Why does tongue numbness occur and what kind of examination should I take? The root of the tongue goes numb, what does it mean? The root of the tongue goes numb.

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One of the rarest forms of paresthesia is numbness of the tongue. If the tongue and lips become numb, this condition is accompanied by a loss of tissue sensitivity, a tingling or crawling sensation. If the tongue becomes numb, the reasons most often lie in direct mechanical irritation of a nerve located close to the surface due to an impact, strong pressure, after the removal of a wisdom tooth, or due to a temporary disruption of blood circulation in a specific area (for example, with osteochondrosis, after the removal of a wisdom tooth). Under the influence of external trauma, the conductivity of the nerve roots may be temporarily disrupted.

The causes and treatment of tongue paresthesia are closely related. Before starting competent therapy, you should find out the provoking factor for the appearance of this pathology. First you need to find out: the left or right side is numb, or the nature of the damage is bilateral. If a muscular organ on one side becomes numb, the cause may be iatrogenic damage or a limited inflammatory process located on the posterior lateral surface of the oral cavity.

Bilateral paresthesia can be caused by pain syndrome psychogenic nature, tumor-like processes in oral cavity or oropharynx. If the tongue becomes numb on one side, damage to the lingual nerve can cause this condition. Its main task is to innervate the anterior part of the organ. When it is damaged, there is usually a loss or deterioration in the taste qualities of the organ on one side, while on the other side these qualities are preserved. To make a correct diagnosis, you need to take into account: only the tongue becomes numb or paresthesia affects other parts of the oral cavity (palate, lips, teeth, gums).

The most common cause of iatrogenic damage is the extraction of the second and third molars. After the removal of a wisdom tooth, especially a complex one, the tongue often becomes numb. This condition is usually temporary. Nerve damage can also occur during other surgical procedures (osteotomy, incision of a sublingual abscess). If the tip of the tongue is numb, the cause may be the presence of a localized or neoplastic inflammatory process in the back of the mouth.

The tongue becomes numb when the nerve is damaged due to compression or the influence of toxic substances. This condition can occur in the presence of tumors in the oral cavity.

The reasons that the tongue is numb can lie in a variety of conditions - from the appearance inflammatory processes before side effects from taking certain medications. Therefore, first you need to determine whether numbness is temporary or chronic, occurs periodically or is constantly present. Temporary paresthesia usually goes away on its own, and is most often caused by mechanical damage - pressure or shock. But constant numbness can occur due to the following reasons:

Sometimes the reason that the tip of the tongue becomes numb can be smoking or taking drugs. This condition cannot appear on its own; it is a consequence of exogenous or endogenous stimuli.

Stages of paresthesia

The intensity of numbness manifests itself in the following stages:

A slight tingling sensation appears at the tip or over the entire surface of the organ.
A feeling of “goosebumps” appears throughout the tongue.
Not only the tip, but also the root of the tongue loses sensitivity.

Paresthesia of the tip of the tongue

The reasons for this condition may be:

Long-term smoking.
Alcohol abuse.
With a deficiency or excess of certain minerals in the body.
Due to radiation or radiotherapy.
In case of heavy metal poisoning.
In case of acute deficiency of vitamin B12.

Paresthesia of lips and tongue

Lips and tongue may become numb periodically or constantly. This condition is often evidence of problems in the body. The cause may be dysfunction in the functioning of nerves due to mechanical damage, in case of disturbances in vascular system or with the development of infectious processes:

Acute migraine, in which there is intense headache and numbness of the tongue.
Bell's palsy.
Stroke.
Anemia.
Hypoglycemia.
Angioedema.
Neoplasms of a benign or malignant nature.
Depression, mental or neurological disorders.
Consequences of dental procedures.

Why does this happen during dental treatment? Often, after undergoing treatment at the dentist, paresthesia may persist for some time. This happens especially often when a large amount of anesthetic is administered. This is the norm. Some time after the injection wears off, this symptom goes away.

