Severe Tongue Biting Tongue biting and chewing is a problem that affects many people. For some, it occurs while eating, during normal daytime waking or talking, and for others it occurs at night while they are sleeping. Most often, the tip and sides of the tongue are bitten.
Although tongue biting often begins in early childhood, it may first occur in adolescents or adults, depending on the underlying cause.
If you have already searched for information on the Internet, you have found many people talking about biting their tongue and cheeks throughout their lives. We are listing a few examples to help you understand how serious this problem is. Here's what a few people say:
“How can I stop biting my tongue? I mean literally bite my tongue until it bleeds. Why am I doing this? [Ask.metafilter.com].
“I can't stop biting my tongue. I think it's due to stress or anxiety. I take the antidepressant Effexor. I've talked to my GP and dentist about this, but they don't offer any solutions. I keep thinking I might develop tongue cancer" [ourhealth.com].
Dangers of tongue biting and its signs
Some of the dangers of tongue biting include damage to the sides of the tongue, often in combination with damage to the mucous membranes of the cheeks, especially with morsicatio buccarum (Latin for "cheek irritation"). In this condition, there is chronic damage to the mucous membrane of the inner surface of the cheeks, caused by constant or periodic biting or chewing.
Tongue bleeding, soreness, sores and ulcers can also be a result of bites, especially if you suffer from the problem seriously and for a long time. It may also make it difficult to chew and eat food, as well as make sounds. Finally, clicking sounds and whistling sounds may be present during conversations in people suffering from this problem.
As to whether you can die from biting your tongue, the answer is no. Tongue bites themselves cannot cause death unless you bite off your tongue completely or cause excessive bleeding without prompt medical attention.
Unacceptable actions
If there is a burning sensation in the mouth, if there is damage to the mucous membrane of the pharynx, you should not do the following:
- eat hot or too cold food;
- drink sour drinks and fruits;
- include aggressive foods in the diet (sour, spicy, salty foods);
- chew chewing gum;
- brush your teeth with a paste that contains sodium lauryl sulfate;
- cauterize with alcohol compounds, brilliant green.
At the time of treatment, you should not visit crowded places (or wear a respiratory mask) or rooms with chemical dust.
During treatment, a protective regime should be observed to prevent diseases that weaken the general immune system.
Accidental biting and tongue biting while eating
Sometimes someone may bite their tongue (and/or lips and inner cheek) while eating. It can also be a fluke, which is more likely to occur if you have a “disproportionately large tongue or crowded/uneven teeth” [netwellness.org]. Such tongue bites can be superficial or deep, most often not constant, but occurring from time to time.
If you bite your tongue while chewing, the resulting bleeding, pain and soreness, swelling, and the nature of the wounds and ulcers depend on the depth of the bite. In some cases, you may need emergency treatment because you are losing too much blood.
Once you have bitten your tongue, you should be careful when eating or talking afterwards for the next few days, as even a slight swelling of your tongue increases the likelihood that you will bite it again.
How to avoid biting your tongue while eating or talking
If you have a normal bite, you just need to be careful when eating. Avoid eating quickly, as well as any activities that may distract you or prevent you from concentrating on food.
However, if you have an overbite, see an orthodontist, who can recommend a variety of treatment options, both surgical and non-surgical. Such as changing the shape of the dentition, reconstruction and prosthetics of teeth.
What if there is blood?
In this case, press the wound site against your cheek or palate. This is first aid for a small tongue bite. You can use a piece of ice or a clean cloth.
Examine the wound carefully. Assess the severity of the bite. If the wound is deep enough, then go to the dentist.
If the wound is small, use salt water rinsing. This will speed up healing. Within 20 seconds 1 tsp. Dissolve sea salt in a glass of warm water. Rinse your mouth with the solution.
If bleeding does not go away within a few hours after sleep, you should seek help from a doctor. Perhaps an infection has been introduced into the body or there is a problem with blood clotting.
Be sure to seek help from a dentist who will select suitable protection for your teeth.
Doctors often make an impression of the jaw for the patient - a special mouthguard that must be put on before going to bed.
Habit of biting your tongue
Habits are things that we stick to all the time and that can be very difficult to break. For some people, persistent tongue biting is nothing more than a result of developing a tongue-biting habit. This is usually caused by anxiety, fear, stress and other emotions that cause many vivid experiences.
If you constantly bite your tongue, you may have developed an involuntary tongue-biting habit that you need to break. Effective treatment in this situation will likely require cognitive-behavioral psychotherapies as well as habit change techniques. And the help of a qualified psychotherapist can help you completely get rid of this problem.
Reviews
Burning and itching in the tongue area is a signal from the body about the beginning of a pathological process. It is necessary to begin timely and complete treatment to prevent all kinds of complications.
