6 Home remedies to soothe and heal your sore tongue
Soreness in the tongue is a common problem but it is quite hard to ignore. It appears as red patches, small bumps on the tip, one side, or throughout the tongue. Meanwhile, it triggers difficulties like burning sensation, aching feel, and inflammation in the tongue, etc. If your tongue is sore more than 2 weeks, you should consult your dentist because it might be a symptom of underlying conditions like neuralgia, vitamin deficiency, Moeller's glossitis, etc. Don't worry. It occurs for some people but in most cases, sore on the tongue is prompted by tongue injuries, mouth ulcers, yeast infection, allergic reaction from foods, medicines.
How to get rid of tongue sores? Dentists prescribe suitable tongue sore treatments or medications depending on the factor that affects your tongue. Similarly, you can cope up with its irritations with OTC medications, vitamin supplements, antibiotics, antifungals, topical gel, etc. On the other hand, you have a variety of natural remedies like saltwater rinse to cure or get relief from tongue sores. We have explained a few here. Keep reading.
1) Ice cubes or Ice water Ice holds numbing properties so that we suggest sucking ice cubes or ice pops to get relief from the sore tongue. Similarly, drinking a cup of cold water at regular intervals also eases the irritations. Don't prefer soft drinks, sugary fluids as the sweeteners in these beverages are detrimental to teeth and gums. Likewise, don't try to chew ice cubes else this habit will break the teeth.
2) Chamomile Tea Chamomile has anti-inflammatory properties. Hence dentists recommend it as a remedy to treat some oral disorders. Prepare a cup of Chamomile tea. Cool it down and swish your mouth with it for a few minutes. Otherwise, apply a moistened chamomile tea bad over the painful areas of the tongue.
3) Coconut Oil Coconut oil has antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties. It is believed that rinsing your mouth with a few drops of coconut oil will eliminate the oral microbes. It is a popular ayurvedic oral care practice and is known as "Oil Pulling". Dip a cotton ball in coconut oil and gently rub it over the affected areas on the tongue. It helps in reducing the pain and speed up the healing process.
4) Honey Honey is a natural sweetener and contains antibacterial agents. Similar to coconut oil, you can gently rub honey over the painful sores on the tongue a few times per day. Similarly, drinking warm tea with honey is also beneficial to get rid of sore tongue.
5) Milk Of Magnesia Milk of Magnesia is an acid neutralizer and helps in reducing the pH levels in the mouth. Reducing acidic levels in the mouth for those who have tongue sores reduce pain, burning feeling, and other irritations associated with mouth ulcer. Apply a small amount of milk of magnesia over the affected portion of the time daily. It promotes healing as well as reduces painful discomforts.
6) Aloe Vera Aloe Vera is well-known for its ability to moisturize skin thereby soothing its underlying nerves and tissues. It helps in reducing irritations of soreness in the tongue. Hence we prescribe sore tongue sufferers to rinse their mouth with aloe vera juice once a day.
Bottom line Despite tongue sores appear common and harmless, it is quite bothersome. It causes difficulties in day-to-day oral-related activities like eating, speaking. Mostly, poor oral habits are the root cause of these problems whilst some bodily disorders are also responsible for this. Keeping your mouth clean is the best way to prevent such tongue sores. The remedies we discussed will promote healing and lessen the painful comforts. In the meantime, you have to take less-acidic foods and stay away from habits like smoking, taking alcoholic drinks to quickly get rid of tongue sores.
Dr. Suresh