Photo of a spot on the tongue that looks like a burn

An oral burn is damage to the oral mucosa through exposure to high temperature, chemicals, electrical or light radiation. This condition is extremely painful, as there are a large number of nerve endings in the mouth. The mucous tissue becomes swollen and red. Later, the burnt epithelium peels off and painful areas appear.

Treatment for a burn will depend on the extent of tissue damage and the area of spread of the injury. First of all, it will be aimed at neutralizing the cause of the injury and relieving the pain syndrome. Further treatment is aimed at preventing infection of the affected area and speeding up its healing.

What it is?

The spots that appear on the tongue differ in color and size. It is important to understand what exactly is hidden under the usual redness on the tongue and is it worth worrying about?

The first thing you need to pay attention to is the color of the formation and the presence of plaque. As you know, the normal color of the tongue is pink. Also, an accumulation of small plaque may be observed on the organ, which is explained by non-compliance with generally accepted hygiene rules.

It is worth noting that plaque can also form due to various pathologies that affect the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. In this case, it would be wise to adjust your daily diet.

As mentioned earlier, red spots can be of various types, so it is worth taking a closer look at the causes of this phenomenon.

Preventive actions

Most often, such injuries occur in people who are used to eating on the go or eating overly spicy foods. To prevent tongue burns, you need to follow dietary rules and carefully monitor what is in a glass or plate - people often confuse bottles with water and toxic household substances.

When adding spices to dishes, you should know when to stop. Some people like the burning taste of food, but we must remember that burns also remain in the stomach, which in the future provoke the development of gastritis and more dangerous diseases.

Adults should monitor children, because they do not realize the danger of a particular situation and can drink boiling water or eat any toxic substance that comes to hand. Children should be prevented from using electrical appliances.

When undergoing a course of radiation therapy, you must carefully monitor your well-being and, if you suspect a burn, consult a doctor. When carrying out the procedure, you must strictly follow the rules communicated by the doctor.

A tongue burn can be a completely harmless injury, but sometimes such injuries lead to serious consequences. Those who have burned their tongue with boiling water can relieve the pain at home. But if the soft tissues of the oral cavity are seriously damaged by electric current, chemicals and radiation, you need to urgently call an ambulance.

Causes

The size of neoplasms on mucous surfaces can vary. As a rule, spots spread from the edges to the center of the tongue or are localized in separate groups. In some cases, new growths may have a whitish, pinkish, crimson or dark tint.

The reasons for this unpleasant phenomenon may be:

Stomatitis. The pathology is characterized by the fact that whitish formations with red borders also appear on the gums and on the mucous surfaces of the cheeks.
This pathology may be associated with improper functioning of the kidneys. If a white plaque on the mucous membrane is covered with red dots, this is the first sign of kidney failure.
Also, red and whitish plaques on the tongue may indicate the occurrence of tumor processes. In this case, the neoplasm should be quite dense, covered with multiple erosions.
A reddened spot is often the result of a burn from cigarette smoke. If this neoplasm does not go away within the next 2-3 days, in this case it is necessary to consult a doctor for help.
Mechanical effects on mucous membranes. This can happen due to improper wearing of braces, bites, blows and other things.
Women suffering from thrush may also observe plaque and erosion on the oral mucosa. The fact is that thrush provokes a fungus that can spread throughout the body and affect the oral cavity.
Dehydration of the body. As a result of this phenomenon, the oral cavity becomes dry, and pink or whitish spots appear on the mucous membranes.
Lichen planus. Characteristic round-shaped formations appear on the surface of the tongue and other parts of the body.
Sometimes these symptoms may indicate the presence of infections in the body such as HIV, AIDS, hepatitis C, etc.
Chewing tobacco use can also cause infection to spread inside the mouth.
In some cases, the culprit for the appearance of stains on mucous surfaces may be a common cold.
In those people who often suffer from stomach problems, tumors most often occur on the back of the tongue and the root of the tongue.

There are also various reasons and negative factors due to which spots on the surface of the mucous membrane form in children.

