Sore Mouth and Tongue

A sore mouth and tongue is a common medical condition encountered by most people at some point or the other. The condition is often characterized by formation of sores or blisters in the mouth that are painful and may even ooze or bleed. The sores can appear anywhere within the mouth, i.e. inner cheeks, gums, palate, tongue or even lips, and may lead to symptoms like dry mouth, burning sensation, loss in taste, and bitter or metallic taste in mouth. Though it is not a severe health concern, the condition can be very bothersome and cause difficulty while consuming foods and drinks. However, there are different ways to get rid of a sore mouth, which mainly depend upon the underlying causes.

Causes

Burning Mouth Syndrome (BMS): BMS is one of the major causes for sores on the roof of the mouth, that along with a burning sensation causes a dry or sore mouth or a tingling or numb sensation throughout the mouth and tongue. The condition is more common in women than men and occurs due to variety of conditions like menopause, diabetes, nutritional deficiencies, tongue thrusting, mouth disorders, acid reflux, irradiation and chemotherapy) and psychological problems.

Oral Candidiasis: Another common cause for a dry and sore mouth and tongue is oral candidiasis which is a yeast infection caused by the yeast fungi candida albicans on the mucous membranes of the mouth. The infection leads to formation of thick white or cream colored sores on the mucosal membranes of the mouth.

Canker Sores: Canker sores are painful pale or yellow colored ulcers with a red outer ring that develop in the mouth and its surrounding areas. They are non contagious and may appear due to some illnesses like cold or flu, stress, vitamin deficiency, etc.

Leukoplakia: Leukoplakia is a mouth disorder which occurs due to chronic irritation of the mucous membranes especially due to excessive use of tobacco. The condition leads to the formation of thick, whitish or gray color patches and sores on the inside of the cheeks, gums or tongue.

Cold Sores: Cold sores are small painful fluid filled blisters caused by the herpes simplex virus that thrives in the moist areas of the body like mouth and groin. These sores are highly contagious and cause a tingling or burning sensation before they appear.

Skin Diseases: Sores or blisters in the mouth can be caused by some auto immune skin diseases like such as lichen planus, pemphigus vulgaris, pemphigoid, lupus, or erythema multiforme.

Other Causes: Stress, hormonal changes, vitamin B12 deficiency, biting your cheek, tongue or lip, chewing tobacco, braces, a sharp or broken tooth or poorly fitted dentures, burning your mouth with hot foods and drinks, medications like chemotherapy, sulfa drugs, phenytoin (such as Dilantin), etc. are some other probable causes for sore mouth, tongue pain and discomfort.

Treatment

The best way to treat this problem is to take proper home care and try some simple home remedies. Applying glycerin, lavender oil, or a mix of half tsp of turmeric with warm cup of milk 2 to 3 times a day, placing a wet tea bag on the affected area, and having honey with milk are a few natural ways to relieve the pain and inflammation. Besides these home remedies for mouth ulcers, you can make some dietary changes like including foods rich in vitamin C such as muskmelon, broccoli, red bell and yellow peppers, and unsweetened cranberry juice in your diet. Also consuming folate sources like beans, peas, tofu, fortified cereals and lentils can help curing soreness in mouth and tongue as they are rich in iron and vitamin B.

Apart from these effective home remedies, you should avoid using toothpaste containing sodium lauryl sulfate, or SLS, and try using a soft toothbrush. In case the condition doesn't subside even after trying the aforementioned treatments, and the sores or ulcers become more painful, consult your doctor to elucidate the case.