Sometimes, after the third molar has been removed, paresthesia of the muscular organ can also be observed. This condition most often occurs when the teeth are abnormally close to the lingual part of the jaw apparatus. It may remain for a week, after which it goes away on its own. If this does not happen, it is recommended to consult your doctor.

During an acute attack of migraine, the head hurts and paresthesia of the hands and tongue appears. In this situation, it is recommended to undergo diagnosis by a neurologist. If, in addition to paresthesia, a severe headache begins, this may be a symptom of developing hyperinsulinism.

Paresthesia of the muscular organ and throat may be a symptom of the presence of a malignant neoplasm in the larynx. In this case, such a symptom remains constantly, and it is difficult for the person to perform the swallowing function. Numbness of the palate and tongue can occur under the influence of trauma, injury, after prolonged use of certain medications, or after stress.

The cause of paresthesia of the entire oral cavity can be an allergic reaction to certain foods or medications. Treatment involves eliminating the potential allergen.

Other forms of paresthesia

With additional numbness of the face, one can judge the development of disorders in the vascular system or in the nerve endings. If this condition extends to the tongue, the reasons may be:

Bell's palsy. This disease is a consequence of infectious diseases and is accompanied by inflammation of the nerves.
Multiple sclerosis is autoimmune disease, the result of which is the thinning or destruction of the protective sheath of the nerves.
Trigeminal neuralgia.
A stroke in which a blood vessel ruptures or becomes blocked.
Damage to the ophthalmic, mandibular or maxillary nerve.

Why does half of the tongue lose sensitivity? Unilateral damage occurs when the lingual nerve is damaged. With osteochondrosis, this symptom appears very often. The development of cervical osteochondrosis is caused by pinching of the endings of the spinal nerves. With osteochondrosis, the following symptoms usually appear:

paresthesia in the mouth;
dizziness;
intense headaches;
pain in chest or neck during sleep and while awake;
lumbago;
sleep is disturbed, chronic insomnia appears;
stiffness of movement, the affected part of the neck can be very painful.

What to do? Patients should consult a specialist and undergo appropriate treatment, after which the accompanying symptoms go away on their own.

If dizziness and headaches additionally appear, this may be a sign of developing vegetative-vascular dystonia and neurological diseases. Therefore, you should not delay contacting a doctor to find out why such symptoms appeared.

Diagnostic measures

If suspicious symptoms appear, it is very important to visit a specialist in a timely manner and undergo appropriate examinations. Appointed general analysis blood, sugar testing.

Typically, radiography, magnetic resonance imaging of the brain, and ultrasound are prescribed.

Therapeutic measures

Treatment is prescribed depending on the cause that caused this condition. If vegetative-vascular dystonia is detected, the neurologist prescribes drugs to improve blood circulation (cinnarizine, Cavinton, Memoplant). In the presence of osteochondrosis, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, painkillers, medications that improve blood circulation, and physiotherapeutic procedures are used.

If the cause is an oncological process, treatment is prescribed depending on the shape and stage of the tumor. The main percentage of treatment is surgical intervention, radiation, chemotherapy.

In the presence of nerve damage, prescribed medications(carbamazepine), physiotherapeutic procedures, laser therapy, reflexology. It is not recommended to self-treat; it is very important to determine the cause of the numbness.

Numbness of the tongue, complete or partial loss of sensitivity indicate disorders in the human body. They can concern only one organ or signal a disease in which the conduction of nerve impulses is disrupted.

Why does my tongue go numb?

The following reasons are typical for loss of sensitivity:

chemical burn;
thermal burn;
mechanical damage to the organ;
tooth extraction (most often a wisdom tooth);
local allergic reaction;
use of unsuitable toothpastes and rinses;
age-related changes in women;
pregnancy.

Very often the cause of numbness of the tongue is smoking, which negatively affects the nerve endings located in the mouth. Source: flickr (Stepan Nesmiyan).

