We are used to the fact that we need to go to the dentist if we have problems with our teeth or gums. What to do if you have inflammation of the tongue or glossitis? Dentists identify more than 10 types and subtypes of infection. The infection can be caused by both fungus and bacteria. Viral infection is less common. Inflammation can be caused by a lack of certain vitamins and minerals, or hormonal changes. There are many reasons for the disease, so it is important to identify what exactly caused the inflammatory process.
Causes of glossitis
- improper oral hygiene;
- bacterial infection;
- fungal infection;
- heavy metal poisoning;
- bad habits (smoking, alcoholism);
- congenital pathologies of the tongue (folded tongue);
- allergic reaction;
- tongue injury (often caused by malocclusion);
- oral infections;
- lack of iron in the body;
- burn of the mucous membrane (hot food or drinks);
- infectious diseases (AIDS, tuberculosis, scarlet fever, measles).
Causes of pimples in the mouth
70% of red, white or pinkish rashes in the oral cavity, including on the tongue, indicate the presence of a serious dental disease. The asymptomatic course of the disease does not mean that the “trouble” will go away on its own. However, prescribing treatment on your own, guided by the advice of friends or recommendations from the Internet, is dangerous.
Important!
In principle, there cannot be acne on the tongue. Purulent skin rashes develop due to inflammation of the sebaceous glands, which are not present in the mouth. Accordingly, we call those pimples that appear in the oral cavity “pimples” by analogy. Just by external similarity.
There are several reasons for the appearance of irritations that visually resemble pimples:
- mechanical damage. A prick with a fish bone, a scratch, a burn from hot coffee can provoke a similar pathology;
- allergy. Not necessarily to foods; a seasonal allergic reaction is possible, manifesting itself in such an unusual way;
- viral and infectious diseases. Herpes, rubella, scarlet fever and ARVI sometimes manifest themselves as rashes in the mouth;
- fungal infection (candidiasis);
- stomatitis. Usually, with stomatitis, pimples first appear on the gums, but sometimes red spots with a whitish halo, which react sharply to touch or spicy/hot food, form over the entire lingual surface.
There is no point in waiting until diseases become chronic. In 98% of cases, such pathologies are treated quickly and inexpensively, if you do not neglect the condition and do not self-medicate.
The most common types of glossitis
The most common occurrences in dental practice are:
- acute catarrhal glossitis;
- tongue abscess;
- desquamative glossitis.
Acute catarrhal glossitis is the most common type of inflammation. Inflammation can be caused by microbes or mechanical damage to the tongue. The predominant symptoms are pain, redness and swelling.
A tongue abscess is the appearance of an abscess in the tongue. The abscess can be superficial, under the mucous membrane, or maybe in the thickness of the tongue. Abscesses in the thickness of the tongue, in addition to pain in the tongue, can cause a disturbance in the general condition. A person develops a fever, a headache, and weakness. Most often occurs due to injury to the tongue.
Desquamative glossitis, also known as “geographic tongue,” most often appears in children. It appears in the form of various spots on the tongue, which look like a white coating, alternating with areas of pink mucous membrane. There are no changes other than appearance. Scientists have identified a clear reason for it. The main factors are believed to be bacteria, allergic reactions and hormonal imbalances.
The appearance of a pimple on the tongue: diseases and treatment
The most harmless reason for the appearance of a pimple on the tip of the tongue is mechanical damage. Regular antiseptic treatment is enough to get rid of the problem. To relieve inflammation, you can use decoctions of sage and chamomile. A prerequisite is not to touch the wound with your hands, as you risk causing a more serious infection.
Allergy
It usually manifests itself as a scattering of small pimples throughout the tongue plate; if treatment is not addressed immediately, the pathology penetrates the root of the tongue, the frenulum and affects the larynx.
Symptoms of glossitis
- increased salivation;
- swelling and redness;
- pain and burning when eating;
- plaque on the tongue in the form of spots;
- bad breath;
- papillomas or warts on the tongue;
- speech disorder;
- foreign body sensation.
Prevention of glossitis - high-quality oral hygiene and no bad habits. It is important to undergo timely preventive examinations and also eat well. All these factors actively contribute to the development of the disease and bring a number of problems.
Quite often, children develop pimples on their tongues caused by an allergic reaction of the body.
