What to do when your tongue hurts? Causes of discomfort and methods of treatment

In most cases, the term “neurosis” is associated with emotional lability, irritability, and a general deterioration in well-being. But sometimes neurotic disorders manifest themselves with completely unexpected symptoms, which causes an incorrect diagnosis and, accordingly, ineffective treatment. In some cases, the tongue may react to stressful situations and anxiety during neuroses. There is a distinct discomfort that is not associated with organic pathologies of the oral cavity. This condition is called glossalgia or language neurosis. Medicines prescribed by general practitioners either do not work or have only a short-term effect, but doctors at the Leto mental health center, if the psychogenic nature of the disease is suspected, offer a comprehensive examination to exclude somatic diseases. After confirming the diagnosis, we select psychotherapy tactics and, if necessary, add medications.

Causes of glossalgia

As with other somatoform neurotic disorders, the etiology of language neurosis is closely related to the influence of stress factors. This is any situation that is psychologically traumatic for a person, for example:

• conflicts in the family, serious quarrel with relatives, betrayal of a spouse, divorce;
• demotion (or lack of long-awaited career advancement), job loss;
• personal or global financial crisis, especially against the backdrop of the need to make regular loan payments;
• suffered a serious illness and fear of re-illness (relapse);
• any disaster (experienced earthquake, flood, fire, transport accident, etc.).

Persons who tend to repeatedly exaggerate the scale of existing problems are predisposed to language neurosis. Usually they lack optimism, do not like fun, do not like to joke themselves, and avoid noisy companies for fear of appearing funny. They are very demanding of others and are afraid of losing control of the situation. Therefore, in families where one or both parents have signs of a neurotic syndrome, the unquestioning authority of the father or mother usually “reigns”, children suffer from overprotection.

How to treat?

The disease should be treated in the early stages of development. Chronic pathology is practically not amenable to medication and will periodically remind itself. To treat the disease, antiviral, anti-inflammatory medications, and sometimes antibiotics are usually prescribed. Particular attention is paid to local treatment.

During the therapeutic process, patients are recommended to take medications that will increase salivary secretion. Medicines such as Pilocarpine, Potassium Iodide and Galantamine are usually administered using physiotherapeutic methods (electrophoresis, galvanization). In cases of severe pain, novocaine blockades are used. Surgery is indicated only in severe cases, when inflammation under the tongue is accompanied by the formation of purulent accumulations.

Treatment of a chronic inflammatory process in the salivary glands takes a longer time. Doctors recommend that during exacerbations of the disease, taking antibacterial drugs and medications that will increase the secretion of salivary fluid. Patients suffering from a chronic type of sialadenitis need regular prevention of pathology.

Symptoms of tongue neurosis

The syndrome has a very variable clinical picture; often the patient himself cannot find the appropriate words to describe his feelings. But the most common complaints are:

• tingling, numbness, itching, burning of the tongue, lips and oral mucosa;
• sensations of puffiness, swelling and heaviness of the tongue, as if it had been “sprinkled with pepper” or “scalded with boiling water”, dry mouth;
• impaired taste sensitivity, decreased salivation, often against this background appetite worsens and weight decreases;
• raw pain in the palate, tonsils, back of the throat;
• partial numbness of the mucous membrane;
• sensation of a foreign body in the mouth.

Discomfort occurs periodically; at the initial stage of the disorder, the duration of this kind of “attack” is 2–5 minutes, gradually unpleasant sensations appear more and more often and become permanent over time. Numbness of the tongue during neurosis, like other symptoms of the disorder, increases with the consumption of alcohol, peppery foods, pickles, too cold or vice versa, hot food and drinks.

The patient is convinced that because his tongue is swollen, he cannot speak clearly. A person reduces communication to a minimum, prefers correspondence to conversation and personal meetings, which does not have the best effect on speech functions and socialization skills in general.

A coated tongue during neurosis is uncharacteristic; the presence of plaque indicates the presence of a bacterial or viral process, but it is possible that it is of a secondary nature. For example, due to severe discomfort, a person constantly touches his face and lips with his hands, which provokes the development of an infectious process.

In addition, glossalgia often leads to a decrease in local immune defense. That is why tongue neurosis is often accompanied by stomatitis, laryngitis, chronic tonsillitis and/or pharyngitis.

Symptoms from the psycho-emotional sphere are also characteristic. A person experiences constant anxiety and internal tension. Characterized by insomnia with nightmares and restless dreams, irritability and intolerance, gloominess.

Sweating

Excessive sweating with VSD is a common symptom in which people try to get rid of the problem on their own. Self-medication for vegetative-vascular dysfunction can lead to the development of other manifestations of VSD.

Disorders in the functioning of the nervous system cause excessive sweating, which makes a person feel insecure. A lump in the throat with VSD and other symptoms if left untreated can cause consequences. Thus, with increased sweating, a favorable environment is created for the development of infections. The protective functions of the skin gradually deteriorate, so the skin can be affected by fungus.