Diseases that cause numbness of the tongue

The loss of sensation in any organ itself is called paresthesia. These causes, associated with mechanical damage, relate to ordinary paresthesia, in which transmission is temporarily disrupted nerve impulse, the so-called wicking. But, if the nervous system is affected, then paresthesia occurs without any visible disturbances or damage and is called chronic.

Nerve conduction disorders occur in the following diseases and conditions:

infectious nerve damage;
tumor lesion;
stroke;
neurodegenerative damage;
autoimmune process;
a consequence of diabetes mellitus;
consequence of alcoholism;
metabolic disease;
lack of important vitamins;
cervical osteochondrosis;
after suffering from chicken pox.

In these conditions, desensitization of the oral cavity may not be the only symptom. If the nervous system is affected, a tingling sensation and loss of sensation often occurs along peripheral nerves various organs.

Important. Numbness of the tongue is not an independent disease; there is always a causative factor that leads to disruption of nerve conduction.

The process of numbness of a muscle organ can occur immediately or increase gradually. Also, either only the tip of the tongue loses sensitivity, or numbness occurs under this organ, on the sides.

The tip of the tongue goes numb

If the tip of the tongue goes numb after eating, this may indicate an allergic reaction; if a larger area of the organ is affected, then this may be glossalgia, which is functional disorder. It often manifests itself due to disorders in the autonomic nervous system.

Infectious, vascular diseases of a systemic nature can lead to loss of sensitivity. It is very important to determine what caused it in order, firstly, to carry out therapy correctly, and secondly, to block a possible serious disease at an early stage.

Bilateral and unilateral numbness

When the glossopharyngeal nerve is damaged, the root of the tongue becomes numb or sensation loss occurs on one side of the organ. In addition, salivation will be impaired, pain will appear in the ear, oral organs, and tonsils. Nerve damage, in turn, is caused by injuries, infections, and tumors.

Loss of sensitivity on the sides of the organ or only on one side may indicate osteochondrosis, which means that a nerve has been compressed in the cervical spine. To others possible reasons relate:

laryngeal cancer;
touching a nerve during tooth extraction or other operations in the oral cavity;
laryngeal carcinoma.

Psychogenic disorders also provoke paresthesia on both sides of the tongue. This alarming condition can be accompanied by several symptoms:

sweating;
dizziness;
discomfort in the solar plexus area.

What to do if your tongue goes numb

Before starting treatment, it is necessary to determine the diagnosis.

For diagnosis and timely assistance, you should visit a neurologist or psychotherapist.

To eliminate the symptom and treat the pathology at a deeper level, you can turn to homeopathy.

Homeopathic treatment

For any symptoms that have not appeared before or are not typical healthy person, you need to consult a neurologist, dentist, endocrinologist. Source: flickr (Alan Dep)

Homeopathic treatment should be started after a correct diagnosis has been made. It is important to remember that numbness of the tongue is just a symptom that indicates a disease. Homeopathic treatment is prescribed based on many factors:

psycho-emotional state,
the patient's appearance,
reactions of his body,
what symptoms accompany the disease.

When assigning, it is taken into account. Homeopathy treats not the disease, but the person - this is one of its basic principles.

Moreover, even with the same diagnosis, each patient is prescribed an individual drug. This individual approach ensures the effectiveness of treatment. Homeopathy can be used in complex treatment as an auxiliary method.

The following medications are intended for the treatment of anxiety disorders, VSD, and increased nervous excitability:

Nervoheel is a composite homeopathic medicine that acts as depressant, usually used as part of complex therapy, as an additional remedy for alopathic drug therapy. The drug helps with seizures and depression.

How often do people ignore strange symptoms in their body, hoping that it will soon go away on its own. And in some cases they commit unacceptable negligence, as, for example, in a situation where the tongue goes numb. Indeed, in some cases this may be a sign of non-life-threatening conditions, but sometimes delay can be fatal. So why does this happen and is it worth sounding the alarm when your tongue suddenly goes numb?