If there is an allergy, the child's tongue becomes covered exclusively with white blisters. This is their main feature. First, you need to exclude foods that could cause allergies from your diet. You will also temporarily have to give up scented soaps, powders and other detergents of synthetic origin. Believe me, regular baby soap or laundry soap will be much more beneficial in this case. Try to wet clean your home and remove dust more often. It is recommended to treat blisters on the tongue of infants with a regular soda solution.
Dear mothers, do not forget that only a qualified specialist can accurately determine the cause of bubbles on the child’s tongue and prescribe the necessary course of treatment.
Do not self-medicate at home, because the most valuable thing is at stake, namely the health of your baby! The main reasons for the formation of bubbles on a child’s tongue
Treatment of glossitis
A specialist must make an accurate diagnosis and identify the cause of the disease. If you suspect that you have glossitis , and all symptoms indicate this, contact your dental clinic. This is the only way to create the right treatment plan and provide timely assistance. Quite often in such cases, doctors prescribe antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs and rinsing the mouth with special antiseptic solutions. In advanced stages, glossitis is treated surgically. Deep abscesses must be opened in the maxillofacial department. Under no circumstances should you take medications without a doctor’s recommendation.
You can cure glossitis, caries or any other diseases of the oral cavity right in your sleep. Family Dentistry Center "Medexpert" provides dental treatment under medicinal sedation. Thanks to this approach, the patient falls into a healthy sleep, ceases to feel pain and discomfort, while the vital functions of the body remain unchanged. Sedation is widely used in pediatric dentistry and even helps fight dental phobia. Dental treatment can be comfortable and painless - tested for yourself.
Methods for diagnosing tongue cancer
Examination of the tongue and oral cavity
Diagnosis of tongue cancer involves a comprehensive examination, which includes the following manipulations:
- Examination of the oral cavity.
- Palpation of the tumor and areas of regional lymph nodes.
- Verification of diagnosis using cytological examination. To do this, a puncture biopsy and/or impression smears from the tumor are taken.
- MRI - evaluates the soft tissues of the head and neck, as well as the degree of tumor invasion in them.
- CT with contrast - helps to evaluate the presence of cancer growth in the bones, in particular in the lower jaw.
- Ultrasound examination of the area of regional metastasis can identify metastases.
According to indications, endoscopic examination of the pharynx, chest x-ray and other diagnostic methods can be performed, which are aimed at clarifying the extent of the malignant process and detecting distant metastases. [3.6]
Red bumps
Red bumps on the tip, sides or back of the tongue may have specific causes or factors that also cause this redness. For example, ulcers and Kawasaki disease are responsible for red bumps on the surface of the tongue.
Other causes of redness include inflammatory infections such as colds and flu. Taste bud irritation and repetitive trauma to the tongue are other possible triggers.
Have you previously been diagnosed with allergies or herpes? If you constantly get painful red pimples or large bumps at the root of the tongue, contact an ENT specialist or dentist as soon as possible.
Treatment of tongue cancer
The following methods are used to treat tongue cancer:
- Surgical intervention.
- Radiation therapy.
- Chemoradiation therapy.
Surgery is the main radical treatment method. In this case, preference is given to organ-preserving operations so that a person can talk, chew food and swallow it. The extent of the operation will depend on the size of the tumor and the involvement of surrounding tissues in the process. In some cases, it may be necessary to remove tissue from the floor of the mouth, resection of the jaw, and even complete removal of the tongue. If metastases are present, the lymph nodes in the neck are removed at the same time. To cover the resulting defects, skin flaps are used; for jaw plastic surgery, fragments of ribs, fibula, or artificial implants are used.
Surgery for tongue cancer
For large tumors or in the presence of unfavorable histological factors, combined interventions are performed. In such cases, radiation therapy is performed after surgery. In some situations, it is possible to carry out radiation therapy as an independent treatment method. In this case, the irradiation zone includes the tumor itself and the area of regional metastasis.
In the presence of distant metastases, positive resection margins, perineural invasion and other unfavorable factors, chemoradiotherapy is performed after surgery. [8]
When carrying out systemic therapy followed by chemoradiotherapy, the following chemotherapy drugs are used:
- Cisplatin (preferably) as monotherapy.
- Cetuximab as monotherapy.
- Carboplatin + fluorouracil.
- Fluorouracil + hydroxyurea.
- Cisplatin + paclitaxel.
- Cisplatin + fluorouracil.
- Carboplatin + paclitaxel.
