6 causes of itchy tongue

Tongue itchiness is a common oral complaint but it is an alarming signal for those who encounter it frequently. Several factors including viral infections are linked to prolonged itching sensation in the throat, tongue, lips, and other areas inside the mouth. Furthermore, recent studies show that an itchy tongue is a symptom of the double mutant Covid variant.

Do you know what’s causing irritation on your tongue? Dr. Suresh has listed them here. Continue reading to know more about them.

What are the possible causes of itching on tongue?

Oral allergy syndrome is the primary cause of itchy tongue. Meanwhile, various dental dilemmas and systemic diseases also trigger itchiness in our tongues. Here are the main factors behind this tongue complaint:

1) Oral Allergens

When your mouth is exposed to specific allergens in foods and edible reproductive parts (example: fruits, seeds, nuts) of a plant, you would encounter itching in the mouth. Oral allergies and food allergies are frequently misunderstood. Food allergies can hurt major parts of your body and cause problems like rapid heart rate, hives, difficulty in breathing, etc.

On the other hand, oral allergies provoke irritations inside the oral cavity alone after consuming certain nuts and fruits. It exhibits symptoms like itchy tongue, itchy throat, and swollen gums. They are usually mild and do not last long. If you feel your tongue itchy for a long time, get a dental checkup immediately.

Eating cooked versions of allergic vegetables is the best way to overcome this problem. If possible, exclude allergic foods from your diet.

2) Tongue injuries

The tongue is a muscular organ covered with a tissue called mucosa and is having good neurovascular supply. It means when your tongue encounters a traumatic injury due to accidental bites, tongue piercings, or other, it feels tender until it heals completely.

Likely, the acidic substances in foods irritate the injured tissues due to which itching on the tongue occurs during the healing period.

3) Oral Thrush

Oral Thrush is a kind of yeast infection caused by the Candida Albicans fungus. It is mostly occurring in infants, children, and people who have compromised immune systems. When the fungal infection happens, it causes white & yellowish bumps on the cheeks and lips.

It causes mild discomforts like itchiness in the tongue, soreness in the mouth, etc. Don’t worry. It is usually harmless and heals itself with no treatment.

4) Hormonal Changes

As conditions like puberty, pregnancy, and menstrual cycle cause hormonal imbalance, women encounter certain physiological changes. Hence women have to confront various hormone-induced oral dilemmas as well. Swelling in salivary glands, inflamed gums, sore tongue, and canker sores are some instances. Whenever swelling inside their mouths happens, they have extended risk of developing itchy mouth.

5) Diabetes

Diabetic patients are more likely to get itchy tongue. You might know that the glucose concentration in the saliva of diabetics is higher than non-diabetics. The increased salivary glucose tends to breed oral microbes, causing dryness in the mouth and eventually, oral thrush will occur. We have discussed the link between oral thrush and itchy tongue earlier.

Likewise, certain medications taken to treat uncontrolled blood sugar also cause tongue itching.

6) Viral infections

Viruses like rhinovirus, respiratory syncytial virus, adenovirus, enterovirus attack the upper respiratory tract – nose, throat, and lungs causing common cold and flu. When infections in the upper airway tract occur, our body’s natural defense system would send specialized cells to combat the pathogens.

The immune cells get accumulated, causing inflammation in the mouth. It makes the tongue, throat, and other oral regions feel itchy.

What should you do to stop your tongue from itching?

Avoiding food allergens is the best way to get rid of itching tongue. Remember that heat can kill allergenic proteins. So cook vegetables that trigger itchy skin even though they can be eaten raw.

If you do not have food allergies but notice frequent itchiness, sore spots, or redness in the tongue or other oral regions, visit your dentist immediately. Your dentist would pinpoint the exact cause of this tongue complaint and prescribe the right treatment.

For instance, Antihistamine medications are prescribed for people who develop itchy tongue due to allergies.

Bottom Line

Various factors aside from allergens are responsible for tongue itching. Even though dental doctors help you to get rid of this problem, you should follow a healthy oral hygiene practice that includes cleaning your tongue with a scrape.

If you use toothbrush to clean your tongue, remember that tongue scrapers are 30% more efficient than a toothbrush in removing the dead cells, and volatile sulfur compounds trapped in the tongue surfaces.

At Dr. Amarnathan’s Dental Care, we have helped many people to overcome dental complaints including the itchy tongue. Contact us right away if you need a dental consultation or treatment.