How does it feel

Numbness of the tongue different people it is felt in its own way: some get goosebumps, some feel a slight tingling or burning sensation, some may experience numbness in their tongue and lips, and some completely lose the sensitivity of their tongue. In any case, such strangeness of his “behavior” should alert you, especially if it does not go away for a long time or is regularly repeated.

A single case of tongue numbness is definitely not a cause for concern, but if it repeats regularly and lasts for a long time, then it is better not to delay a visit to the doctor

Causes of tongue numbness

In some cases, to understand why your tongue becomes numb, it is enough to remember what you did the day before. Eg:

You could have your tooth treated. Quite often, after a visit to the dentist and anesthesia, a person may experience numbness in the tongue. After all, the roots of the teeth border quite closely with the nerve endings of the tongue, so the doctor could accidentally press or damage his nerve. Usually the discomfort goes away after a couple of days, in the worst case it can last a couple of months.
You may have abused alcohol or nicotine. Due to the fact that nicotine is a vasoconstrictor, tongue numbness may occur after smoking. It is best, of course, to give up nicotine or try to reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke.
This could be a simple burn from a hot drink or food. Or if you accidentally get alkali or acid into your mouth.
If you are allergic, the condition could be triggered by an allergen. The condition can be triggered by anything - a food or drink, alcohol, toothpaste or even a brush or chewing gum.
This may be a consequence of taking medications. Sometimes the body can react this way to antibiotics or other medications. As a rule, the tongue returns to normal within a few days. But if such a side effect occurs, you should definitely consult with your doctor about replacing the drug with another one.
You might have been nervous. Quite rarely, but still there are cases when, due to stress, irritability, restless sleep or depression, a person experiences numbness of the tongue.
Maybe someone bit you. When bitten by a poisonous spider or snake, paresthesia may occur - numbness of the face, limbs, tongue; In addition, the person's heart rate increases, dizziness and drowsiness occur.
There are not enough or too many minerals in the body.
You took steroid hormones. In the process of taking them, taste sensations may disappear, hair may appear above the upper lip, stretch marks may appear on the stomach and buttocks, and body weight may increase.
It could also be adulthood. Due to hormonal imbalances in women, for example, with, the mucous membrane becomes thinner, the epithelium is renewed more slowly - this explains why the tip of the tongue sometimes goes numb.
Or pregnancy. Sometimes this happens when the pregnancy reaches 15-16 weeks. In this way, the woman’s body reacts to increased blood pressure and swelling.

During pregnancy, this can happen only once, since the woman’s body is constantly being rebuilt, swelling occurs, and blood pressure increases. blood pressure

What diseases can be

However, in addition to harmless reasons, there are others that can be dangerous to health if you do not seek help from a specialist in time. Numbness of the tongue may be one of the symptoms:

Migraines with aura. This rather rare disease most often affects people prone to depression and stress. They have a disturbance in the functioning of their sense organs - they can see flashes of light or stripes, hear some sounds, feel unpleasant odors; There may be problems with speech, numbness in the fingertips, and a tingling sensation in the tongue.
. Because it's a disease endocrine system, responsible for the production of insulin, various metabolic processes of the body are disrupted (from carbohydrate to water-salt). Because of this, dry mouth occurs, a person is tormented by constant thirst, trembling in the hands and partial loss of sensitivity of the tongue.
Hypoglycemia. A fairly common occurrence in patients with diabetes is when the upper lip becomes numb due to irregularities in insulin intake. This happens due to a decrease in the level of glucose in the blood when it is below 3 mmol/l. With hypoglycemia, a person experiences weakness, a feeling of acute hunger, he breaks into a cold sticky sweat, his hands begin to tremble, and parts of the body and face go numb. This condition is quite unpleasant, but it can be quickly corrected by measuring your blood glucose level and then eating 20 g of foods that increase it - this could be sugar, caramel or fruit juice. If symptoms of hypoglycemia recur frequently, you should consult your doctor about the dosage of the drug, by adjusting which you can eliminate the problem.
Angioedema. Everyone knows hives. Sometimes, along with it, damage to the deeper layers of the skin occurs, and a person begins to suffer not only from redness and raised rashes, but also from swelling of various parts of the body, a decrease or loss of their sensitivity, tingling, etc. This is angioedema, or edema. in which the limbs, ears, lips, and genitals swell. If the larynx swells, the condition becomes life-threatening because the person may simply suffocate. This is an autoimmune disease, and the attack can be triggered by contact with an allergen. In order to determine what causes such a reaction, a special analysis is carried out.