Considering the polyetiology of glossalgia, treatment should be carried out after a thorough examination. If you have had unpleasant sensations in the tongue area, you can share treatment methods and general well-being at that time in the form of comments below.
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Biting your tongue while sleeping
While tongue biting can happen accidentally while you're talking or eating, some people experience it while sleeping by biting their tongue on the side they're lying on. Sometimes, the bite can be so serious that people find blood stains on their pillow in the morning. Don't be surprised if you get tongue ulcers from biting your tongue at night.
Questions like “I keep biting my tongue in my sleep” or “why do I keep biting my tongue in my sleep” are common on the Internet. This illustrates the importance and seriousness of the problem. For example, here's what some people who have this problem say.
“I constantly bite my tongue while I sleep, and it gets worse as I sleep. This does not happen every night, but 2-3 times a week. Can you tell me what can be done about this? "[Netwellness.org]
“I bit my tongue in my sleep. My wife noticed this about a year ago, but I know it has been going on longer because I have been waking up with a very painful, swollen tongue, with deep bite marks for over two years. It really hurts and I don't know what makes me do this or how I can stop it. Everyone says it must be due to stress, but I think it's because my tongue is too big for my mouth or my teeth are at the wrong angle... Sometimes I feel so bad that it hurts to talk, and my tongue is bleeding. Can anyone suggest any solutions? " - bex200619 [netdoctor.co.uk].
It is clear that in the above messages you can see the suffering and anxiety experienced by people who bite their own tongue at night.
Reasons for biting your tongue in your sleep
Chewing your tongue while sleeping may not be a significant problem if it occurs occasionally. While you sleep, you may accidentally bite your tongue, especially if you have a disproportionately large tongue or an overbite. You would probably then bite your tongue while awake or eating.
However, what you may have is not what many people develop as a result of biting their tongue while sleeping. Biting may be caused by nighttime seizures, mobility problems, or bruxism (teeth grinding). All three of these reasons can often lead to persistent tongue biting because you may have an involuntary tongue bite when you think it is voluntary (that is, under conscious control).
Night cramps and their treatment - biting the tongue during a seizure
Tongue biting during seizures
Nighttime seizures often lead to tongue biting at night or during sleep, especially if the person develops a tonic-clonic seizure, where “the person loses consciousness and their muscles tense and twitch” [epilepsy.com].
“During my last attack, I bit my tongue. I've been experiencing pain for a couple of days now. Does anyone know a good treatment for this condition?” [Epilepsy.com].
In fact, tongue biting is often assessed by doctors as a diagnostic sign in patients suffering from seizures, which indicates possible epilepsy.
How to prevent tongue biting during seizures
If you bite your tongue while you sleep because of nighttime seizures, then you need brainwave monitoring. If you are diagnosed, you need to be treated, and this will prevent you from biting your tongue during night attacks. There are many treatments for tonic-clonic seizures. For example, a vagus nerve stimulation can help stop seizures.
Additionally, wearing a mouthguard (mouth guard) if you typically suffer from tongue biting during seizures may be helpful.
Movement disorders
The second possible reason for biting your tongue in your sleep may be movement disorders, which include sudden shaking of the head, as well as movements of the torso. They are common in children, and in severe cases can lead to tongue injuries. “These repetitive movements can cause the head to hit surfaces, body rocking, leg jerking, and rarely result in injury, including fractures, brain and eye injuries” [netwellness.org].
This problem tends to lessen and gradually disappear as the child grows, and medication may not be required. Provide your child with treatment for sleep apnea (stopping breathing during sleep) as well as cognitive behavioral therapy.
Bruxism (teeth grinding) and its treatment
If you continue to bite your tongue or cheek(s) while sleeping, it may be due to nocturnal bruxism. This is a condition in which you “grind your teeth and forcefully close your jaw. If you have bruxism, you may unconsciously clench (even crack) your teeth during the day or at night (nocturnal bruxism)” [mayoclinic.org]. Most people who have this problem also tend to bite their tongue while sleeping.
If you have nocturnal bruxism, you will clench and grind your teeth while you sleep. This may be accompanied by other sleep disturbances such as long pauses in breathing ( sleep apnea ). Snoring may also be associated with bruxism.
Treatment should be aimed at getting rid of the underlying cause, and cognitive behavioral therapy is usually recommended. This method can also help manage stress and/or anxiety, which can also cause bruxism. Contact a psychotherapist, he can help you get rid of this problem and teach you some ways to change your habit .
To relieve the stress that some women experience during pregnancy, which can also cause nighttime bruxism, try relaxing before bed by doing yoga, massage, reading, taking a bath, listening to music and practicing deep breathing. This may help reduce tongue biting during sleep.
These are the three most common reasons for biting your tongue in your sleep. Proper diagnosis and treatment, as well as methods of habit change, are necessary. In addition, mouth guards may be recommended to help stop tongue biting and tooth damage. All this will lead to you stopping biting your tongue in your sleep.
