid yourself of unpleasant discomfort, you should find the main cause and eliminate it.

Doctors classify numbness of the tongue as one of the types of paresthesias.

Tongue goes numb, reasons

Reaction to medications. For some medications this is a side effect, and some cause nerve damage.
Menopause. Very often, women during menopause experience damage to the mucous membranes. The mucous membrane becomes thin and sensitive. Plus, functional changes in the thyroid gland also occur.
Anemia. As a result of a lack of vitamin B12 and iron. Blood tests show decreased red blood cells, hemoglobin, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia. Bone marrow puncture is recommended.
Glossalgia. A fairly common disease of the oral mucosa associated with sensory neuroses. Manifested by tingling and numbness.
An allergic reaction to toothpaste, chewing gum, mouthwash, air freshener, and anything that has any contact with the tongue.
Reflux esophagitis. Reverse reflux of gastric contents, which can also lead to numbness.
Various types of injuries in the facial area, dental procedures (especially when removing “wisdom teeth”, after anesthesia, which is required for this procedure, numbness can torment the patient for up to six months), maxillofacial operations, jaw fractures. The result is damage to nerve endings.
After drinking very cold or hot liquid. Or in case of accidental use of acid or alkali.
Nervous, depressed state. Sleep disturbance, increased irritability, dizziness. There will be no changes in the blood. Consultation with a psychotherapist is required.
Functional disorders in pregnant women. More often observed in the third trimester. This occurs against a background of high blood pressure and swelling.
Features in the structure of the skull that cause compression of the glossopharyngeal nerve.

Nervous, depressive state as a cause of tongue numbness

A symptom in which the tongue and lips go numb may be a consequence of diseases such as:

Diabetes mellitus (dry mucous membranes, development of neuropathy - cause of numbness);

Stroke (the brain is affected; speech impairment, long-term headache with accompanying numbness of half the body, drooping corner of the mouth; loss of coordination; consciousness is depressed; tests show a violation of the coagulation system; CT, MRI are recommended);

stroke as a cause of numbness of the tongue and lips

Hypothyroidism (lack of thyroid hormones, consultation with an endocrinologist);

Lyme disease (as a result of a tick bite);

Multiple sclerosis (all parts of the body become numb, the tongue is no exception);

Brain aneurysm;

Bell's palsy (the whole face goes numb);

Bell's palsy as a cause of numbness of the tongue and lips

Spinal cord cancer (local pain, decrease in all blood counts);

Brain tumor (compression of various parts of the brain - the cause of numbness).

Why does the tip of the tongue go numb?

The main complaints about numbness of the tip of the tongue are:

Heavy smokers often complain of numbness in the tip of the tongue.
People receiving chemotherapy.
If the body lacks vitamin B12.
Damage to the glossopharyngeal nerve.
Side effects of medications.
Heavy metal poisoning.
Alcohol abuse.
Glossalgia.
Hypoglycemia.
Depression.
Excess or deficiency of minerals in the body.

Depression as a cause of tongue numbness

Quite often the tongue and lips go numb at the same time. Numbness of the lips occurs as a consequence of sensory impairment. But this is not the main problem, but becomes only a consequence of the underlying disease. You can only guess on your own which specialist you need to go to, and in no case can you make an accurate diagnosis yourself and prescribe treatment for yourself.

Lips go numb, reasons

Lips go numb for the following reasons:

Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. As a result of compression of the spinal cord, blood circulation is disrupted and thereby the nutrition of the organs is disrupted. Numbness of the lips appears.
Neuritis of the facial nerve. Inflammation of the facial nerve leads to disruption of impulse transmission to the facial muscles and can be complicated by facial paralysis. You urgently need to consult a doctor to prevent such a dangerous picture.
Lack of vitamin B. Lack of this vitamin leads to disorders of the nervous system. A large amount of this vitamin is found in: bread, nuts, bran, liver, meat, potatoes.
High or very low blood pressure. Then not only the lips go numb, but also the upper and lower limbs. Life threatening. You need to urgently call an ambulance.
Diabetes. One of its symptoms is numbness of the lips, clammy sweat, weakness, and trembling hands. By adjusting your blood glucose levels, the numbness will go away. You can eat honey, sugar, candy. If attacks recur frequently, insulin dosage should be discussed with your doctor.
Allergy to the use of a new medicine. Quincke's edema causes swelling of parts of the body, including the lips. The cause often remains unclear. Edema is a terrible swelling of the larynx; difficulty breathing can lead to asphyxia. If an attack has occurred in your life, then you should always carry antihistamines and glucocorticosteroids with you to relieve this condition.
Migraine. As a consequence of nervous breakdowns and constant worries, it leads to disruption of the nervous system. The headache occurs half an hour after numbness, then the limbs go numb. Numbness is a kind of aura before a headache. There are no significant changes in the analyses. Increased levels of potassium and magnesium, reduced stress and good sleep will help. Avoid foods that trigger migraines: wine, cheese, sweets.
Disease of teeth and gums. If before the numbness of the lips there was pain in the teeth or gums, then, most likely, this is due to problems in the teeth. You need to see a dentist.

Disease of teeth and gums

9. Multiple sclerosis. It is with numbness that this disease begins. Nervous tissue cells in the body begin to be affected. Only a neurologist can help in this case.

10. Shingles. Its typical onset is itching, redness and numbness. If there is still a burning sensation in the cheek area, then this is one hundred percent shingles.

11. Bell's palsy. It affects the entire face, but the lips and eyebrows are affected first. The disease is preceded by some viral diseases (ARVI, simple herpes virus). Tingling and numbness are characteristic of this disease. May go away on its own. If treated, a course of antibiotics and antiviral drugs is prescribed. Rarely, but the appearance of inflammatory markers in the blood is possible. Facial gymnastics is necessary. The recovery process takes up to a year. In severe cases, CT and MRI examinations are recommended.

12. Infectious disease of various etiologies, which affects the nerves. Very often, complications after meningitis or herpes are nerve damage with the leading syndrome being numbness.

Lack of vitamin B as a cause of numb lips

As we found out, there are quite a few reasons for numbness of the tongue and lips. After this article, you can already decide which specialist you need to contact. If you cannot associate your numbness, which torments you periodically, with any of these diseases, then you need to contact a neurologist. And you shouldn’t delay this.

Appointment with a neurologist

Do not worry if numbness occurs as a result of prolonged exposure to very cold, after anesthesia, or lying on the lip for a long time. And at the same time there are no more complaints, and there never were.

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Why does my tongue go numb?

Symptoms of tongue numbness

Numbness as a phenomenon in the scientific literature is called paresthesia, which means “loss of sensitivity.” Surprisingly, people experience their language differently:

someone gets “goosebumps”;

Causes of tongue paresthesia

In some cases, paresthesia of the tongue is observed in a person after visiting the dentist, due to an anesthetic drug. The thing is that the roots of the teeth and the nerve endings of the tongue are located very close, so the doctor can accidentally press down or even seriously damage the nerve of the tongue. In the first case, the numbness usually goes away after a couple of days, but in the second, the period can reach several months.

What to do?

As is already clear from the above, numbness of the tongue is a problem that can have many causes, so diagnosing patients is very difficult. Often people do not seek help in the first days because they do not attach much importance to tongue numbness and do not even realize that paresthesia is a side symptom of many serious diseases. This problem cannot be left unresolved.

You should be scheduled for a complete body check, including a cardiovascular examination, a blood test to detect diabetes, and in rare cases, a tomography of the brain, neck and spine. Treatment is prescribed only after passing through the necessary specialists, so in no case should you take any medications yourself, or ignore paresthesia.

Numbness of the tongue - symptoms, causes and treatment tactics

Numbness of the tongue is scientifically called paresthesia. This organ rarely suffers from such a deviation, but it can indicate serious diseases occurring in the body.

There are many reasons that cause tongue numbness, so it is worth covering all possible situations.

