Bleeding Tongue: Treatment, Causes, and More

People can get occasional tongue bleeding because the location of your tongue makes it prone to injury. Other causes include yeast infections, blood vessel problems, ulcers, or in some cases, cancer.

Your tongue can be injured by many things, such as:

• biting it
• braces
• dentures
• crowns
• broken teeth
• radiation therapy
• sharp foods

Usually, a little bleeding is nothing to be concerned about. But there are other reasons why your tongue might bleed. While most aren’t serious, some symptoms should be watched and may require a visit to your doctor.

Health conditions that can cause your tongue to bleed run the gamut from minor issues that heal by themselves to conditions that require medical treatment.

Fungal infections, such as candidiasis or thrush, are common.

Thrush is most often seen in babies, people with illnesses that affect their immune system, and people taking antibiotics.

Thrush and other oral yeast infections cause painful white or yellow-white spots or open sores in the mouth and the back of the throat. They can interfere with eating and swallowing.

Under most circumstances, thrush isn’t serious. But a doctor should be notified when infants and people with compromised immune systems show symptoms of the condition.

Diagnosis

Oral fungal infections are usually diagnosed by visual examination.

Treatment

Antifungal creams are used to treat thrush and other fungal infections. If the infection is more widespread, your doctor may prescribe oral antifungal medications.

Oral herpes is an infection caused by the herpes simplex virus. Most cases of oral herpes are from HSV-1, commonly referred to as oral herpes.

While HSV-2 or genital herpes, is transmitted by skin-to-skin contact, HSV-1 can sometimes be transmitted through sharing towels, drinking glasses, forks, etc.

Oral herpes spreads by oral contact, usually through kissing or oral sex. You can also get it from contact with objects shared with a person who has an active case of herpes.

Between 50 and 80 percent of adult Americans have oral herpes.

Viral shedding can occur on inanimate objects which as towels, glasses, and forks, and transmission can occur if these items are shared.

Oral herpes goes through periods of dormancy and activation. The virus is most contagious during the active phase when blisters are present.

Symptoms of oral herpes include:

• redness and pain
• rash or fluid-filled blisters that break open and become sores
• clusters of blisters that grow together, forming a large lesion
• itching, tingling, or burning sensation on or in the mouth

Diagnosis

Oral herpes can be difficult to diagnose because it often looks like other conditions.

Although some doctors may diagnose herpes by visual examination, it’s more reliably diagnosed by taking a virus culture.

Treatment

Oral herpes can’t be cured, but medication can help control the symptoms. Medication can also lengthen how long the condition is dormant.

Oral antiviral medications and topical creams, like docosanol (Abreva), are the primary treatment for oral herpes.

Bleeding from the tongue can be caused by malformations of blood vessels, called hemangiomas. It also can happen because of lymph system abnormalities, such as lymphangiomas and cystic hygromas.

These conditions are often found on the head and neck — and in the mouth.

In most cases, babies are born with these conditions. About 90 percent of these malformations will develop before children reach age 2.

Scientists believe they’re caused by an error in the development of the vascular system. More rarely, they occur because of an injury to women during pregnancy.

Diagnosis

Malformations of blood vessels and lymph system abnormalities are diagnosed by visual examination.

Treatment

Despite the alarming sound of their names, these tumors and lesions are almost never dangerous or cancerous. They usually don’t cause discomfort. If they’re not unsightly or troublesome, they don’t require treatment.

When they do, doctors may prescribe steroids or remove them surgically.

Mouth ulcers are also called stomatitis or canker sores. They’re small, white sores that appear in your mouth, including on the tongue. Though they can be painful, they’re rarely cause for alarm.

Sometimes, larger ulcers with red, circular edges can appear. These can be more painful and harder to get rid of.

Treatment

Mouth ulcers normally clear up without treatment within a couple of weeks. For relief of symptoms, your pharmacist can recommend over-the-counter mouthwashes and lozenges.

Oral and oropharyngeal cancers often begin as a single mouth ulcer that doesn’t heal. Over time, the ulcer expands and may become hard. These ulcers can be painful and may bleed.

