What causes numbness of the tongue?
Sep 30, 2024
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Yang Ziqi
Introduction
In general, tongue numbness may be caused by poor posture, mental stress, burning mouth syndrome, gingivitis, diabetes, or other reasons. If discomfort occurs, it is recommended to seek medical attention promptly. In daily life, one should maintain a balanced diet, avoid picky eating, limit sugar and carbohydrate intake, increase physical activity, maintain good oral hygiene, brush teeth morning and night, and rinse the mouth after meals.
In general, tongue numbness may be caused by poor posture, mental stress, burning mouth syndrome, gingivitis, diabetes, and other reasons. If discomfort occurs, it is recommended to seek medical attention promptly. Specific analysis is as follows:
1. Poor Posture
Maintaining the same posture for prolonged periods, such as forward head tilt, may compress cervical nerves and lead to tongue numbness. Improving daily work and lifestyle habits, regularly changing postures, and performing neck stretching exercises can help.
2. Mental Stress
Stress and anxiety may cause nerve tension, resulting in a sensation of tongue numbness. Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, and yoga can be adopted in daily life to help relieve stress.
3. Burning Mouth Syndrome
Burns or vitamin deficiencies may easily trigger burning mouth syndrome, increasing sensitivity of oral nerve endings and causing abnormal sensations such as burning pain and numbness in the tongue, possibly accompanied by dry mouth. Treatment under medical guidance may include medications such as ibuprofen sustained-release capsules, vitamin B2 tablets, and vitamin E soft capsules.
4. Gingivitis
Poor oral hygiene habits may lead to gingivitis. Inflammation can irritate local nerves, causing the aforementioned symptoms, possibly accompanied by bad breath and gum bleeding. Patients may use medications such as metronidazole buccal tablets, amoxicillin capsules, and cefradine capsules under a doctor's advice.
5. Diabetes
Factors such as genetics and long-term consumption of high-sugar foods may increase the risk of diabetes. High blood sugar levels can damage peripheral nerves, leading to sensory abnormalities including tongue numbness, along with symptoms such as weight loss and blurred vision. Patients are advised to follow medical instructions for treatment with medications such as metformin hydrochloride tablets, glimepiride tablets, and acarbose tablets.
In daily life, one should maintain a balanced diet, avoid picky eating, limit sugar and carbohydrate intake, increase physical activity, maintain good oral hygiene, brush teeth morning and night, and rinse the mouth after meals.
