Pimples on Tongue

All of us have got pimples on tongue at one point of time or the other. These pimples irritate the tongue and make it sensitive. When they become severe, the area tends to swell up and turn sore. People of any age group including toddlers can have such eruptions on the tongue. It badly affects simple activities like talking and eating and gives a lot of pain as you try to eat or speak. If there is a pimple on tip of tongue, then you may feel the urge to pop it but you should not do that. This is because the bacteria present inside it will spread to other areas of the mouth and worsen the condition further.

What Causes Pimples on Tongue?

One of the most commonly found cause of pimples on the tongue is food allergies. It occurs after you have eaten any such food that can trigger allergies. The immune system then responds to it by pushing out the ingested allergen from the body to the skin surface. As a result, a number of pimples develop on the tongue. A traumatic injury caused by friction with crispy foods or hard candies or due to accidental biting of the tongue can lead to formation of pimple like bumps on tongue.

If the skin of your tongue is clogged up with dirt, then the germs will set up their base in those pores and pimples would form on it. Excessive consumption of fat rich foods can be responsible for this problem. Your body tries to get rid of the extra fat by releasing more oils through the skin which can block up the tongue pores. This is an ideal environment for the bacteria present in the oral cavity to grow on the tongue surface and cause zits.

Pimple often break out on the tongue when you are suffering from viral infections like flu or oral herpes. It will disappear once the infection subsides. A form of yeast infection known as oral thrush or oral candidiasis can give white pimples on tongue. If the taste buds of the tongue get irritated and inflamed due to some reasons, then red pimples appear on the tongue.

How to Get Rid of Pimples on Tongue

The problem you face while treating the pimples on the tongue is that you cannot apply any of the topical ointment that you apply on the pimples on face. Even doctors do not give any antibiotics for its treatment unless and until, the condition is really serious. Therefore, it is better to deal with them at home only. Here are some easy ways to cure pimples on tongue:

• Gargling with warm, salty water for 2-3 times in a day can reduce the size of these pimples. It will not only bring down the pain and inflammation quickly but will prevent the infection from spreading further.
• Gargling with medicated mouthwash has been proved to be extremely helpful. The components of mouthwash kill the bacteria inside the mouth which causes the zits and provides a lot of relief.
• Chewing of fresh mint leaves before going to bed will decrease the pimple size by next morning.
• Application of a paste prepared with baking soda and hydrogen peroxide on the affected part of the tongue can check the bacterial infection.
• Milk of magnesia can reduce the soreness of the pimple. For this, dab a cotton swab into the milk of magnesia and apply it over the tongue at least, twice a day.
• In many cases, it has been found that pimples on tongue is a symptom of deficiency of vitamin B. So, intake of vitamin B supplement for a week can bring about improvement in the condition. However, it is important to consult a doctor before you take any medicine.

In general, pimples on tongue disappear within a few days. If the home treatments fail to show any results, then a doctor should be consulted. When you are bothered by frequent outbreak of such pimples, some preventive measures must be taken. Eat a well-balanced diet that consists of a good amount of fresh fruits and vegetables. Drink a lot of water in order to flush out the toxins from the body. Avoid spicy, fatty foods and any such food component that can trigger allergies. Maintain oral hygiene by brushing, flossing and using mouthwash.