Cancer on the top of the tongue is oral cancer, or cancer of the mouth. If cancer is on the underside of the tongue, it’s considered an oropharyngeal cancer, which is a cancer of the middle throat.

When caught and treated early, these cancers can often be cured.

Some conditions and lifestyle choices place you at greater risk of getting oral or oropharyngeal cancer:

• smoking or chewing tobacco
• regular heavy drinking
• having certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV)
• having AIDS or HIV

Diagnosis

Oral and oropharyngeal cancers are usually diagnosed via biopsy of the affected tissue. If the biopsy reveals cancer, your doctor will conduct further tests to determine if the cancer has spread.

These may include:

• an endoscopy or nasoendoscopy, which lets the doctor look more closely at your throat and airways
• imaging tests such as X-rays, computed tomography (CAT or CT scan), or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

Treatment

Treatment options for these cancers may include:

• surgery to remove the tumor and other areas where the cancer has spread
• radiation therapy, which destroys cancer cells
• chemotherapy, which uses drugs to destroy cancer cells

Home remedies may not cure whatever condition is causing your tongue to bleed, but they can provide relief.

Here are some tips to ease a bleeding tongue:

• Place ice wrapped in gauze or a clean washcloth on the sore or wound and apply gentle pressure until the bleeding stops. Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly first.
• Eat yogurt with live and active cultures (check the label!). These can help restore healthy levels of bacteria in your system. The yogurt may also help boost your immune system and aid in digestion.
• Add 1 teaspoon of salt or baking soda to a cup of warm water and use it to rinse your mouth out several times per day.
• Gargle several times per day with antiseptic mouthwash or a mix of equal parts hydrogen peroxide and water.
• If you have canker sores, dab them with milk of magnesia several times per day.
• Eat popsicles and sip cool water through a straw to help relieve symptoms.
• Avoid acidic and very spicy foods, which can irritate lesions on your tongue and trigger canker sores.
• Avoid very hot food and water.

Although mouth ulcers are rarely serious, see your doctor if you continue getting them.

If you have a mouth ulcer that lasts longer than 3 weeks, you should ask your doctor to take a look, as well. Let your doctor know if you have continuing pain or if the wound develops pus or odors.

Although the causes of bleeding from your tongue vary, there are general guidelines that will help prevent many conditions.

Follow these tips:

• Maintain good oral health by visiting your dentist regularly and brushing your teeth as instructed.
• If you wear dentures, clean them every day as directed by your dentist.
• Avoid smoking and heavy alcohol use.

Most of the conditions that cause your tongue to bleed don’t pose a lasting threat to your health. However, it’s important to see your doctor if you have symptoms that don’t improve or if you have symptoms of oral cancer.

Bleeding Tongue: Treatment, Causes, and More

People can get occasional tongue bleeding because the location of your tongue makes it prone to injury. Other causes include yeast infections, blood vessel problems, ulcers, or in some cases, cancer.

Your tongue can be injured by many things, such as:

• biting it
• braces
• dentures
• crowns
• broken teeth
• radiation therapy
• sharp foods

Usually, a little bleeding is nothing to be concerned about. But there are other reasons why your tongue might bleed. While most aren’t serious, some symptoms should be watched and may require a visit to your doctor.

Health conditions that can cause your tongue to bleed run the gamut from minor issues that heal by themselves to conditions that require medical treatment.

Fungal infections, such as candidiasis or thrush, are common.

Thrush is most often seen in babies, people with illnesses that affect their immune system, and people taking antibiotics.

Thrush and other oral yeast infections cause painful white or yellow-white spots or open sores in the mouth and the back of the throat. They can interfere with eating and swallowing.

Under most circumstances, thrush isn’t serious. But a doctor should be notified when infants and people with compromised immune systems show symptoms of the condition.

Diagnosis

Oral fungal infections are usually diagnosed by visual examination.

Treatment

Antifungal creams are used to treat thrush and other fungal infections. If the infection is more widespread, your doctor may prescribe oral antifungal medications.