Symptomatic picture

Numbness of the tongue manifests itself in different ways depending on individual characteristics and the reasons that caused paresthesia. The following symptoms are identified:

feeling of “running goosebumps”;
showing at the tip of the tongue;
complete loss of sensation on one side or throughout the tongue.

As a rule, these symptoms are not capable of causing any harm to the human body unless they are accompanied by swelling. Otherwise, immediate action must be taken as there is a risk of suffocation.

Reasons for violation

There are many situations that can cause tongue numbness. Most often paresthesia is caused by:

A dental procedure in which anesthesia is administered and surgery is performed. The nerve of the tongue is located close to the roots of the teeth, so it is easy to touch during treatment. If this happens, the numbness of the tongue persists even after the anesthesia wears off. But this phenomenon is not dangerous, since the nerve tends to recover on its own, you just need to wait a couple of weeks.
Anemia, due to which there is a low level of hemoglobin in the blood. As a rule, this indicates the development of serious diseases of the circulatory system, so it is worth visiting a specialist.
Diabetes mellitus. The disease affects the endocrine system, insulin production decreases, this affects the body's metabolism and acid-base balance.
Reaction to the use of drugs. Some strong drugs have tongue paresthesia as a side effect. If this happens, it is better to contact the doctor who prescribed the treatment and ask, if possible, to change the drug;
Osteochondrosis. The disease is serious, so it is better to start treatment at an early stage, which is indicated by numbness of the tongue. First, damage to the intervertebral disc tissue is observed, and only later to the spine.
Cardiovascular diseases in particular, numbness of the tongue can signal a stroke.

There are unilateral and bilateral numbness of the tongue, each of which will help determine the cause of paresthesia.

Reasons for unilateral violation

Unilateral is associated with nerve damage, this often happens when teeth are removed, especially sevens and eights.

Wisdom teeth have large roots, so removing them can easily hit a nerve. If the lingual nerve is affected, the front part or tip of the tongue becomes numb, and if the glossopharyngeal nerve is affected, the back part becomes numb.

The disorder manifests itself only in the area of the tongue and on the side where the nerve was affected. In addition to numbness, patients complain of a temporary loss of taste, localized in the damaged area.

If the whole tongue is frozen...

Bilateral numbness is caused by more serious problems:

Stroke. Which often occurs due to nervousness as a result of severe stress shocks. Sometimes there are no changes in well-being, the mood remains elevated, but taste sensations and sensitivity of the tongue decrease.
Throat cancer can also cause a numb tongue. Along with this symptom, there is a sore throat and difficulty swallowing. The disease has not yet been studied well, but more often it manifests itself in smokers, people who abuse alcohol and live in areas with poor ecology.
Vitamin B12 deficiency can be caused by Addison-Biermer disease, which causes pernicious anemia. With this pathology, the tongue not only goes numb, but there is a phenomenon of its varnishing, as if it had been scalded by boiling water. To avoid this disease, you need to eat a balanced diet.

What to do if your tongue is numb?

As mentioned earlier, numbness of the tongue can be caused by a number of reasons that are completely different from each other. Since among them there are very serious diseases that threaten human life, it is necessary to urgently consult a doctor and tell them in detail about the symptoms.

It is important to inform your treating specialist about:

nutritional features;
medications taken;
recent visits to the dentist;
hereditary diseases at risk;
bad habits;
injuries.

During the diagnosis process, visits to doctors of different specialties may be required, but this is a necessity that will help identify the real cause. As a rule, tests are immediately prescribed if there is even a slight risk of serious pathologies.

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My tongue: causes of tongue numbness

Sometimes people encounter such an unpleasant phenomenon as numbness of the tongue. It can vary in localization, for example, sensitivity can be impaired only in the area of the tip of the tongue or cover larger areas, and in intensity - from a slight decrease in sensitivity to its complete loss. In any case, you should consult a doctor without self-medicating and without hoping that it will go away on its own.

There are many reasons for such an unpleasant phenomenon as numbness of the tongue, which doctors call “paresthesia.” For example, it can occur after treatment by a dentist if, during tooth extraction or treatment of a deep cavity, the doctor accidentally damages a nerve. In this case, the sensitivity of the tongue will recover on its own after some time. This situation is not dangerous, you just need to be patient and wait for a complete recovery.