If the symptoms are long-lasting and recur, go to the doctor immediately

After identifying the provocateur, the person is prescribed anti-inflammatory, hormonal, and diuretic drugs. However, even without treatment, the swelling lasts for a couple of days, and the test goes away along with unpleasant symptoms. As a rule, a relapse of the disease lasts 2-3 years, and then the body heals itself.
People suffering from this scourge should always have in their medicine cabinet corticosteroids and medications that will help stop the attack.

. In fact, this disease does not exist as such, it’s just that in our medicine this is what we call a set of symptoms characteristic of human psychological disorders - anxiety or depression. As a rule, they are accompanied by severe sweating, tremors, excitability, rapid heartbeat, tingling and numbness of the limbs, face, discomfort in any organ (pathology is not confirmed), and hypochondriacal moods. Making this diagnosis is possible only after consulting a doctor and excluding other pathologies. Treatments usually require a visit to a psychologist and an appointment.
Sheinogo. As a result of this pathology, the sensitivity of the nerves of the tongue decreases, which limits its mobility. In some cases, people with this disease even change their voice, becoming rougher.
. As a rule, this condition is accompanied by nausea, dizziness, acute headache, paresthesia of the lips, tongue and limbs. In this case, delay can cost life - the person needs emergency assistance. medical care, you should call an ambulance.
. With a lack of vitamin B12 and iron in the body, a person may experience paresthesia of the fingers and toes, and may lose balance when walking.
Heavy metal poisoning(mercury, zinc, lead, cobalt, tin).
Absent-minded. This disease can cause numbness in many other parts of the body.
Bell's palsy. The disease is characterized by dysfunction of the facial nerves, accompanied by loss of sensation in the cheeks, face, lips and tongue.
Glossalgia. A disease of the tongue in which a burning, tingling, or numbness is felt for no apparent reason. Glossalgia is a secondary manifestation of an underlying disease, or occurs as a result of trauma to the mouth with dentures or after dental procedures.
Facial, jaw, cervical trauma, as well as hemorrhage resulting from brain damage.
oral cavity. With this disease, a person’s tongue becomes covered with a whitish coating, and if you try to remove it, you can cause bleeding in parts of the tongue. The disease is difficult to tolerate because it is very difficult for a person to chew and eat food.
Brain tumors. Numbness of the tongue is not the main symptom, but still occurs with this disease. Most often, the course of the disease is accompanied by severe headaches, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, low blood and body temperature. Such symptoms should raise suspicion of cancer. When diagnosing, the doctor must exclude, first of all, the presence of space-occupying formations in the neck and head.
. With a lack of hormones thyroid gland it is likely that paresthesia of the tongue will develop.
Lyme disease. The disease, caused by the bite of an infected tick, is characterized by disruption of nerve conduction.

A lot of diseases, including truly life-threatening ones, have a similar symptom in their description, so it’s definitely not worth “joking” with such symptoms

What to do if your tongue is numb?

As you can see, there can be a lot of reasons that cause this symptom, and without a proper examination one can only guess about them. Often people ignore this phenomenon, not realizing that numbness of the tongue can be a symptom dangerous disease. Therefore, if this is not related to dental treatment or allergies, and the phenomenon is regular, do not delay your visit to the doctor and do not self-medicate. Go to a therapist. If necessary, he will give a referral to a psychiatrist or dentist. And, of course, he will collect anamnesis and prescribe a number of necessary tests.