Oral herpes is an infection caused by the herpes simplex virus. Most cases of oral herpes are from HSV-1, commonly referred to as oral herpes.

While HSV-2 or genital herpes, is transmitted by skin-to-skin contact, HSV-1 can sometimes be transmitted through sharing towels, drinking glasses, forks, etc.

Oral herpes spreads by oral contact, usually through kissing or oral sex. You can also get it from contact with objects shared with a person who has an active case of herpes.

Between 50 and 80 percent of adult Americans have oral herpes.

Viral shedding can occur on inanimate objects which as towels, glasses, and forks, and transmission can occur if these items are shared.

Oral herpes goes through periods of dormancy and activation. The virus is most contagious during the active phase when blisters are present.

Symptoms of oral herpes include:

• redness and pain
• rash or fluid-filled blisters that break open and become sores
• clusters of blisters that grow together, forming a large lesion
• itching, tingling, or burning sensation on or in the mouth

Diagnosis

Oral herpes can be difficult to diagnose because it often looks like other conditions.

Although some doctors may diagnose herpes by visual examination, it’s more reliably diagnosed by taking a virus culture.

Treatment

Oral herpes can’t be cured, but medication can help control the symptoms. Medication can also lengthen how long the condition is dormant.

Oral antiviral medications and topical creams, like docosanol (Abreva), are the primary treatment for oral herpes.

Bleeding from the tongue can be caused by malformations of blood vessels, called hemangiomas. It also can happen because of lymph system abnormalities, such as lymphangiomas and cystic hygromas.

These conditions are often found on the head and neck — and in the mouth.

In most cases, babies are born with these conditions. About 90 percent of these malformations will develop before children reach age 2.

Scientists believe they’re caused by an error in the development of the vascular system. More rarely, they occur because of an injury to women during pregnancy.

Diagnosis

Malformations of blood vessels and lymph system abnormalities are diagnosed by visual examination.

Treatment

Despite the alarming sound of their names, these tumors and lesions are almost never dangerous or cancerous. They usually don’t cause discomfort. If they’re not unsightly or troublesome, they don’t require treatment.

When they do, doctors may prescribe steroids or remove them surgically.

Mouth ulcers are also called stomatitis or canker sores. They’re small, white sores that appear in your mouth, including on the tongue. Though they can be painful, they’re rarely cause for alarm.

Sometimes, larger ulcers with red, circular edges can appear. These can be more painful and harder to get rid of.

Treatment

Mouth ulcers normally clear up without treatment within a couple of weeks. For relief of symptoms, your pharmacist can recommend over-the-counter mouthwashes and lozenges.

Oral and oropharyngeal cancers often begin as a single mouth ulcer that doesn’t heal. Over time, the ulcer expands and may become hard. These ulcers can be painful and may bleed.

Cancer on the top of the tongue is oral cancer, or cancer of the mouth. If cancer is on the underside of the tongue, it’s considered an oropharyngeal cancer, which is a cancer of the middle throat.

When caught and treated early, these cancers can often be cured.

Some conditions and lifestyle choices place you at greater risk of getting oral or oropharyngeal cancer:

• smoking or chewing tobacco
• regular heavy drinking
• having certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV)
• having AIDS or HIV

Diagnosis

Oral and oropharyngeal cancers are usually diagnosed via biopsy of the affected tissue. If the biopsy reveals cancer, your doctor will conduct further tests to determine if the cancer has spread.

These may include:

• an endoscopy or nasoendoscopy, which lets the doctor look more closely at your throat and airways
• imaging tests such as X-rays, computed tomography (CAT or CT scan), or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

Treatment

Treatment options for these cancers may include:

• surgery to remove the tumor and other areas where the cancer has spread
• radiation therapy, which destroys cancer cells
• chemotherapy, which uses drugs to destroy cancer cells

Home remedies may not cure whatever condition is causing your tongue to bleed, but they can provide relief.

