Tongue goes numb after drinking alcohol. Why does my tongue and lips go numb? Diseases of the central departments

Sometimes people encounter such an unpleasant phenomenon as numbness of the tongue. It can vary in localization, for example, sensitivity can be impaired only in the area of ​​the tip of the tongue or cover larger areas, and in intensity - from a slight decrease in sensitivity to its complete loss. In any case, you should consult a doctor without self-medicating and without hoping that it will go away on its own.

For what reason can the tongue go numb?

There are many reasons for such an unpleasant phenomenon as numbness of the tongue, which doctors call “paresthesia.” For example, it can occur after treatment by a dentist if, during tooth extraction or treatment of a deep cavity, the doctor accidentally damages a nerve. In this case, the sensitivity of the tongue will recover on its own after some time. This situation is not dangerous, you just need to be patient and wait for a complete recovery.

The speed at which sensation is restored directly depends on how severe the nerve damage was.

The tongue may also become numb due to poorly placed dentures or malocclusion. For example, if dentures contain different metals, galvanic currents may occur that reduce the sensitivity of the tongue. In these cases, after eliminating the causes, the numbness of the tongue goes away quite quickly.

However, the cause of tongue numbness may be more serious. For example, it may indicate diseases:

• cervical spine
• thyroid gland
• organs of the nervous and digestive system

And also for diabetes and some cardiovascular diseases.

Numbness of the tongue may be one of the symptoms of an impending heart attack or stroke. Therefore, in this case, you should immediately seek help from a doctor.

Often, decreased sensitivity of the tongue is caused by a side effect of certain medications. For example, a number of painkillers or drugs that relieve coughing and sputum discharge.

The tongue may lose sensitivity as a result of various allergic reactions to external irritants:

• components of food and drinks
• medicines
• animal hair, household items, etc.

Even chewing gum or toothpaste can cause numbness, for example, if you are allergic to one of the components.

A lack of certain vitamins, such as B12, can also lead to numbness of the tongue. Finally, the sensitivity of the tongue can change noticeably due to anxiety, increased nervousness, stressful situations, and depression.

Patients' sensations when tongue sensitivity is impaired are very varied: from slight numbness at the very tip of the tongue, causing only mild discomfort, to complete loss of sensitivity, often accompanied by severe tingling or burning. This burning sensation can spread to the mucosal area.

In such cases, many patients become hyperexcitable, nervous, and experience an obsessive fear of getting cancer (cancerophobia)

There are so many reasons for tongue numbness that only a qualified doctor can understand this problem; making a diagnosis on your own is dangerous for your health, because you may decide that the problem is not as bad as it really is, thereby aggravating your condition.

What to do if your tongue is numb

If you feel that your tongue is numb, you need to undergo a comprehensive examination, including testing for possible allergens. Most likely, you will have to visit specialists such as a dentist, endocrinologist and neurologist. It is necessary to answer in detail all questions regarding illnesses suffered over the past year, medications you took, your daily routine, diet, oral care procedures, etc.

If possible, it is necessary to conduct magnetic resonance imaging of the brain and cervical spine

In any case, treatment should begin with the elimination of all factors that irritate the tongue. If necessary, it is necessary to replace incorrectly placed dentures, correct an incorrect bite, remove tartar, polish the sharp edges of crowns and fillings, making them smoother and non-traumatic. It is necessary to adjust the diet by excluding from it foods that can irritate the tongue (for example, too hot, salty, with an abundance of spicy seasonings).

Therapeutic treatment includes taking medications that have a sedative effect, help improve blood circulation, metabolism, and, if necessary, vitamin complexes. Since impaired sensitivity of the tongue is often associated with disorders of the nervous system, the following can help:

• massage
• aromatic baths
• orderly daily routine
• exclusion of stressful, unnerving situations

In some cases, sanatorium-resort treatment is indicated. The patient needs to be prepared in advance for the fact that the treatment can be quite lengthy, and he will have to strictly follow all the doctor’s instructions.

You should not use any folk remedies without consulting a doctor, especially if the cause of the numbness is not clear.

Now in the age of high technology, when medicine is developing by leaps and bounds, it seems that a person can solve all problems and cure any sore. Diseases such as sore throat and flu can be treated fairly quickly, and medicine has developed many medications for their treatment. But there remain cases when the disease “captures” a person so much that he is simply unable to escape.

The terrible word “disability” immediately comes to mind, but even a seemingly insignificant disorder of sensitivity can cause serious disorders in the body. A person may suffer from slight numbness in the tongue area, but he is unable to provide an adequate explanation for this. So why does numbness of the tongue occur, why is it dangerous and how to treat it?

Many people, having discovered numbness in the tongue area, do not think about it, they think “maybe it will work out” or that “there is nothing wrong with it.” But it is still better to know the cause of this manifestation and how to recover from it.

Numbness in the tip of the tongue is a fairly common phenomenon among the population. This manifestation in modern medicine is called paresthesia. In another way, this can be understood as some violation of the sensitivity of the tongue.