Modern medicine has come a long way in recent decades. Many diseases that threaten the life and health of people are treatable, successfully diagnosed and eliminated with appropriate medications. However, not all diseases are so simple. What to do if your tongue goes numb? What could this mean and how can I get rid of it?

Symptoms of tongue numbness

Numbness as a phenomenon is called in the scientific literature, which means “loss of sensitivity.” Surprisingly, people experience their language differently:

someone gets “goosebumps”;
someone is bothered by tingling at the tip;
For some, sensitivity completely disappears;
Sometimes, along with the tongue, the lips also become numb.

Most often, such symptoms are harmless and a person may not even notice them. special attention, but sometimes paresthesia causes people inconvenience and discomfort. In such cases, you must definitely go to see a doctor to identify the exact cause, which can sometimes be quite difficult.

Causes of tongue paresthesia

In some cases, paresthesia of the tongue is observed in a person after visiting the dentist, due to an anesthetic drug. The thing is that the roots of the teeth and the nerve endings of the tongue are located very close, so the doctor can accidentally press down or even seriously damage the nerve of the tongue. In the first case, the numbness usually goes away after a couple of days, but in the second, the period can reach several months.
Allergic reaction body to take any antibiotics or medicines. This reason is considered one of the most harmless, because in almost 100% of cases sensitivity returns after a couple of days. But still, if you are faced with the problem of numbness, you must definitely consult with your doctor so that he can replace the drug or stop taking the medication.
Burns from excessively hot or cold food or accidental ingestion of alkali or acid into the stomach.
for food, drinks, toothpaste, brush or tooth powder, chewing gum, alcohol.
serves as another reason. As a disease of the endocrine system, which controls the amount of the hormone insulin, diabetes disrupts normal functioning various types metabolism (from carbohydrate to water-salt), which leads to dry mouth, constant thirst, trembling hands and partial loss of sensitivity of the tongue.
Cervical osteochondrosis- a disease that limits the mobility of the tongue, reducing the sensitivity of its nerves. Sometimes, with this disease, a person’s voice even changes and becomes rougher.
Glossalgia is one of the most obvious causes of paresthesia, because it is precisely a disease of the tongue itself, which is also accompanied by discomfort and pain, burning and tingling in the oral cavity.
Age aspect. Since in women in adulthood the hormonal background(especially during menopause), the mucous membrane often becomes thinner and the processes of epithelial renewal slow down, as a result of which the tip of the tongue goes numb.
, depression, restless sleep, irritability (), increased anxiety - all this in rare cases can provoke numbness along with headache and dizziness.
Pregnancy, most often at 15-16 weeks. Thus, a woman’s body reacts to high blood pressure and swelling.
Injuries in the face, neck, jaw, as well as hemorrhages caused by damage to parts of the brain.
Anemia - deficiency of iron and vitamin B12, there may be numbness in the fingers and toes, loss of balance when walking.
Multiple sclerosis, which can cause numbness in many other parts of the body.
, in which a person experiences acute headache, nausea, dizziness, numbness of the limbs, lips and tongue. In this case, the person must be provided emergency assistance, immediately call an ambulance.
Excessive use alcoholic drinks, smoking.
Heavy metal poisoning (zinc, mercury, lead, tin, cobalt).
Excess or lack of minerals in the body.
Taking steroid hormones, accompanied by loss of taste. Hair may also appear above the upper lip, purple stretch marks in the buttocks or abdomen, and weight gain.
Bell's palsy is a dysfunction of the facial nerves, in which there is a loss of sensation in the lips, face, tongue, and cheeks. In extreme cases, there is no sense of taste.
with aura - a rare disease that occurs in people exposed to stress. In such patients, the functioning of the senses is disrupted; they may hear sounds, see stripes or flashes of light before their eyes, feel unpleasant odors, may have problems with speech, numbness in the fingertips, and tingling in the tongue.
Oral candidiasis, in which the patient’s tongue is covered with a layer of whitish plaque, when removed, parts of the tongue will begin to bleed. This disease is very difficult to tolerate, since it is painful for a person to even eat and chew food.
Brain tumors. Numbness of the tongue in this case is not the main symptom, but still occurs in a number of cases. Associated symptoms- this is, first of all, severe headache, nausea, dizziness, vomiting, low temperature body and blood pressure.
Insect or snake bites, such as cobras, vipers. Paresthesia can spread to the entire face and limbs, causing dizziness, drowsiness, and increased heart rate.