Here are some tips to ease a bleeding tongue:

• Place ice wrapped in gauze or a clean washcloth on the sore or wound and apply gentle pressure until the bleeding stops. Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly first.
• Eat yogurt with live and active cultures (check the label!). These can help restore healthy levels of bacteria in your system. The yogurt may also help boost your immune system and aid in digestion.
• Add 1 teaspoon of salt or baking soda to a cup of warm water and use it to rinse your mouth out several times per day.
• Gargle several times per day with antiseptic mouthwash or a mix of equal parts hydrogen peroxide and water.
• If you have canker sores, dab them with milk of magnesia several times per day.
• Eat popsicles and sip cool water through a straw to help relieve symptoms.
• Avoid acidic and very spicy foods, which can irritate lesions on your tongue and trigger canker sores.
• Avoid very hot food and water.

Although mouth ulcers are rarely serious, see your doctor if you continue getting them.

If you have a mouth ulcer that lasts longer than 3 weeks, you should ask your doctor to take a look, as well. Let your doctor know if you have continuing pain or if the wound develops pus or odors.

Although the causes of bleeding from your tongue vary, there are general guidelines that will help prevent many conditions.

Follow these tips:

• Maintain good oral health by visiting your dentist regularly and brushing your teeth as instructed.
• If you wear dentures, clean them every day as directed by your dentist.
• Avoid smoking and heavy alcohol use.

Most of the conditions that cause your tongue to bleed don’t pose a lasting threat to your health. However, it’s important to see your doctor if you have symptoms that don’t improve or if you have symptoms of oral cancer.

What is glossitis: causes, types, symptoms

Author:

Marbery Gedrean
| Checked by: Shteba Victoria Petrovna

| Last revised: October 11, 2021.

Glossitis is an inflammation of the tongue that occurs as an independent disease or a symptom of other disorders in the body. In some cases, changes in this organ may be the only manifestation of any pathology. Without high-quality treatment, it becomes chronic, then deformities, ulcers, growths appear. If this problem occurs, you should contact your dentist.

Causes

The inflammatory process is provoked by pathogenic microorganisms when local immunity ceases to cope with them. Quite often, the herpes virus becomes the cause, when it is in a latent state for a long time, and when immunity decreases, it makes itself felt.

Other possible causes include:

• Chemical burns.
• Soft tissue injury.
• Acute abuse.
• Use of alcohol.
• Overindulgence in rinses and mouth fresheners.
• Allergy to hygiene products.

The risk group includes smokers, the elderly, people with diseases of the digestive system, autoimmune disorders. The oral cavity has ideal conditions for the development of pathogenic microflora, so neglect of hygiene and the presence of dental diseases can also cause problems with the tongue.

Types and symptoms

The disease manifests itself differently depending on the species.

Catarrhal

A common mild form of the disease, in which only the surface layer of the organ is affected. The tongue swells, turns red, and a plaque appears on it. Fungus is a common cause. In some cases, catarrhal glossitis is the result of beriberi and stomatitis.

Purulent

The most severe form, in which deep tissues are affected. The tongue is very swollen and sore. Painful purulent wounds appear on it. The disease is accompanied by a deterioration in well-being, an increase in temperature.

Ulcerative

This form of the disease is accompanied by the formation of multiple ulcers that bleed periodically. Eating becomes difficult due to severe pain. Hypertrophy and edema of the organ lead to impaired speech.

Secondary glossitis is of the following types:

• Desquamative. Furrows, lines are observed in the tongue, it begins to resemble a geographical map. Often observed in people with gastrointestinal diseases and pregnant women.
• Villus. Growth of filiform papillae occurs. The disease appears with frequent damage to the tongue and candidiasis.
• Gunterovsky. Appears with anemia. The tongue becomes smooth, bright red, the papillae atrophy.
• Middle. The epithelium thickens, diamond-shaped areas appear. Appears in people with diseases of the stomach.

The most severe form of the disease is interstitial, which is a precancerous condition. It also acts as a sign of syphilis.

The main symptoms of glossitis with which you need to go to the dentist are:

• Discomfort and pain during eating, talking.
• Swelling and redness.
• Thick coating.
• Shape change.
• Appearance of ulcers, erosions, pustules.
• Enlargement or reduction of papillae.