To reduce sweating, specialists at the Yusupov Hospital recommend that patients get rid of bad habits, adhere to proper nutrition, and maintain a daily routine. During sessions, psychotherapists at the Yusupov Hospital help patients reduce anxiety and learn to relax.

Diagnosis of tongue neurosis

The fact is that the etiology of numbness, coating on the tongue and other manifestations of oral discomfort is sometimes not associated with stress. The reasons for such unpleasant sensations may be:

• Diseases of the digestive tract. In particular, the backflow (reflux) of intestinal contents into the trachea causes pain and a burning sensation in the throat and tongue.
• Circulatory disorders due to cardiac disorders.
• Neurological and endocrine pathologies.
• Allergic reaction to topical medications (rinses, lozenges, etc.).
• Infection of the oral cavity (usually stomatitis, fungal diseases).

Often characteristic symptoms occur after visiting the dentist. Glossalgia often appears after prosthetics due to injuries during orthopedic manipulations, allergies to the material from which the prostheses are made. The syndrome can also be a consequence of malocclusion, constant injury to the oral mucosa by unsuccessfully placed fillings, or dental plaque.

Many experts forget about the rather rare, but noteworthy syndrome of “galvanism” - insignificant electrical discharges that appear in the mouth in the presence of fillings or prostheses made of metal alloys, due to which the tongue becomes numb and pain appears.

To exclude the somatic etiology of the disorder, consultation with a dentist, ENT specialist, neurologist, cardiologist and gastroenterologist is necessary. The patient is also asked to take a general and biochemical blood test and do an ECG. It is advised to undergo a study to determine the indicators of local immunity of the oral cavity, assess the enzymatic activity of the salivary fluid, the content of protein and other elements in it, and the pH level.

Sore throat

Discomfort and sore throat with VSD occurs due to spasms of the muscles of the pharynx and larynx. If patients feel a lump in the throat during VSD, an experienced neurologist at the Yusupov Hospital will tell you how to get rid of this symptom.

A sore throat occurs in patients with VSD during the daytime. Many people experience serious stress when this symptom appears, as they consider discomfort in grief to be a manifestation of dangerous diseases, such as a malignant tumor or goiter of the thyroid gland. To eliminate throat discomfort, many people prefer to drink water, which brings temporary relief, but to completely eliminate the symptom, it is necessary to get rid of the root cause.

Cost of services

This list does not contain all prices for services provided by our clinic. The full price list can be found on the “Prices” , or by calling: 8(969)060-93-93. Initial consultation is FREE!

Diagnostic measures

The only correct decision regarding the appearance of the symptoms described above is to contact a knowledgeable specialist. Only a doctor can conduct a competent examination and identify the true cause of the discomfort. Thus, the main diagnostic procedures include:

1. general blood analysis,
2. taking a swab from the throat.

Tests can determine the true cause of the problem

Having the test results in hand, the doctor can significantly narrow the range of suspected diseases and even immediately make an accurate diagnosis. It is likely that at the stage of identifying the source of the problem, consultation with highly specialized specialists - a dentist, neurologist, gastroenterologist - may be required. Without knowing the exact doctor’s conclusion, you should not make any attempts to solve the problem yourself, otherwise you can only worsen the situation.

Principles of treatment

The treatment regimen proposed by the doctors of the Leto clinic is aimed at restoring normal psycho-emotional status, eliminating symptoms that bother the patient and preventing secondary complications. If the tongue twitches during neurosis or other symptoms of the syndrome are pronounced, drug treatment is indicated. It includes:

• sedatives;
• non-benzodiazepine anxiolytics;
• according to indications (for example, for severe insomnia) - antipsychotics;
• B vitamins, tocopherol, omega complex;
• nicotinic and ascorbic acid, drugs based on adenosine triphosphoric acid, glycine;
• iron supplements.

Various physiotherapeutic procedures that have a relaxing and calming effect have proven themselves well. We recommend:

• massage of the collar area;
• ozone and oxygen therapy;
• transcutaneous and transcranial electrical stimulation;
• hirudotherapy;
• laser therapy.

Regardless of clinical manifestations, neurotic disorders are an indication for consultation with a psychologist. The doctor will help the patient understand the cause of such unpleasant sensations, tell him how to properly respond to conflict and stressful situations, and help him find a solution to the problems that bother him.

Tongue neurosis is a rare disease, but quite amenable to outpatient treatment. You can get more detailed information from our consultants by calling 24/7 anonymous phone number 8(969)060-93-93 .

The tongue itches - what to do if the organ literally itches

The tongue can itch not only in a figurative sense. If you experience unpleasant irritating sensations, the first thing you should do is figure out what could be the reason for the appearance of this symptom. The organ is a muscle containing a huge number of nerves and blood vessels. The occurrence of discomfort, burning, soreness, swelling and itching in the tongue always indicates some pathological condition, and the symptom itself may be associated with dental disease and disturbances in the functioning of internal organs.

Why might my tongue itch?
In any case, if this symptom develops, you should immediately see a specialist. Further in this article we will find out why the tongue may itch, what preconditions contribute to this, and what to do in such a situation.