The following phenomena contribute to this:

It is worth considering that children can also suffer from thrush - this is one of the most common causes of spots on the tongue in infancy. The appearance of thrush is facilitated by a weakened immune system of the child’s body.
Infants also often suffer from stomatitis. The cause of this pathology is a serious lack of vitamin B12 in the body. In this case, stomatitis affects the mucous surfaces of the oral cavity and contributes to the appearance of whitish and red painful neoplasms.
Sometimes babies can suffer from leukoplakia, which appears after seemingly minor injuries to the tongue or cheeks. In this case, you cannot do without qualified help from a dentist; most likely, the frequent occurrence of wounds is associated with an incorrect bite.

Types of oral burns

A burn is a very common injury. Along with the oral cavity, the larynx and esophagus may be affected. There are four main forms of burns:

Thermal burn. Occurs through contact of the oral cavity with hot liquid or steam.
Electrical injury. The most common case of such an injury is a violation of the rules for conducting physiotherapeutic procedures.
Chemical burn. This injury occurs as a result of contact of the oral mucosa with acids, alkalis or chlorine.
Radiation burn. You can get such a burn during radiation therapy in the complex treatment of malignant neoplasms of the larynx.

Diagnostics

Since red formations on the surface of the mucous membranes can occur due to various reasons and pathologies, diagnostic measures cannot be avoided in this case. First of all, the doctor conducts a visual examination of the affected areas and, if necessary, performs a palpation procedure.

The patient also needs to undergo additional examinations from specialists such as a gastroenterologist, allergist, immunologist, and so on. For a more accurate diagnosis, the doctor conducts a thorough examination of the tumor, clarifies the patient’s complaints and collects anamnesis.

During a visual inspection, the following indicators are determined:

plaque;
shade of the neoplasm;
the presence of ulcers and erosions;
structure of the affected area;
presence of itching.

Read how to use iodine for rashes on the oral mucosa.
Chemical filling or light filling. More details here.

How to treat a burned tongue

The choice of first aid method depends entirely on the type and extent of the injury. For the most common mild thermal burns, the following actions are possible:

Dissolving ice cubes previously soaked in water helps relieve pain and burning. You can use pure frozen water or popsicles, or simply rinse your mouth with cold water. If there is no water, you can cool the burned taste organ by breathing through the mouth.
For those who have burned their tongue with hot tea, you can make lotions from dairy products: take cold milk or yogurt and hold it in your mouth.
Sugar will help relieve pain from minor injuries. You need to place it on the burned area and hold it for a minute. You can use honey instead of sugar, but only if you are not allergic.
Lightly salted water can not only reduce pain, but also disinfect the wound to prevent complications.

To quickly heal a burned tongue, you can use cough drops with menthol. To prevent infection of the lesion with bacteria, you can rinse your mouth with furatsilin solution or potassium permanganate. Until the discomfort is eliminated, you should not eat hot, spicy, salty or sour foods.

If blisters or necrotic ulcers appear on your tongue, you should definitely contact a doctor. Deep thermal, chemical and radiation damage to tissues often leads to infection and painful shock.

For second, third and fourth degree burns, doctors prescribe painkillers, vitamins and, if necessary, perform surgical treatment.

How not to treat burns on the tongue

Those who have burned their tongue with boiling water should not do the following:

Treat your tongue with products designed to treat skin burns. If they enter the oral cavity, drugs for external use penetrate the digestive tract and can cause poisoning.
Remove dead tissue from the tongue with sharp improvised objects. Touch blisters and ulcers with your hands. Such actions can lead to wound infection and the development of violent inflammation.
Select your own medications to relieve pain and inflammation. Self-medication is especially dangerous for children, pregnant women, and people with chronic diseases. With a first-degree burn, the pain is not too intense, and you can get rid of it with folk remedies. For the second, third and fourth degrees of damage, treatment is always prescribed by a doctor.

Chemical, electrical and radiation burns of the tongue

If you have a tongue burn caused by spicy food, you can eliminate the discomfort on your own. Often such consequences occur after eating dishes with pepper. Its aggressive component, capsaicin, severely irritates not only the oral mucosa, but also the skin. You can get rid of it by drinking a glass of milk or fermented milk drink, or eating a piece of milk chocolate or bread.

