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Why do the tongue and the tip of the tongue go numb, the reasons
When the tongue grows numb, it is not a painful, but unpleasant sensation. It is considered normal when you return from the dentist or drank ice cold water, but if numbness occurs frequently, it’s time to find out the cause.
Numbness of the tongue in medical practice is considered one of the types of paresthesias. This is a tingling and creeping sensation that occurs when the sensitivity of any part of the body is disturbed.
If the tongue becomes numb often, you need to check your health
The reasons that the tongue grows numb may be as follows.
- Smoking. Tongue receptors react with numbness to low-quality or too strong tobacco.
- Temperature drops. Drinking icy or hot liquids can give you goosebumps.
- Reaction to medications. Potent drugs, with prolonged use, damage the nerve endings, and with some drugs, numbness of the tongue is a side effect.
- Allergy. The mucous membrane of the mouth may react with a tingling sensation to toothpaste, breath freshener, or chewing gum.
- Anemia. The tongue often grows numb with a deficiency of iron and B vitamins.
- Diseases of the esophagus. Brief numbness triggers reflux when stomach contents are thrown into the throat and mouth.
- Nervous disorders. Depression, sleep disturbances and frequent stress sometimes lead to a decrease in the sensitivity of certain parts of the body.
- Climax. Hormonal changes during this period sometimes increase the sensitivity of the mucous membranes, and sometimes cause numbness.
- Functional disorders during pregnancy. In some women, against the background of pressure surges in the last trimester, the tip of the tongue periodically grows numb.
Numbness of the tongue is not a disease, but this symptom should not be ignored. If the tongue or other parts of the body often lose sensitivity, you need to see a doctor and check your health.
What if the tongue grows numb?
If you have visited specialists and are convinced that your health is in perfect order, but your tongue tingles from time to time, simple recipes will help get rid of this sensation:
- 3 drops of iodine and 1 tsp. dissolve soda in a glass of warm water;
- 1 tbsp. l. pour boiling water over chamomile, sage or oak bark, cool and strain;
- 1 tsp St. John’s wort and 1 tsp. Pour celandine into a glass of boiling water and stand for 25-30 minutes.
Rinse your mouth with any of the suggested means 2-3 times a day, and the unpleasant sensations in the tongue will stop.
If the numbness happens once or twice, there is no reason to worry. But, when it is repeated often and causes you discomfort, you should not randomly look for the cause and postpone a visit to the doctor.
Expert Opinion
What does the body signal when the tongue starts to grow numb or other alarming symptoms appear?
Rehabilitation physician, host of the program “On the most important thing”
– Goosebumps, tingling and numbness come at the same time, all this is the result of a violation of sensitivity. In simple terms, problems with nerve endings. If this is an isolated case, there is no reason to worry: you may have been in an uncomfortable position for a long time or entered a warm room from the cold. Convulsions can start while playing sports. If you overestimate your capabilities, the brain sends a signal to block the muscles in order to avoid overstraining. Therefore, it is recommended to warm up before each workout.
But if you systematically experience discomfort for no apparent reason, you need to consult a doctor. Thus, the body can report micronutrient deficiencies, hormonal disruptions, neurological disease, or even stroke and multiple sclerosis. In no case is it possible to engage in self-diagnosis, only a doctor can make an accurate diagnosis after a serious examination. We have collected the main symptoms. With their help, knowing about your weak points, you can determine what problem to contact a specialist with.