In case of a complicated course, the following are observed symptoms:

• Constant burning.
• Change in taste.
• Increased salivation.
• Speech disorder.
• Persistent malodor.

Glossitis should be treated under medical supervision. An integrated approach is used to eliminate the symptoms and causes.

Book an appointment with the dentist.

Glossitis of the tongue – symptoms and treatment in ON CLINIC Ryazan

Glossitis is an inflammatory process localized in the region of the tongue. The inflammation can be very painful and cause significant discomfort to the patient, preventing him from talking and eating.

In our medical center in Ryazan, glossitis of the tongue is treated using the most effective modern techniques. If it is drug therapy, for example, then the patient is prescribed the latest generation of drugs with a minimum of side effects. Treatment of inflammation under the guidance of one of our qualified specialists allows you to get rid of unpleasant symptoms in a matter of days!

Causes of inflammation of the tongue

The factors provoking the development of this disease include, first of all, damage to the tongue and infection of its tissues with pathogens. Such microorganisms include, for example, fungi of the genus Candida, as well as the herpes virus. Mechanical damage to the tongue, gums and the inner surface of the cheeks, as well as their thermal and chemical burns, greatly increases the risk of such infection.

Other factors that can provoke the development of a glossitis clinic in a patient include:

• consumption of strong alcoholic beverages. In alcoholics, inflammation of the tongue is common;
• smoking. The more cigarettes a person smokes daily, the more he risks;
• eating hot dishes and drinks, as well as dishes richly flavored with spices;
• Finally, an allergy to mouthwash, toothpaste, lozenges or chewing gum can cause inflammation.

In addition, glossitis can be one of the complications of some systemic diseases. These include primarily anemia and beriberi, as well as some dermatological diseases.

Symptoms of glossitis

The manifestations of this disease depend primarily on its variety. It is worth saying a few words about the most common:

• deep glossitis, in which the inflammatory process is localized deep in the tissues of the tongue. The manifestations of this type of disease are similar to the typical symptoms of phlegmon or abscess;
• phlegmonous, in which inflammation is localized in the lower part of the oral cavity;
• superficial – in this case, the inflammatory process affects only the mucous membrane;
• catarrhal, the main symptom of which is the formation on the surface of the tongue of a thick layer of plaque of a dense consistency. Over time, this leads to the fact that the tongue swells and increases in size, preventing normal eating and making the patient’s speech illegible. May also be accompanied by severe salivation;
• in patients with ulcerative glossitis, the tongue is coated with an unpleasant dark gray color. Cleaning off this plaque, a person discovers erosion and ulcers on the tongue. They can bleed and be quite painful. This form of the disease leads to bad breath.

These are the most common, but not all possible types of glossitis. For example, there is also such a disease of unknown etiology as a black villous tongue. In patients suffering from it, the papillae on the surface of this organ increase in size, while becoming brown-brown or black. The general symptoms of glossitis that accompany all its forms include swelling of the tongue, difficulty chewing and swallowing food, difficulty speaking, burning of the tongue and plaque on its surface.

Diagnosis and treatment of inflammation of the tongue

For an experienced doctor – namely, such specialists accept patients at ON CLINIC Ryazan – the diagnosis of “Glossitis” is not difficult. The doctor will examine the patient’s oral cavity, determine if there are papillomas in his palate and tongue, and also identify the factors that provoked the development of the disease and prescribe treatment. In some cases, PCR diagnostics and other studies may be required to clarify the causes of the disease.

Treatment of glossitis, depending on the type of this disease, may include taking anti-inflammatory, antibiotics, immunomodulators, hormone-containing and other pharmaceuticals. Also, the attending physician prescribes local therapy – rinses and applications. A diet is recommended with the complete exclusion from the diet of foods that potentially irritate the surface of the tongue.

The most severe forms of glossitis, which are accompanied by keratinization of the papillae, are subject to surgical treatment. The most popular for the removal of areas of hyperkeratosis is cryodestruction, as well as laser and radio wave treatment.

However, like the vast majority of other diseases, inflammation of the tongue is easier to prevent than to treat it.