In case of a chemical burn to the tongue, you must call an ambulance. To make it easier for the doctor to cure the victim, you need to try to determine the substance that caused the burn. Before the ambulance arrives, you can neutralize the effect of the substance and remove its remains from the oral cavity yourself:

If acid gets in, the victim’s mouth is rinsed with soda solution.
If you are burned with alkali, you need to make a weak solution of vinegar or citric acid and rinse the victim’s mouth with it.

Burns caused by radioactive substances and electricity cannot be treated at home. Both radiation and current can cause irreparable damage to vital organs, so such incidents require urgent complex therapy.

Treatment

Today, there is no single universal remedy that can relieve a patient of the “spotty” symptom. Unfortunately, effective treatment depends on the cause and nature of the occurrence of morphological elements.

To prescribe correct and effective therapy, it is impossible to do without a thorough diagnosis of the pathology.

As a rule, the standard treatment regimen includes:

the affected area is treated with special antiseptic solutions, thanks to which it is possible to get rid of harmful bacteria;
prescription of antibacterial and antihistamine drugs;
use of anti-inflammatory drugs;
physiotherapy;
prescribing medications that help strengthen the overall immune system.

It is worth remembering that medications are prescribed exclusively by the attending physician. Only an experienced specialist can prescribe a combination of several drugs that will effectively affect the pathology.

Symptoms and classification of burn severity

Treatment and first aid will be carried out depending on the severity of the burn received. There are three degrees of oral burn:

1st degree : the easiest. It manifests itself in the form of moderate pain, tissue redness and sometimes slight swelling. After eliminating the elevated tissue temperature, it goes away on its own and does not require further treatment.

2nd degree: moderate burn severity. Symptoms of the lesion: the appearance of tissue defects, plaque, tissue insensitivity at the site of the lesion. Intense pain requires anesthetics and is often accompanied by an increase in body temperature. If there is a burn not only to the mouth, but also to the larynx, then hospital treatment cannot be avoided.

3rd degree : the most severe. The entire epithelial layer to the deeper layers of the skin is deeply affected. This severity of burns is typical for chemical burns caused by hydrochloric acid and concentrated alkali.

First aid

Doctors recommend not to get lost in such situations and immediately begin providing first aid:

The first thing you need to do is rinse your mouth with cold water . If you only have warm water on hand, add food-grade ice to it. It will cool down quickly. Rinsing should last a long time - about half an hour.
Eliminate pain . For this purpose, you can apply regular ice or some kind of frozen food to the affected area. But make sure that these products do not contain acids. Then this will provoke additional irritation of the mucous membrane. Do not use metal objects. They may stick to the burn surface. This will make the pain worse. Powdered sugar or honey can also relieve pain. But they are not used for small children.
In case of a thermal burn, treat the oral cavity with an antiseptic . Regular furatsilin or potassium permanganate is suitable for this purpose.
Gently lubricate with benzocaine or menthol ointment. These are local anesthetics. But first, it is important to carefully read the instructions for the drug. Be sure to make sure that this product can be used to treat the oral cavity.
Do not use ointment before meals. Such ointments can provoke a temporary lack of sensitivity. The person must be especially careful not to bite their tongue. Apply a little ointment so that it does not get into your throat. This can cause numbness, problems with swallowing and even breathing.

In case of a thermal burn, treat the oral cavity with an antiseptic.
If the burn is chemical, neutralize the substance that caused it. If it is an alkali, it is neutralized with an acid (citric, oxalic or acetic). If the burn is caused by acid, it is enough to rinse your mouth with a regular soda solution (a teaspoon of baking soda per glass of water). If a person has swallowed aggressive chemicals, they should immediately rinse their stomach and immediately call an ambulance.
For severe pain, take a painkiller .
Until the wound has healed, avoid sour, salty and bitter foods . These foods may cause pain. They get in the way of recovery, seriously slowing down this process.

What medications have proven to be effective?

Doctors are armed with a whole arsenal of modern drugs for tongue burns. The most common of them is a burn of the tongue with boiling water. Here is a brief overview of drugs that can quickly help in such a situation.

Pentazole . This is a spray. It quickly restores damaged tissue.
Olazol (spray). Effective for thermal damage to the soft tissues of the tongue. It contains antiseptics. They quickly repair damage.
Solcoseryl (ointment). Quickly restores damaged areas.
Levomekol (ointment). Used for treatment of burns of varying degrees.