Symptoms of the disease

This disease can have several types of manifestations. This may be an almost imperceptible, slight tingling in the area of ​​the tongue, or there may be goosebumps running across the tongue. And the last, most unpleasant manifestation is partial or complete loss of sensitivity of the tip of the tongue. Often, of course, the symptoms of this disease appear in the most harmless form, but they can cause a lot of inconvenience to a person. Then you need to act to cure the paresthesia.

Main reasons for development

It is impossible to immediately find the cause of tongue numbness. To do this, you need to undergo the necessary examination, after which it will be possible to objectively say what was the cause of the disease. The cause of the disease may be diseases of the cervical spine. If you are currently taking antibiotics, then this may also cause numbness in your tongue. There are so many of them that problems with the thyroid gland can also cause this disease.

Many people don’t realize, but after visiting the dentist, a person’s tongue can also become numb. This is due to the fact that when removing a tooth, the dentist can accidentally touch a nerve, resulting in numbness. In this case, it is not dangerous, because after some time the sensitivity of the tongue will return to normal and there is no need to worry.

But numbness of the tongue can sometimes be a symptom of a terrible and dangerous disease. Such diseases are diabetes and various cardiovascular diseases. Basically, in the presence of such diseases, numbness of the tongue occurs as a result of increased dryness of the tongue mucosa. But this is not the most dangerous thing, since numbness of the tongue can be the cause of impending or.

If you do not find these manifestations in yourself, then look for possible causes in problems related to the heart or the oral cavity. Also, look carefully and read the ingredients in your toothpaste, as using it may cause numbness as you may be allergic to some of the ingredients in the toothpaste. If you use chewing gum and often feel numbness on your tongue, then stop using it and get tested for possible allergies. In this case, you will know which components you are allergic to, and in the future exclude them from your diet.

You may not have thought about it, but stress and increased irritability and nervousness are another reason for tongue numbness. Therefore, pay close attention to your mood and its changes, as this will lead to numbness. If your diet lacks vitamins, then be sure to include them in your diet, namely vitamin B12, the lack of which leads to loss of tongue sensitivity.

What to do if your tongue is numb?

In fact, there can be an endless number of reasons for tongue numbness, and only an experienced doctor will be able to get to the bottom of the truth. At the same time, none of these reasons should be ignored, because numbness of the tongue is a very serious symptom of any disease. Therefore, do not under any circumstances leave your problem unresolved.

Be sure to visit a doctor and undergo the prescribed full examination of the body. The tests that you will need to take will detect diseases such as diabetes, tuberculosis, and various cardiovascular diseases. Your doctor may send you to a dentist, endocrinologist, or even a neurologist, so don’t be alarmed, because this is necessary to make an accurate diagnosis and find out the cause of your concerns.

It is also necessary to provide the attending physician with complete information about the use of any medications over the past six months to a year and data on previous diseases, including tooth extraction, dietary habits, replacement of toothpaste, etc.

In addition, magnetic resonance imaging of the brain and cervical spine may be prescribed using a device whose magnetic field must have a strength of at least 1 Tesla. Once the cause is identified, you will be prescribed the necessary treatment. Be sure to go through it, do not ignore it, because the success of curing the disease depends on it. Be healthy!

The tongue is an unpaired muscular organ located in the oral cavity.

Its position depends on the function it will perform. The process of chewing and swallowing is carried out with the help of the tongue. Thanks to the large number of receptors on the mucous membrane of the organ, a person can distinguish tastes. Moreover, a separate area of ​​the tongue is responsible for a specific taste stimulus. Well, an important role of this body is participation in communication.

Doctors classify numbness of the tongue as one of the types of paresthesia. Paresthesia is a tingling sensation due to a violation of the sensitivity of a certain area (in this case we are talking about the tongue). As a rule, numbness of the tip of the tongue or the entire tongue is not an independent disease. This is only a symptom of some underlying diagnosis, which can increase gradually and be accompanied by a number of other symptoms. Therefore, in order to begin treatment and rid yourself of unpleasant discomfort, you should find the main cause and eliminate it.

Tongue goes numb, reasons

1. Reaction to medications. For some medications this is a side effect, and some cause nerve damage.
2. Menopause. Very often, women during menopause experience damage to the mucous membranes. The mucous membrane becomes thin and sensitive. Plus, functional changes in the thyroid gland also occur.
3. Anemia. As a result of a lack of vitamin B12 and iron. Blood tests show decreased red blood cells, hemoglobin, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia. Bone marrow puncture is recommended.
4. Glossalgia. A fairly common disease of the oral mucosa associated with sensory neuroses. Manifested by tingling and numbness.
5. An allergic reaction to toothpaste, chewing gum, mouthwash, air freshener, and anything that has any contact with the tongue.
6. Reflux esophagitis. Reverse reflux of gastric contents, which can also lead to numbness.
7. Various types of injuries in the facial area, dental procedures (especially when removing “wisdom teeth”, after anesthesia, which is required for this procedure, numbness can torment the patient for up to six months), maxillofacial operations, jaw fractures. The result is damage to nerve endings.
8. After drinking very cold or hot liquid. Or in case of accidental use of acid or alkali.
9. Nervous, depressed state. Sleep disturbance, increased irritability, dizziness. There will be no changes in the blood. Consultation with a psychotherapist is required.
10. Functional disorders in pregnant women. More often observed in the third trimester. This occurs against a background of high blood pressure and swelling.
11. Features in the structure of the skull that cause compression of the glossopharyngeal nerve.