What to do?

As is already clear from the above, numbness of the tongue is a problem that can have many causes, so diagnosing patients is very difficult. Often people do not seek help in the first days, because they do not attach much importance to numbness of the tongue and do not even realize that paresthesia is side symptom many serious diseases. This problem cannot be left unresolved.

If you do not know for sure what is causing your paresthesia (if it is not taking medications, visiting the dentist, or anesthesia), then you should not self-medicate. Numbness of the tongue is not an independent disease, but a symptom of another disease, so it cannot be cured.

The tongue is an unpaired muscular organ located in the oral cavity.

Its position depends on the function it will perform. The process of chewing and swallowing is carried out with the help of the tongue. Thanks to the large number of receptors on the mucous membrane of the organ, a person can distinguish tastes. Moreover, a separate area of the tongue is responsible for a specific taste stimulus. Well, an important role of this body is participation in communication.

Doctors classify numbness of the tongue as one of the types of paresthesia. Paresthesia is a tingling sensation due to a violation of the sensitivity of a certain area (in this case we are talking about the tongue). As a rule, numbness of the tip of the tongue or the entire tongue is not an independent disease. This is only a symptom of some underlying diagnosis, which can increase gradually and be accompanied by a number of other symptoms. Therefore, to begin treatment and rid yourself of unpleasant discomfort, you should find main reason and eliminate it.

Tongue goes numb, reasons

Reaction to medications. For some medications this is side effect, and some damage nerve endings.
Menopause. Very often, women during menopause experience damage to the mucous membranes. The mucous membrane becomes thin and sensitive. Plus, there are also functional changes in thyroid gland happen.
Anemia. As a result of a lack of vitamin B12 and iron. Blood tests show decreased red blood cells, hemoglobin, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia. Bone marrow puncture is recommended.
Glossalgia. A fairly common disease of the oral mucosa associated with sensory neuroses. Manifested by tingling and numbness.
An allergic reaction to toothpaste, chewing gum, mouthwash, air freshener, and anything that has any contact with the tongue.
Reflux esophagitis. Reverse reflux of gastric contents, which can also lead to numbness.
Various types of injuries in the facial area, dental procedures (especially when removing “wisdom teeth”, after anesthesia, which is required for this procedure, numbness can torment the patient for up to six months), maxillofacial operations, jaw fractures. The result is damage to nerve endings.
After drinking very cold or hot liquid. Or in case of accidental use of acid or alkali.
Nervous, depressed state. Sleep disturbance, increased irritability, dizziness. There will be no changes in the blood. Consultation with a psychotherapist is required.
Functional disorders in pregnant women. More often observed in the third trimester. It's happening in the background high blood pressure and swelling.
Features in the structure of the skull that cause compression of the glossopharyngeal nerve.

A symptom in which the tongue and lips go numb may be a consequence of diseases such as:

- diabetes mellitus (dry mucous membranes, development of neuropathy - cause of numbness);

- stroke (the brain is affected; speech impairment, long-term headache with accompanying numbness of half the body, drooping corner of the mouth; lack of coordination; consciousness is depressed; tests show a violation of the coagulation system; CT, MRI are recommended);

— hypothyroidism (lack of thyroid hormones, consultation with an endocrinologist);

- Lyme disease (as a result of a tick bite);

— multiple sclerosis (all parts of the body go numb, the tongue is no exception);

- cerebral aneurysm;

- syphilis;

- Bell's palsy (the whole face goes numb);

- migraine;

- sarcoidosis;

- preeclampsia;

- cancer spinal cord(local location of pain, decrease in all blood parameters);

- brain tumor (compression of various parts of the brain - the cause of numbness).

