Numb Tongue Causes

If your tongue feels numb on rare occasions, then the factors causing it might not be too serious to cause concern. But the chronic form is the one that should cause alarm. The condition of tingling feeling or numbness in tongue can also be referred to as paresthesia of the tongue. The numbness may be result of a damage (caused by irritation or compression) that may have occurred in the branch of a nerve located in the mouth or the tongue. Normally, the limbs suffer from numbness and all other symptoms that accompany it. But a numb tongue is not typical, and that is why it is important to be aware of all the possible causes of the problem, as they are the ones that influence the treatment.

Factors Responsible for Numbness in Tongue

• Peripheral neuropathy happens to be one of the common causes of numb tongue. It is also known as sensory nerve damage, and along with numbness, it gives rise to tingling and pinching sensation in the affected site.
• Next in the list of numb lips and tongue causes is what is known as the burning mouth syndrome. As the name suggests, this condition refers to a feeling of severe burning in the mouth. The burning may cause the tip of the tongue to go numb, and impairs the sense of taste.
• Receiving general anesthesia is said to be one of the causes. Generally, the numbness is experienced at the tip of the tongue. The numbness can cause speech problems and significant pain too.
• Some people are extremely sensitive to cold temperatures or stress. In response, they might experience numbness in their ears, the fingers, toes, tongue and the nose. This condition is known as Raynaud's phenomenon.
• if you start taking deeper breaths, and at a rate faster than the body demands, then you may have hyperventilation. And this medical problem can trigger numbness in limbs, lips and tongue.
• Bell's palsy is a disease that is specifically related to facial numbness. Its cause has not been determined, and it typically affects one part of the face. Almost the entire nerve system from the forehead to the neck gets affected. And due to this, tongue numbness, is most likely to occur.
• Medication like chemotherapy or anti-HIV drugs, and antibiotics may have some role to play in causing numbness in tongue.

Other Possible Causes

• Acoustic neuroma (a condition characterized by a slow growing tumor on the nerve pathways that connect the ear to the brain)
• Allergies (could result from food, medication, pesticides, plants, pollution, etc.)
• Brain aneurysm (weakness in the wall of a cerebral artery)
• Brain damage or trauma
• Brain tumor
• Dental implants
• Lyme disease (inflammatory disease spread through a tick bite)
• Multiple sclerosis
• Pregnancy
• Root canal
• Spinal cord injury
• Spinal tumor
• Stroke
• Syphilis (a bacterial infection; a sexually transmitted disease)
• Transient ischemic attack (TIA) (referred to as episodes of stroke-like symptoms)
• Vitamin B-12 deficiency
• Wisdom tooth extraction

Treatment, as I have mentioned, targets the underlying cause. If the cause is mild as wisdom tooth extraction, then perhaps, treatment is not required, as the numbness would usually be temporary. However, if the cause is as severe as Bell's palsy, or multiple sclerosis, then a long-term treatment may be imperative. So to repeat, if the numbness occurs occasionally, then simply wait and watch. But if it persists or worsens with time, an appointment with the doctor would be a wise decision, perhaps even a life-saving one.