The tongue may also become numb due to poorly placed dentures or malocclusion. For example, if dentures contain different metals, galvanic currents may occur that reduce the sensitivity of the tongue. In these cases, after eliminating the causes, the numbness of the tongue goes away quite quickly.

However, the cause of tongue numbness may be more serious. For example, it may indicate diseases:

cervical spine
thyroid gland
organs of the nervous and digestive system

And also for diabetes and some cardiovascular diseases.

Numbness of the tongue may be one of the symptoms of an impending heart attack or stroke. Therefore, in this case, you should immediately seek help from a doctor.

Often, decreased sensitivity of the tongue is caused by a side effect of certain medications. For example, a number of painkillers or drugs that relieve coughing and sputum discharge.

The tongue may lose sensitivity as a result of various allergic reactions to external irritants:

components of food and drinks
medicines
animal hair, household items, etc.

Even chewing gum or toothpaste can cause numbness, for example, if you are allergic to one of the components.

A lack of certain vitamins, such as B12, can also lead to numbness of the tongue. Finally, the sensitivity of the tongue can change noticeably due to anxiety, increased nervousness, stressful situations, and depression.

Patients' sensations when tongue sensitivity is impaired are very varied: from slight numbness at the very tip of the tongue, causing only mild discomfort, to complete loss of sensitivity, often accompanied by severe tingling or burning. This burning sensation can spread to the mucosal area.

There are so many reasons for tongue numbness that only a qualified doctor can understand this problem; making a diagnosis on your own is dangerous for your health, because you may decide that the problem is not as bad as it really is, thereby aggravating your condition.

If you feel that your tongue is numb, you need to undergo a comprehensive examination, including testing for possible allergens. Most likely, you will have to visit specialists such as a dentist, endocrinologist and neurologist. It is necessary to answer in detail all questions regarding illnesses suffered over the past year, medications you took, your daily routine, diet, oral care procedures, etc.

In any case, treatment should begin with the elimination of all factors that irritate the tongue. If necessary, it is necessary to replace incorrectly placed dentures, correct an incorrect bite, remove tartar, polish the sharp edges of crowns and fillings, making them smoother and non-traumatic. It is necessary to adjust the diet by excluding from it foods that can irritate the tongue (for example, too hot, salty, with an abundance of spicy seasonings).

Therapeutic treatment includes taking medications that have a sedative effect, help improve blood circulation, metabolism, and, if necessary, vitamin complexes. Since impaired sensitivity of the tongue is often associated with disorders of the nervous system, the following can help:

massage
aromatic baths
orderly daily routine
exclusion of stressful, unnerving situations

In some cases, sanatorium-resort treatment is indicated. The patient needs to be prepared in advance for the fact that the treatment can be quite lengthy, and he will have to strictly follow all the doctor’s instructions.

You should not use any folk remedies without consulting a doctor, especially if the cause of the numbness is not clear.

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In order to diagnose any primary signs of the disease, it is not at all necessary to undergo a full examination in the clinic. All you have to do is start listening carefully to your body. Sometimes it gives us danger signals that we need to be able to decipher. By paying due attention to your body, you can avoid more severe consequences and consult a doctor earlier than the disease reaches full force, and treatment becomes more complex and expensive.

One of these warning signs is numbness of the tongue. The reasons leading to partial or even complete loss of sensitivity can be very different. If you experience such a symptom from time to time or regularly, then you need to consider this case more specifically.

Quite often, temporary numbness of the tongue occurs when taking certain medications. This is not so scary, since some medications, whose task is to get rid of spasms, contain substances that cause temporary loss of sensitivity. In this case, the unpleasant sensations on the tongue pass quite quickly.

One of the more serious causes is head trauma, as well as damage to the nerves of the spinal cord. This is due to the fact that the nerve processes penetrate into the oral region too. Damage to a nerve located directly in the tongue itself can also be the root cause of numbness. In this case, numbness of the lips is common. Therefore, if one day you suddenly feel a similar symptom in your mouth, then it would be best to go to an appointment with a neurologist.

