How To Get The White Of Your Tongue

Though small, you tongue plays some of the major roles in your body. This not only includes eating and talking, the tongues is also a primary indicator of your general health. Sore what does it mean when you have sore under the tongue?

In this topic, we share some of the common cases of painful under tongue sores, their symptoms, treatment and how to get rid of them at home. Here is an insight of what those small, red or white sores on sides, tip, and back of tongue might be.

Pain under tongue

Pain under the tongue is not only annoying but can also irritating and could make it difficult to eat or talk. Pain under the tongue, on sides (right or left) or on the back of the tongue is however not serious in most cases. There is an array of problems that could lead to your tongue becoming painful.

Depending on what the underlying cause of the pain is, you more likely to observe symptoms such as color changes, loss of taste, soreness of the tongue, swelling and in most cases change in texture on the surface of the tongue.

Though in most cases pain under the tongue is not considered serious, sometimes the pain might be a sign or symptom of an underlying medical condition. In such cases, urgent medical diagnosis and treatment are required.

Under tongue pain is most like likely to be caused by the following:

Canker and cold sores
Red or white painful bumps or lumps on tongue
Oral thrush also known as oral candidiasis
Geographic tongue which is a harmless condition that might affect the surface of the tongue
Excessive mouth dehydration
Injuries from dentures and braces
Burning mouth syndrome (may also cause pain on lips, gums, palate, and throat)

Related posts:

Sharp pain in tongue, both sides, under and on tip
How to stop peeling tongue during pregnancy
How to get rid of blisters on sides of tongue
How to make tongue swelling go down

Causes of tongue sores

In men, women, and children, a number of conditions could lead to pain and abnormalities inside the mouth. These abnormalities would include bumps, sores, ulcers, patches and spots on or under the tongue. Most of these conditions are also accompanied by pain, swelling, and feeling of burning sensation inside the mouth, on sides of the tongue and under the tongue.

Also Read: Sharp pain in tongue, both sides, under and on tip

Sore of the common causes of sore under the tongue would include the following:

Irritation from foreign objects

The other common cause of tongue sores and pain is the use of orthodontic devices such as braces and dentures. These foreign objects are known to cause pain and irritation inside mouth if they don't fit right.

Irritation causing sores are common just after getting the braces or dentures. The sores on tongue and mouth from this form of irritation is not serious and can be relieved using over the counter pain medication or by simply gargling inside of the mouth with saline solution.

You could also choose to have the dentures and braces removed if they continue to cause pain and irritation.

Strained tongue

Though rare, pain in tongue could occur as a result of a strained tongue. A strained tongue would rarely occur from overexertion or overuse of the tongue muscle.

Inflamed tongue

Inflamed tongue medically known as glossitis is also a possible cause of tongue pain. The inflammation of the tongue is most likely to be a sign of an underlying condition.

Acute inflammation of the tongue has a sudden onset whereas chronic inflammation is recurring and generally signals an underlying health condition.

Some of the potential cause of tongue inflammation include:

Allergic reaction to food and drugs
Low iron level
Mouth trauma
Certain health conditions

Related post: How to make tongue swelling go down

Other common causes of tongue sores are:

Syphilis tongue sores
Canker sore on tongue
Cold sores under tongue
Tongue blisters
Scalding or biting your tongue
Oral cancer
Allergic reaction inside tongue
Lichen planus
Mouth dehydration
Malnutrition or nutritional deficiency
Glossopharyngeal neuralgia
Geographic tongue
Drug allergy or medical side effects

How to get rid of canker sores on tongue

Canker sores are said to be one of the most common inflammatory conditions of the mouth. Though the condition could affect anybody, women are said to be more like to be affected compared to men. These sores are not contagious.

How can you get rid of canker sores on the tongue? In most of the cases, no treatment is required to get rid of canker sores. This is because these sores often heal without treatment between 8-10 days. There are however some simple remedies you can use at home to get rid of canker sores.

You could try the following to get rid of canker sores:

Rinse with Aloe Vera Gel
Apply raw organic honey
Rinse with saline solution
Use tea tree oil to rinse your mouth
Try the antiseptic properties of hydrogen peroxide

You might like: How to get rid of blisters on sides of tongue

Lie bumps on tongue

Lie bumps or transient lingual capillitia are small red or white bumps that appear on the tongue. They can be very painful and uncomfortable, they, however, require no treatment as they can heal on their own within a week or two.

