Dr. Swapnil Pande

Tongue is an important organ of your body. Without the tongue you would not have been able to enjoy one of the most pleasurable experiences of life: tasting food! Imagine how life would be without the sudden euphoria you experience when you taste something delicious. Not only do your taste buds help you to taste food, but it also rejects harmful substances like toxins and sends your brain a signal to avoid consuming it. The tongue also helps in digestion of food. It makes the food pass easily from your mouth and throat to your stomach. Apart from tasting and sending signals to your brain, the tongue helps you to talk. It facilitates speech. It alters the air in your mouth which is produced by the vocal cords. That is how you make a wide range of sounds.

Tongue Problems:

1. Burning sensation on the tongue: This normally occurs in women who have recently attained menopause. Mood swings are also a characteristic feature of menopause. Burning sensation is rare but a symptom of post menopause. Burning sensations can also occur due to cigarette smoking.

2. Change in the tongue color: Many times having a pink tongue means deficiency in iron, folic acid and vitamin B-12. This can also be because of an allergy to gluten. A white tongue can occur due to smoking or drinking alcohol.

3. Tongue pain: It can occur due to biting, injury or infection. Canker pains are also common. It can be caused by aging, diabetes, tumors and infection.

4. Tongue swelling: It is caused by down-syndrome, tongue cancer, leukemia, strep throat and anemia.

5. Oral thrush: It is a yeast infection. It makes the surface of the tongue and the mouth look like cottage cheese. People suffering from asthma or diabetes can also get oral thrush.

Remedies for tongue problem:

1. Don't consume spicy and hot food.

2. If you have a canker sore, try to drink only cold beverages and eat soft foods.

3. Rinse your mouth regularly with a mixture of warm water and salt or you can also make a mixture of warm water and baking soda.

4. Apply ice to soothe your tongue.

If the tongue pain persists then it is better to book an appointment with an ENT specialist or with an otolaryngologist.