Predisposing factors
Itching and burning in the tongue area can occur for a number of reasons, so it is very important to conduct a whole range of studies to establish the true mechanisms of pathology formation.
General factors
Often, a burning sensation on the tongue is provoked by mechanical damage when the mucous tissues of the tongue are affected, leading to disruption of the capillary blood supply.
If the burning sensation from the tongue tends to generalize to the inside of the cheeks, palatine space and lips, then the development of stomalgia occurs. The disease occurs when mucous tissues are systematically traumatized by teeth with chips, cracks or sharp edges, braces or incorrectly installed fillings.
In addition to injuries, burning sensation can be caused by the following factors:
- reduction of gastric secretion up to 75%;
- Iron-deficiency anemia;
- B12-deficiency anemia (lack of vitamin B leads to deterioration of nerve conduction);
- gastroduophageal reflux of any origin;
- diabetic disease;
- some mental illnesses (innervation of nerve roots and processes increases during excitement);
- carrying out antihypertensive therapy (with long-term treatment with Capoten, Monopril, a short-term burning sensation may occur);
- active phase of the menstrual cycle in women;
- menopause.
Often, a burning sensation in the area of the tongue and sublingual cavity is recorded against the background of viral hepatitis of any group, pulmonary tuberculosis, cholecystitis.
When the hypothalamus is disturbed, damage to the autonomic nervous system occurs, which leads to a deterioration in blood microcirculation and the secretion of various glands, including salivary glands.
Therefore, with diabetes and other endocrinological diseases, dry mouth and burning sensation on the tongue are noted. Stress, overwork and emotional instability can provoke the occurrence of such a symptom.
In dentistry, there are several main factors that cause dry mouth, soreness, burning of the tongue and discomfort in the oral cavity:
- Xerotomia.
The symptom complex of xerotomy is expressed not only by dryness and burning in the tongue, but also by a disturbance in the secretion of the salivary glands. On examination, cracks ranging from barely noticeable to pronounced deep are noted on the surface of the tongue. The burning sensation intensifies to the point of pain when the patient eats acidic foods, fresh fruits, carbonated or sour drinks. The etiology of xerotomia is often caused by dehydration due to intoxication, Sjögren's disease. - Candidiasis. Fungal infection of the oral cavity is always accompanied by unpleasant sensations in the form of itching, burning, pain in the areas of fungal rashes.
Candida fungus exists in all people, but under certain factors it turns into a pathogenic agent, causing diseases.Clinically, with candidiasis, the tongue is coated with a white, often dry coating, and the tongue area itself turns a rich bloody color. Along with itching and burning, patients experience severe pain on the tip of the tongue.
- Allergic reactions.
Allergies and inflammation are often the body's reaction to foreign bodies in the oral cavity. Thus, when installing braces, during prosthetics or osseointegration, as well as when wearing removable orthodontic structures, irritation may occur. Despite the hypoallergenic nature of modern materials, the likelihood of allergies, rejection and other unpleasant consequences of prosthetics is quite likely. - Deposits on tooth enamel. Insufficient care or lack of oral hygiene leads to the formation of stones on the inner surface of the tooth.
Hard plaque contains huge colonies of pathogenic microorganisms that release toxic components.Microbes provoke the development of inflammatory foci in the oral cavity, leading to chronic glossalgia. The condition is easily eliminated by hygienic teeth cleaning at the dentist.
- Epithelial leukoplakia.
When the mechanisms of desquamation of epithelial structures at the cellular level are disrupted, as well as disruption of regenerative processes, it leads to the formation of white plaques on the cheeks, on the surface of the palate and tongue. Often the course of the disease is latent with temporary episodes of exacerbation. Leukoplakia occurs more often in smokers, becoming a sign of a precancerous condition. - Herpetic rashes.
Herpes is an infectious disease of a viral nature. Once an episode occurs, it almost always leads to chronicity of the pathological process. The appearance of blisters on the mucous membranes of the throat indicates an exacerbation of the disease and requires immediate use of antiviral drugs. As the patient recovers, the blisters transform into small erosive lesions.
Almost all diseases of the oral cavity of any origin can cause glossalgia. This is due to the huge number of nerve roots and receptors in the tongue and sublingual cavity, including multiple capillary weaves.
Other causes of tongue biting
To begin with, some patients infected with Lyme disease tend to have problems with tongue biting, especially in the later stages of the disease. This may be associated with “tingling of the nose, tongue (or just the tip of the tongue), cheeks, and flushing of the face” [livingwithlymedisease.org], which is possible with this disease.
Secondly, diseases leading to vitamin B-12 deficiency cause the formation of tongue ulcers, and these ulcers provoke further frequent tongue biting due to its swelling.