These painful bumps picked their name from a myth that believed them to appear as a result of telling lies. These bumps are very common, it is however not accurately known what the actual cause of the bumps is.

These bumps can be shown by the following symptoms:

Red or white bumps tip, sides, under and back of tongue
Painful bump on tongue even when not eating
Burning, itching and tingling sensation on tongue
Swollen glands and fever

With lie bumps, your health care provider generally does not need to do much in terms of treatment. If the bumps persist for more than two days, you could try the following home remedies to relieve the pain and help get rid of the condition.

Try over the counter pain relievers
Rinse and gargle with salt water
Make sure you keep your mouth clean by brushing with antibacterial mouthwash
You can also use topical treatment such as Zilactin which helps cover the bumps from irritation

Related post: How to stop peeling tongue during pregnancy

Cause of pain on right, left side and tip of tongue

As already mentioned, there are different conditions that might lead to a sore and painful tongue. The pain can be on any part of the tongue. It can be on the tip of the tongue, sides of the tongue, back of the tongue or under the tongue.

In most cases, the pain is often something you need not worry about. However, in other cases, the pain can be a sign or symptom of a serious underlying medical condition. If the pain on the right, left or tip of tongue persists for than a day, we recommend you have it checked out by a professional medical practitioner as soon as possible.

Some of the possible causes of painful sides and the tip of the tongue might include:

Bacterial or viral infection inside mouth
Cankers sores on side and tip of tongue
Folate deficiencies
Injuries such as biting the tip or sides of tongue
Irritation from foreign objects such as braces and tongue piercing rings

Symptoms of tongue problems

Most of the tongue problems causing you pain and discomfort can be prevented simply by maintaining proper oral hygiene. For minor problems, however, there are simple home remedies you can use to relieve the pain or reduce the discomfort.

For severe pain or tongue problem, however, urgent and proper medical diagnosis and treatment is required. We recommend you see a medical practitioner if you notice any of the flowing symptoms:

Painful sore under tongue
Partial or complete loss of taste
Furry appearance on sides, or surface of tongue
You find it hard or difficult to freely move your tongue
Swelling of the tongue
Pain on tip, sides or the entire tongue
Painful red or white patches and spots on tongue
Change in normal color of tongue

Related post:How to make tongue swelling go down, How to stop peeling tongue during pregnancy

Painful Sores on back of tongue

Could the painful bumps on the back of tongue be a sign of cancer? If not, what causes bumps or sores on the back of tongue?

Painful sores on the back of the tongue is often not a serious condition. However, if the pain gets very unbearable, urgent medical attention is required. Often, red or white painful sores on the back of tongue can be as a result of swollen or enlarged papillae on the tongue.

Papillae on the tongue are simply the small fresh projection or rounded protuberance that occur on the surface of the tongue. Your papillae will swell or enlarge as a result of:

Eating too hot or spicy foods
Allergic reaction to food or medicine
Viral, bacterial or sexually transmitted infections such as HIV/AIDS and HPV
Trauma and injuries from roughly brushing your tongue
Kawasaki disease, common in children and can be shown by symptoms such as red, small lumps on tongue

White sore on tongue, under tongue

White sore on the tongue or under the tongue is most likely to be a sign of canker sores. According to WebMD, canker sores are small, shallow ulcers that often appear inside mouth. These white sores can be painful and annoying. They are also known to make eating and talking uncomfortable.

Canker sores can be of two types, simple and complex canker sore. The exact cause of these sores is unknown. Stress and tissue injuries are thought to be the main cause of simple canker sores.

On the other hand, underlying conditions such as weak or compromised immune system, nutritional deficiency and gastrointestinal disease such as Crohn's disease are what might cause complex canker sores.

Most people confuse canker sore with cold sores. The two are not the same. Cold sores are a group of painful fluid-filled blisters. Cold sores are caused by a virus and are extremely contagious. The other difference is that these sores often appear outside the mouth.

Red sores and dots under tongue

Red colored sores and dots under or on side of tongue are not specific to a certain oral condition. The red sores can be caused by any of the conditions discussed above.

Red sores the tongue can be seen in people with oral cancer, fever blisters (cold sores). Red sores on the tongue can also be caused by swollen or inflamed papillae.

Regardless of what is causing the red painful sores, there are simple things you can do to ease or relieve the discomfort. You could try to apply a cold compress, or use over the counter anti-inflammatory and pain medication.

See a doctor if the red sore becomes painful or start to spread to other parts of the tongue like the tip, right or left side and at the back of the tongue.