Why does the tip of the tongue go numb?

The main complaints about numbness of the tip of the tongue are:

Heavy smokers often complain of numbness in the tip of the tongue.
People receiving chemotherapy.
If the body lacks vitamin B12.
Damage to the glossopharyngeal nerve.
Side effects of medications.
Heavy metal poisoning.
Alcohol abuse.
Glossalgia.
Hypoglycemia.
Depression.
Excess or deficiency of minerals in the body.

Quite often the tongue and lips go numb at the same time. Numbness of the lips occurs as a consequence of sensory impairment. But this is not the main problem, but becomes only a consequence of the underlying disease. You can only guess on your own which specialist you need to go to, and in no case can you make an accurate diagnosis yourself and prescribe treatment for yourself.

Lips go numb, reasons

1. Lips go numb for the following reasons: Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. As a result of compression of the spinal cord, blood circulation is disrupted and thereby the nutrition of the organs is disrupted. Numbness of the lips appears.

2. Neuritis facial nerve. Inflammation of the facial nerve leads to disruption of impulse transmission to the facial muscles and can be complicated by facial paralysis. You urgently need to consult a doctor to prevent such a dangerous picture.

3. Lack of vitamin B. Lack of this vitamin leads to disorders nervous system. A large amount of this vitamin is found in: bread, nuts, bran, liver, meat, potatoes.

4. High or very low blood pressure. Then not only the lips become numb, but also the upper ones, lower limbs. Life threatening. You urgently need to call an ambulance.

5. Diabetes. One of its symptoms is numbness of the lips, clammy sweat, weakness, and trembling hands. By adjusting your blood glucose levels, the numbness will go away. You can eat honey, sugar, candy. If attacks recur frequently, insulin dosage should be discussed with your doctor.

6. Allergy to the use of a new medicine. Quincke's edema causes swelling of parts of the body, including the lips. The cause often remains unclear. Edema is a terrible swelling of the larynx; difficulty breathing can lead to asphyxia. If an attack has occurred in your life, then you should always carry antihistamines and glucocorticosteroids with you to relieve this condition.

7. Migraine. As a consequence of nervous breakdowns and constant worries, it leads to disruption of the nervous system. Headache occurs half an hour after numbness, then the limbs go numb. Numbness is a kind of aura before a headache. There are no significant changes in the analyses. Increased levels of potassium and magnesium, reduced stress and good sleep will help. Avoid foods that trigger migraines: wine, cheese, sweets.

8. Disease of teeth and gums. If before the numbness of the lips there was pain in the teeth or gums, then, most likely, this is due to problems in the teeth. You need to see a dentist.

9. Multiple sclerosis. It is with numbness that this disease begins. Nervous tissue cells in the body begin to be affected. Only a neurologist can help in this case.

10. Shingles. Its typical onset is itching, redness and numbness. If there is still a burning sensation in the cheek area, then this is one hundred percent shingles.

11. Bell's palsy. It affects the entire face, but the lips and eyebrows are affected first. The disease is preceded by some viral diseases (ARVI, simple herpes virus). Tingling and numbness are characteristic of this disease. May go away on its own. If treated, a course of antibiotics is prescribed and antiviral drugs. Rarely, but the appearance of inflammatory markers in the blood is possible. Facial gymnastics is necessary. The recovery process takes up to a year. In severe cases, CT and MRI examinations are recommended.

12. Infection of various etiologies, in which the nerves are affected. Very often, complications after meningitis or herpes are nerve damage with the leading syndrome being numbness.

As we found out, there are quite a few reasons for numbness of the tongue and lips. After this article, you can already decide which specialist you need to contact. If you cannot associate your numbness, which torments you periodically, with any of these diseases, then you need to contact a neurologist. And you shouldn’t delay this.

Do not worry if numbness occurs as a result of prolonged exposure to very cold, after anesthesia, or lying on the lip for a long time. And at the same time there are no more complaints, and there never were.