Do you have small painful or painless bumps or lesions in mouth including the back of your tongue? You may have tongue sores. Read our post to get information on how you can get sores on your tongue dorsal (back) aspect, possible ways of treating, preventing any future occurrence and helpful remedies you may apply.
Possible causes
Inner lip mucosa (especially the lower lip), areas around the tip, lateral or sides of the tongue are more prone to mouth sores. However, you can also get them on the back of the tongue and throat.
Here are the causes including the back of the tongue.
Canker sores
They are a type of ulcer that occur on the oral mucosa. They can either be classified as either simple or complex canker sores.
Causes
While there is no single known cause for canker sores, a majority of the patients who get them in the mouth is due to minor injury.
Other possible reasons why you get them in the mouth include hormonal changes, allergy (esp. food), acidic foods, stress (chronic), certain toothpaste with sodium lauryl and aggressive mouth cleaning. According to scientific research, the occurrence of sores on in mouth may also be connected to genetic history.
Celiac disease and Behcet’s syndrome are other potential causes for canker sores in the mouth.
Treatment remedies
How long do canker sores last? Those on the tongue or in mouth clear up on their own in few weeks (at least 1 week and few days). However, if you have additional symptoms such as fever, sores spreading all over in mouth including the back of the tongue, seek proper medical attention.
Some of the remedies for discomfort caused include OTC herbals that have menthol, eucalyptus and benzocaine.
Dabbing a small amount of milk of Magnesia can also be helpful.
Sometimes, you may need to see a nutritionist if you have sores that last for more than three weeks or when they won’t heal.
Acid reflux (GERD)
Acid reflux is a condition whereby the small intestines food content move back and forth the gut between the esophagus and the small intestines.
Individuals who have a weaker muscle that closes the esophagus can face this problem.
People who have this condition often experience soreness in throat, heartburns, chest pain sour taste in the mouth.
How does GERD or acid reflex cause sores on the back of tongue? They are due to the acidity in the food contents which irritate the lining at the back of throat especially the esophagus lining.
Causative factors
You may get GERD symptoms due to the following reasons.
- Eating heavily
- Bend down or lie while putting pressure on the stomach
- If you have sleeping disorders
- If you have celiac disease, cystic fibrosis or scoliosis
- If you are allergic to foods or vomit frequently
- People with digestive disorders or regurgitate food
Treatment
Depending on the severity of the symptoms, doctors usually aim at reducing the effects on the patients. For patients with mild symptoms, prescription medication may not be necessary. However, for severe cases, a surgery may be required.
Treatments like chemotherapy or radiation therapy
Have you ever received oral cancer treatments? How do treatments like cancer therapy lead to sores in mouth?
Undergoing these treatments is crucially important especially after you have been diagnosed with cancer of the mouth or have developed it. However, there may be risks associated with certain treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
Chemotherapy
According to the Mayo Clinic, cancer treatments (chemotherapy or radiation therapy), weaken the immune system thus compromising its fighting ability against germs that cause or lead to infections.
Chemotherapy involves the use of chemotherapeutic drugs such as Depocyt, Cytosar U, Carac, Fluoroplex, Efudex, and Trexall. These drugs can cause mouth sores.
Radiation therapy
Head cancer or neck cancer may require you undergo radiation therapy or sometimes both chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Notably, “more-intense doses of radiation will cause mouth sores to develop more quickly.” [mayoclinic.org)
Mouth sores on the back of the tongue and cancer
Presence of lesions n the mouth (anywhere including on tongue, gums, palate back of the throat) can be an early sign of cancer of the mouth. Notably, sores due to cancer show persistence and won’t heal on their own or even with medication.
Symptoms
These symptoms may due to other causes of lesions in the mouth but can also be indicative of oral cancer.
- Numbness of the tongue or elsewhere in the mouth
- Jaw swelling
- A lump in the neck or swollen neck region
- A lump or thickening in the cheek
- A white or red patch in the mouth
- A sore throat
- Persistent mouth pain is another common oral cancer sign
- Loosening of the teeth
- Pain in the teeth or jaw
- Voice changes
- Difficulty swallowing or chewing
- Persistent bad mouth breath
If you have had cancer treatments like radiation therapy in the past, you are at high risk of developing oral cancer.
Diagnosis
Oral examination and evaluation based on symptoms can help determine if you have signs of cancer. Removal of the areas with abnormal tissue presentations may also be necessary for testing.
Treatment
Early treatment of cancer is more effective in controlling the cancer cells before they grow or develop other serious symptoms. Cancer screening tests may be necessary for early treatment to be possible.
Hormone changes and tongue soreness
Mouth sores due to an imbalance in hormones are attributed to physical changes likely to occur in mouth including redness and swelling of the gums or bleeding.
Hormone changes are one of the risk factors for canker sores, especially in women.
Swollen papillae on the tongue
Swollen papillae could be one of the reasons why people feel soreness in the tongue. Tongue papillae become swollen due to irritation or inflammatory oral conditions.
Other possible causative factors
These include factors such as STIs symptoms like syphilis and burning mouth syndrome.
Home remedies for sores in the mouth
These are some of the helpful remedies for sores on the back of the tongue or in the mouth.
Canker sores
Remedies will include:
Icing
Icing is the simplest way of dealing with pain caused by canker sores. You can do this by placing an ice on it until it melts away. Avoid ice chips with pointed or sharp edges on sores in the mouth.
Apple cider vinegar
Apple cider vinegar would speed up healing of the sores on the back of the tongue and make them disappear faster.
If you have concentrated ACV, begin by diluting it or with warm water.
- Measure equal sections of warm water and apple cider vinegar
- Gargle in the mouth for a few minutes and spit out
- Repeat once or twice especially when there is increased pain
Sage
Sage leave and sage extracts are ideal for painful canker sores. In addition to reducing mouth bacteria, sage reduces inflammation in the tongue.
- Place 2 leaves of sage in hot water
- Let it cool down and then rinse your mouth
For best results use dried sage or go for the extracts from a drugstore.
Baking soda
Ensure that you are using BAKING SODA for canker sores on tongue. Baking soda helps neutralize the acidity in food contents that have landed on the lesion. It also helps kill the bacteria which may have resulted in irritation.
- Clean your mouth to reduce present bacteria
- Add 1/2 tablespoonful BAKING SODA to warm water
- Rinse gently if the sores cause pain
Hydrogen peroxide + BAKING SODA
Use hydrogen peroxide for purposes of disinfecting the sores on the back of the tongue as a remedy.
Hydrogen peroxide helps to prevent infection of the sores on tongue.
- Add 1/4 of glass hydrogen peroxide to 1/2 glass of water
- Add half tsp. of baking soda to the resultant solution
- Place a few drops on to the sores
- Gargle with salt water afterward
More home remedies
Other remedies you can use to deal with mild pain due to canker sores on tongue include:
- Licorice tea
- Antacid tablets
- Tea bags