Tongue sores treatment

Treating tongue sores will in most cases vary depending on how severe the symptoms or the underlying cause of the tongue sores are. Tongue sores treatment will also vary from one person to the other depending on:

How strong one's immune system is
The overall health condition of the patient
And how recurrent or persistent the tongue sores have been

When all those factors are put into consideration, your health care provider will then try any of the following treatment options to try and get rid of the sores under tongue, on sides, tip and back of the tongue.

In most people, treatment will involve:

1. Maintaining proper oral hygiene. This involves flossing or brushing your mouth, gums, and tongue daily to keep them free form viral and bacterial infections.
If the sores under tongue or on sides of tongue make it hard to brush your mouth, then you could rinse your mouth with antibacterial mouthwash. With this, you are able to keep your mouth clean while reducing the irritation.
The other option is treating the underlying causes of the tongue sores. Candidiasis, oral thrush, canker sores and cold sores can be treated with antifungals. This medication can be in form of mouth rinse for minor cases and oral tablets in severe cases.
To speed up the healing you will also be required to drink plenty of water and fluids. This way you are able to keep your mouth hydrated which will help reduce pain and irritation inside the mouth and on the tongue.

How to get rid of tongue sores

Minor cases of sore under the tongue can be managed at home using simple home remedies. If the discomfort becomes unbearable, however, then you will need to have a professional health care provider check it out as soon as possible.

At home, you can use the following to get rid of sores under the tongue, on side of tongue and at the back of the tongue.

1. Using hydrogen peroxide to get rid of tongue sores

As mentioned, most of the oral conditions can be avid simply by maintaining proper oral hygiene. Washing your mouth with hydrogen peroxide is one of the ways you can ensure your mouth is clean and free from bacteria.

You could also apply the hydrogen peroxide directly on the sores using a clean cotton ball.

2. How to use saline solution to get rid of tongue sore on tip, back and sides of tongue

Gargling with saline water is one of the simple remedies you can try to get rid of painful red or white sores under the tongue.

For blisters and fluid-filled bumps inside the mouth, this remedy works by drawing out the fluid. This is what helps speed up the healing of the sores. Salt is also a great antibacterial agent. For canker sores, cold sores and sores from bites and trauma, the remedy can help prevent bacterial infection.

3. Vitamin diet to get rid of tongue sores

When the underlying cause of sore under the tongue is minerals or vitamin deficiency, then maintaining a diet rich in the said vitamin is the best home remedy.

To boost your body vitamin, ensure you eat plenty of:

Beef, liver, eggs, and carrots for vitamin A
Broccoli, spinach, kale, tomatoes, and oranges for vitamin C
Fortified cereals, yogurt, beans and Swiss cheese for zinc
Soya milk, sour cream, cereals and spinach for calcium

4. Aloe Vera gel for sores on right and left side of tongue

Aloe Vera is a good natural remedy for canker sores. It is antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and can have a great soothing effect for sores on tongue. All you have to do is rub some fresh Aloe Vera gel on the sores to relieve the pain, itching, and inflammation.

5. Natural yogurt for sores inside mouth

Painful red or white sore under the tongue can also be treated using natural probiotic like yogurt.

Natural probiotics are live bacteria and yeast that can be very good for your general health. Apart from yogurt, these probiotics can be found in food supplements.

6. Coconut oil for canker sores

For those with cancer sore, applying canker sores can be a great way to get rid of the sores. Coconut oil is rich in anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. Apart from soothing the sores under the tongue, this remedy can help to prevent infections and also speed up the healing of the said sores.

7. Honey rub for painful sores under tongue

At home, you can also reap the great healing, soothing and antimicrobial properties of raw Manuka honey.

For open sores, applying honey can hurt for some minutes. The remedy will, however, work to relieve the pain and get rid of the itching and inflammation.

The other alternative when using honey is mixing it with turmeric powder to achieve a fine paste that you can then apply on the sores on the right or left side of the tongue.

8. Avoid hot or spicy foods

9. over the counter pain medication

When the pain and irritation caused by the sores under tongue becomes unbearable, you can try over the counter pain medication to try and ease down the pain.

10. Avoid further irritation

With sore under tongue, it helps to reduce further irritation that could worsen the condition and make it even more unbearable. The right thing to do would be to drink cold beverages.

You will also need to eat only bland, soft foods until the sores under the tongue, on right or left sides, tip and back of the tongue are completely healed.