Numbness of the tongue very often occurs during an allergic reaction. In this case, there is a high probability of developing a tumor of the larynx and oral cavity and the tongue itself. Then the swelling puts pressure on the lingual nerves, which is why sensitivity decreases until it is completely lost. By the way, the inflammatory process in the mouth is also a cause of numbness.

It is worth noting that if blood flow is disrupted and the tissues of the oral cavity are saturated with oxygen, sensitivity also decreases sharply. Reduced metabolism, coupled with impaired blood circulation in the tongue, can lead to such unpleasant sensations.

If a person regularly drinks alcohol and alcohol-containing drinks in large quantities, then numbness of the tongue will become his constant companion in life. This is especially true for those who suffer from chronic alcoholism, which is accompanied by long-term binges. And in general, poisoning of the body with toxins of various types, as well as their excess in the blood, quite often manifests itself as numbness of the tongue. The causes of poisoning can be very different, including symptoms of such a serious disease as diabetes.

If you have an incorrect position of your teeth when closing your jaw, that is, an incorrect bite, then in this case you may also feel numbness of your tongue with a certain periodicity. The reasons for the loss of sensitivity in this case lie in mechanical effects. The nerves located inside the tongue can simply become pinched, which contributes to a sharp decrease in taste abilities. A number of procedures that will correct the bite will subsequently relieve you of unpleasant sensations and discomfort.

A person may feel numbness in the tongue due to a seasonal lack of vitamins. A substance such as nicotinic acid maintains the sensitivity of nerve endings. That is why its deficiency in the body begins to manifest itself so noticeably.

To summarize, I would like to say that it is imperative to visit specialists and conduct a series of tests if you feel numbness in your tongue. The reasons for this can be not only temporary illnesses, but also serious diseases.

A condition in which a certain area of the tongue or an entire organ loses sensitivity is called paresthesia. There are many reasons why the tip, middle or root of the tongue goes numb. These include both the impact of external factors and serious diseases that require immediate medical intervention.

Why does tongue paresthesia occur?

The main reasons that provoke numbness of the tongue include the negative influence of external factors and diseases, one of the symptoms of which is paresthesia. External factors include: excessive smoking, allergic reactions to foods and medications, injuries, injuries, burns, intoxication.

The tongue goes numb with the following diseases:

A decrease in the sensitivity of the tongue may mean that a person has malignant tumors in the larynx or in the brain. This condition in neoplasms is not the main symptom; paresthesia accompanies severe headaches (in the case of brain cancer), nausea, low temperature and blood pressure. Oncological diseases of the larynx, in addition to numbness, are manifested by pain in the throat (as with ARVI), impaired sensitivity of the palate, unpleasant sensations and difficulties when swallowing.
The tongue may become numb due to an incipient stroke or heart attack. With this condition, paresthesia of the hands, tongue and lips is one of the main symptoms. Additional symptoms include acute headache, dizziness, nausea and vomiting.

Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine can cause impaired mobility, damage and numbness of the nerve endings of the tongue. Osteochondrosis may cause pain and dizziness.
Violation of the psycho-emotional background. Severe stress and deep depression can provoke severe headaches, impaired sensitivity of the face, lips, and mucous membranes of the oral cavity. Psycho-emotional disorders are the cause of migraine with aura - a disease in which the head hurts severely and the functioning of the senses is disrupted.
If the tip of the tongue becomes numb and hurts, a burning or tingling sensation occurs, it means that the person has developed glossalgia or glossitis.

Manifestation of different forms of glossitis of the tongue

Diabetes mellitus, which occurs as a result of impaired insulin production, leads to a feeling of thirst, dry mouth, and partial loss of tongue sensitivity.
Anemia can cause decreased sensitivity of the oral mucosa, numbness of the extremities, low temperature, pale skin, and poor coordination.
Age-related changes. A woman during menopause experiences hormonal imbalances that can cause tongue numbness.
Oral candidiasis is a disease that is accompanied by pain, plaque formation on the mucous membranes, itching, swelling and partial numbness of the tongue.
Impaired functioning of the facial nerves (Bell's palsy). The pathology is expressed in partial paresthesia.

