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?
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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.
Nature of pain
- Pain is usually characterized by increased intracranial pressure.
- The headache appears sharply and unexpectedly. Such pain lasts from 6 to 10 hours. In certain situations, pain is permanent. Usually my head hurts in the morning.
- Headache may occur along with pain in the neck and temples.
- Some people feel nauseous. Sometimes it can be combined with vomiting.
- With SCH, vision may decrease and difficulties with swallowing may appear.
Determining the cause of tongue numbness by symptom localization
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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.
How dangerous is the phenomenon?
With SCH, numbness of the hands or tongue very often appears . At the first stage of the disease, such symptoms rarely occur, but as the disease progresses, numbness increases, which leads to certain bad consequences. Let's give one example: if such a disease occurs systematically, then it can lead to the death of the muscle responsible for the movement of the fingers.
Likely consequences
A person suffering from this disease constantly experiences pain. But besides this terrible condition, cervical osteochondrosis has a number of terrible consequences:
- disc rupture occurs;
- vertebrae crack.
These phenomena negatively affect the vessels and nerves that are located next to the spine. They are compressed and significant difficulties begin to appear.
In some cases, refusal of therapy leads to disability and death.
When and which doctor should I contact?
If you experience frequent headaches, numbness in your hands and tongue, then you should definitely visit a therapist. In turn, he should refer you to a specialist neurologist.
Professional treatment for tongue numbness
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Loss of tongue sensitivity is not an independent disease, but a symptom that accompanies 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.
Can a hand go numb due to problems with the upper spine?
Such an undesirable factor as numbness in the hand is known to many people.
For what reason this happens, we will consider in more detail below. Every person has experienced these sensations in their life. They usually occur due to being in an incorrect or uncomfortable position for a long period of time. But if the above symptoms bother you quite often, then you should pay attention to this. Often the cause of the condition lies in a disease such as SCH .
Treatment of tongue numbness with folk remedies
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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:
- A spoonful of soda and 4 drops of iodine are dissolved in a glass of warm water. Rinsing is done daily, morning and evening.
- If the cause of numbness in the mouth is a disorder of the nervous system, the use of chamomile and sage in therapy is effective.
In addition to pronounced anti-inflammatory properties, plants have a calming effect. Two tablespoons of dry herb are brewed with a glass of boiling water, the decoction is infused for 15 minutes. The resulting infusion is used for daily rinsing of the mouth and for oral administration: take 1 tablespoon. - A tablespoon of St. John's wort and the same amount of celandine are poured into a glass of boiling water and infused for about 30 minutes. The resulting infusion should be used to rinse your mouth morning and evening.
- You can fight lost sensitivity of the tongue with the help of garlic. To do this, take a garlic clove and roll it in your mouth. The procedure should be done as often as possible. After using garlic, apply a compress with sea buckthorn oil to the tongue, which will prevent possible irritation of the mucous membrane.
- Dried femoral grass is poured with a glass of water, brought to a boil, and then boiled for about 5 minutes. The broth must be filtered and cooled. Rinsing is done twice a day, after which 1 tablespoon of infusion is taken orally.
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.
Diagnostics
In order to determine the cause of numbness, you should visit a specialist neurologist. The doctor will refer you to the following types of diagnostics:
- It will be necessary to take a general blood test . Thanks to this analysis, it will be possible to see the overall picture of your health.
- X-ray and computed tomography . These methods will show whether there are bone fractures, arthritis, possible hernias, osteochondrosis and the presence of other diseases and pathologies.
- Electroneuromyography . Thanks to this research method, it is possible to determine the location of nerve damage.
- Ultrasound Doppler examination . Vascular diseases can be diagnosed.
In some cases, other research methods are also prescribed. As well as visits to doctors such as a dentist and traumatologist.