If simultaneous chemoradiotherapy is indicated, cisplatin + radiation therapy to the primary lesion of at least 70 Gy is used.
For anti-relapse chemotherapy, the following combinations of drugs can be used:
- Docetaxel + cetuximab. In the absence of progression, therapy with cetuximab is continued.
- Paclitaxel + carboplatin + cetuximab. In the absence of disease progression, treatment is also continued with cetuximab.
2nd line chemotherapy may include one of the regimens listed above, and it is also possible to add nivolumab, pembrolizumab, afatinib. [1]
Prevention
Prevention of tongue cancer involves reducing exposure to risk factors and regular dental checkups. In order to minimize the likelihood of developing this disease, it is necessary to give up smoking and alcohol abuse, as well as the use of chewing mixtures. Monitor your oral health carefully. Chronic injury to the tongue should not be allowed; teeth must be treated and dentures adjusted in a timely manner. If long-term (more than 2 weeks) formations are detected, you definitely need to consult a doctor as soon as possible. [1.7]
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Bibliography:
- Clinical recommendations. — Malignant neoplasms of the oral cavity. Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. — 2022.
- MM. Soloviev. — Practical Oncology • T. 4, No. 1 – 2003, Cancer of the mucous membrane of the oral cavity and tongue (reserves for improving treatment results), 2003
- A.L. Yudin. — Cancer of the tongue and floor of the mouth: modern aspects of diagnosis — Bulletin of Radiology and Radiology No. 5, 2015.
- Clinical protocol for diagnosis and treatment. — Malignant neoplasms of the oral cavity. The Republic of Kazakhstan. — 2015.
- Malignant tumors of the organs of the mucous membrane of the oral cavity and tongue. Educational method. manual./O.P. Chudakov, L.E. Moiseichik, T.B. Lyudchik, L.G. Bykadorova. - Mn.: BSMU, 2007. - 39 p.
- V.A. Soloviev. — Possibilities of ultrasound diagnosis of tumors of the tongue and floor of the mouth. — Oncology. Journal named after P.A. Herzen, 4, 2015. doi: 10.17116/onkolog20154418-21.
- A.R. Gevorkov. – Independent conservative and combined treatment of tongue cancer. – Oncology. Journal named after P.A. Herzen, 4, 2014.
- Rodrigo Arrangoiz. — Oral Tongue Cancer: Literature Review and Current Management. - Сancer Rep Rev, 2022. - Volume 2(3): 1-9. - doi: 10.15761/CRR.1000153.
Location: on the base
Pimples at the base of the tongue interfere with swallowing and even speaking, they hurt and cause a lot of trouble. The reasons for their appearance can be very diverse. It could be stomatitis, a fungal infection, a sore throat or pharyngitis. Only an experienced doctor can make a correct diagnosis. We can only suggest what you should pay attention to.
If a pimple appears on the base of the tongue, you should carefully analyze other symptoms - fever, enlarged lymph nodes, the presence of allergic reactions. For example, with a sore throat, pimples form in the throat quite often. They are painful, make swallowing difficult and cause pain when talking. In this case, the patient also has enlarged tonsils and submandibular lymph nodes, and an elevated temperature. As a matter of fact, acne and fever almost always occur either with a sore throat, or with tonsillitis or pharyngitis.
It is undesirable to ignore pimples on the tongue near the throat, since in particularly advanced cases they can interfere with breathing, which can lead to suffocation. Therefore, having discovered them in yourself, you need to contact an ENT specialist for a diagnosis.
How to avoid relapse of the disease?
After the growth has been removed from the patient's tongue, the person should not relax. Typically, single papillomas do not recur, but with multiple formations, the reappearance of growths on the body occurs quite often.
Therefore, after surgical removal of papillomas from the surface of the tongue, you should:
- Take precautions and limit risk factors (see above).
- Take a course of antiviral treatment as recommended by your doctor.
- Seasonally take immunomodulatory drugs and vitamin complexes, which your doctor will also help you choose.
- Maintain oral hygiene and avoid tongue injuries.
One of the main conditions for achieving a favorable outcome in the fight against papillomas is choosing the right medical center, since much in the procedure for removing a tumor depends on the actions of the doctor. We hope that the recommendations of specialists from the LeaderStom network of dental clinics helped you clarify the picture of the growth that has developed on your tongue, and now you can solve this problem without unnecessary emotional distress.