Blows, bruises and other injuries can cause tongue bites, especially among track and field athletes and other athletes.
Chewing tobacco causes “plaques in the mouth, which can also contribute to tongue biting” [simple-remedies.com]. Chewing gum too vigorously can also increase the chances of chewing and biting.
Finally, some tongue chewing problems are associated with side effects of certain medications, especially antidepressants.
Tongue biting in babies
The habit of biting or sucking on one's tongue, cheeks, or lips may begin to develop in younger children. They can occur in children aged 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 months. This can be not only a habit, but also a means of relieving symptoms that are unpleasant for a child such as burning in the mouth or temporomandibular disorders.
Another possible cause of tongue biting is teething or irritation caused by a mouth or throat infection. If this is the case, give your child a toy to chew on instead of biting his tongue.
To illustrate the seriousness of this problem, here is what some mothers report:
“Lately I noticed that my baby looks like a cow chewing cud. He does this throughout the day, here and there, and he doesn't seem to experience any discomfort. I checked his gums and they don't look red or irritated." - Pandme [mothering.com]
"Help! My son (1 year 10 months) bit his tongue. He was sick, his tonsils were swollen and his throat was irritated. What medicine should I give to heal the sore on my child's tongue? - Oooicieooo [babycenter.com]
What to do after an injury?
Having seen that a child is capricious, you need to pay attention to this and check his complaints. Don’t panic, soberly assess his condition, check for the presence of blood, as well as the nature of its discharge and color. Then decide whether to go to the hospital or self-medicate. In any case, visiting a doctor will not be superfluous in such a situation.
In what cases should you consult a doctor?
There are a number of factors that cannot be ignored. They are a reason to immediately visit a doctor:
- There is a swelling or hematoma at the site of injury.
- If the tissues are bitten through or part of the tongue is bitten off.
- Provided that blood loss cannot be stopped within 20-30 minutes.
- The wound is more than 5 mm in size, deep, with torn edges that cannot be joined together.
- Treatment at home does not improve. The tongue hurts more and more, severe swelling has appeared.
READ ALSO: what to do if your tongue hurts and stings after eating pineapple?
Acceleration of wound healing
In order for a bitten wound to heal faster, homemade wound healing recipes will come in handy. Constantly rinsing with herbal infusions will greatly help healing. Chamomile, sage and oak bark are good for these purposes. For example, you can pour 1 tbsp. chamomile leaves with a glass of warm (but not boiling) water. Leave for 20 minutes. The decoction will not only help the wound heal faster, but also kills bacteria and neutralizes unpleasant odors.
Treatment of a lump on the tongue
Bumps on the tongue may differ in shape and color. The reasons for their appearance may be stomatitis, cyst, sarcoma, herpes, hematoma and others. It is impossible to engage in self-diagnosis and treatment of such a phenomenon as a lump on the tongue. If a lump forms, you should immediately consult a doctor. He will prescribe a series of tests and studies. The tumor is usually removed surgically and sent for histological examination.
Changing your diet
If your tongue is injured, you should follow a diet. Completely eliminate everything sour, spicy and salty, eat only soft foods so as not to harm the wound. The ulcer is covered with a grayish film that prevents the entry of bacteria. In order for the film to stay in place and help speed up healing, you should avoid hot foods.
How to stop biting your tongue?
When looking at each of the possible causes of biting your tongue, we mentioned treatments or methods to get rid of the habit of biting your tongue (constant or intermittent, conscious or involuntary). In this part, we will give you some general guidelines that can further help with tongue biting.
Visit your dentist and physician to learn how you can manage this problem and learn how to use oral protection to avoid dental damage and oral injury, especially if you are active in sports.
Preventive actions
Diagnosis of pathology consists of a visual assessment of the oral cavity by the dentist. Additionally, you should visit an endocrinologist, neurologist or gastroenterologist. To clarify the general picture of the disease, the following tests should be performed:
- blood for detailed biochemical parameters;
- blood test for plasma glucose levels (for the possible development of diabetes mellitus);
- throat swab for laboratory testing;
- stool analysis for enterobiasis.
In case of a burdened clinical history, additional tests should be taken and examined by various specialists in the field to exclude exacerbation of other diseases of internal organs or systems.
The main preventive measure is monitoring oral health, that is, timely visits to doctors, treatment of caries, and elimination of other dental diseases. Other measures include:
- complete healthy diet;
- brushing teeth 2 times a day;
- preventive examinations at the dentist at least 2 times;
- healthy lifestyle (disease prevention).
If there is a burning sensation in the tongue, it is important to avoid smoking and drinking alcohol. It is these toxic substances that can negatively affect not only the condition of the oral cavity, but also the health of the patient as a whole.
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The video provides additional information on the topic of the article.