Paresthesia can be caused by transformations that occur in the body of a pregnant woman.

Determining the cause of tongue numbness by symptom localization

The tongue may lose sensitivity partially or completely. It is necessary to pay attention to which part of the organ is numb, since localization may indicate a specific disease.

Paresthesia begins with tingling of the tip of the tongue, then “running goosebumps” appear over the entire surface of the organ, and only after that there is a feeling of partial or complete numbness of the tongue.

In most cases, numbness in the tip of the tongue is a sign of the negative impact of external factors. This condition manifests itself with excessive smoking, alcohol consumption, intoxication, imbalance of vitamins and minerals in the body, especially with a lack of vitamin B12. Loss of sensitivity of the tip of the tongue can be caused by an allergic reaction, in which case the symptom will be accompanied by swelling and paresthesia of the oral mucosa.

Numbness of the tongue and hands, accompanied by an acute headache, requires immediate consultation with a neurologist. Paresthesia in tandem with migraine can signal a sharp drop in insulin and an increase in blood sugar. In this case, consultation with an endocrinologist is necessary.

Neoplasm in the larynx

Paresthesia of the throat and tongue indicates the occurrence of malignant neoplasms in the larynx. Numbness of the tongue and palate may be a manifestation of an allergic reaction. Injuries or damage to the glossopharyngeal nerve cause the root of the tongue to become numb.

A condition in which the tongue becomes numb and dizzy can be a symptom of VSD (vegetative-vascular dystonia), osteochondrosis, neurological disorders and disorders, pre-infarction or pre-stroke condition.

Professional treatment for tongue numbness

Loss of tongue sensitivity is not an independent disease, but a symptom accompanying the underlying pathology. Only after identifying the reason why the tongue is numb will the specialist prescribe treatment, which will be aimed at eliminating the underlying disease or irritating factor.

In cases where paresthesia is caused by osteochondrosis, the following are indicated:

physiotherapy;
massage manipulations;
physiotherapy;
taking painkillers and drugs that enhance bone tissue regeneration.

Injuries that cause the feeling that the tip of the tongue is numb are treated with antiseptic rinses and dental gels. Allergic reactions that reduce the sensitivity of the organ are eliminated with antihistamines.

VSD (vegetative-vascular dystonia) is treated with drugs that increase blood circulation and dilate blood vessels in the brain. It is recommended to change the diet, introduce a nutritious diet, follow the rules of rest and work: 8-hour sleep, active lifestyle.

Oncological diseases require surgical intervention coupled with drug therapy, at the initial stage of the disease, endoscopy can be done. In case of laryngeal cancer, the affected tissue is removed; in case of pharyngeal cancer, partial removal is performed, followed by restoration using plastic surgery.

Trigeminal neuralgia can be treated surgically, but destruction of the nerve is often required. Radiosurgery, a minimally invasive (bloodless) operation, is sometimes used.

Numbness caused by diabetes mellitus is eliminated after a course of treatment of the underlying disease. Injections or tablets are prescribed to normalize insulin levels, which eliminates dry mouth, thirst and loss of sensitivity.

Treatment of tongue numbness with folk remedies

Depending on the cause of numbness in the tip, root, or sides of the tongue, treatment may include alternative medicine methods. Rinses and compresses can significantly improve the condition and speed up the restoration of sensitivity.

Common traditional medicine recipes used for diseases of the oral cavity:

Numbness of the tongue is a sign of a serious pathology, and not a separate disease. It is important to determine the root cause that caused the loss of organ sensitivity, and only a doctor can do this. Therefore, it is necessary to contact a therapist as soon as possible, who, after carrying out the necessary diagnostic measures, will redirect the patient to the right specialist. Timely identification of the cause of numbness and timely treatment will help prevent the development of the underlying disease and possible complications.