A symptom in which the tongue and lips go numb may be a consequence of diseases such as:

- diabetes mellitus (dry mucous membranes, development of neuropathy - cause of numbness);

- stroke (the brain is affected; speech impairment, long-term headache with accompanying numbness of half the body, drooping corner of the mouth; lack of coordination; consciousness is depressed; tests show a violation of the coagulation system; CT, MRI are recommended);

— hypothyroidism (lack of thyroid hormones, consultation with an endocrinologist);

- Lyme disease (as a result of a tick bite);

— multiple sclerosis (all parts of the body go numb, the tongue is no exception);

- cerebral aneurysm;

- syphilis;

- Bell's palsy (the whole face goes numb);

- migraine;

- sarcoidosis;

- preeclampsia;

- spinal cord cancer (local pain, decrease in all blood counts);

- brain tumor (compression of various parts of the brain - the cause of numbness).

Why does the tip of the tongue go numb?

The main complaints about numbness of the tip of the tongue are:

1. Heavy smokers often complain of numbness in the tip of the tongue.
2. People receiving chemotherapy.
3. If the body lacks vitamin B12.
4. Damage to the glossopharyngeal nerve.
5. Side effects of medications.
6. Heavy metal poisoning.
7. Alcohol abuse.
8. Glossalgia.
9. Hypoglycemia.
10. Depression.
11. Excess or deficiency of minerals in the body.

Quite often the tongue and lips go numb at the same time. Numbness of the lips occurs as a consequence of sensory impairment. But this is not the main problem, but becomes only a consequence of the underlying disease. You can only guess on your own which specialist you need to go to, and in no case can you make an accurate diagnosis yourself and prescribe treatment for yourself.

Lips go numb, reasons

1. Lips go numb for the following reasons: Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. As a result of compression of the spinal cord, blood circulation is disrupted and thereby the nutrition of the organs is disrupted. Numbness of the lips appears.

2. Neuritis of the facial nerve. Inflammation of the facial nerve leads to disruption of impulse transmission to the facial muscles and can be complicated by facial paralysis. You urgently need to consult a doctor to prevent such a dangerous picture.

3. Lack of B vitamin. Lack of this vitamin leads to disorders of the nervous system. A large amount of this vitamin is found in: bread, nuts, bran, liver, meat, potatoes.

4. High or very low blood pressure. Then not only the lips go numb, but also the upper and lower limbs. Life threatening. You urgently need to call an ambulance.

5. Diabetes mellitus. One of its symptoms is numbness of the lips, clammy sweat, weakness, and trembling hands. By adjusting your blood glucose levels, the numbness will go away. You can eat honey, sugar, candy. If attacks recur frequently, insulin dosage should be discussed with your doctor.

6. Allergy to the use of a new medicine. Quincke's edema causes swelling of parts of the body, including the lips. The cause often remains unclear. Edema is a terrible swelling of the larynx; difficulty breathing can lead to asphyxia. If an attack has occurred in your life, then you should always carry antihistamines and glucocorticosteroids with you to relieve this condition.

7. Migraine. As a consequence of nervous breakdowns and constant worries, it leads to disruption of the nervous system. The headache occurs half an hour after numbness, then the limbs go numb. Numbness is a kind of aura before a headache. There are no significant changes in the analyses. Increased levels of potassium and magnesium, reduced stress and good sleep will help. Avoid foods that trigger migraines: wine, cheese, sweets.

8. Disease of teeth and gums. If before the numbness of the lips there was pain in the teeth or gums, then, most likely, this is due to problems in the teeth. You need to see a dentist.

9. Multiple sclerosis. It is with numbness that this disease begins. Nervous tissue cells in the body begin to be affected. Only a neurologist can help in this case.

10. Shingles. Its typical onset is itching, redness and numbness. If there is still a burning sensation in the cheek area, then this is one hundred percent shingles.

11. Bell's palsy. It affects the entire face, but the lips and eyebrows are affected first. The disease is preceded by some viral diseases (ARVI, simple herpes virus). Tingling and numbness are characteristic of this disease. May go away on its own. If treated, a course of antibiotics and antiviral drugs is prescribed. Rarely, but the appearance of inflammatory markers in the blood is possible. Facial gymnastics is necessary. The recovery process takes up to a year. In severe cases, CT and MRI examinations are recommended.

12. Infectious disease of various etiologies, which affects the nerves. Very often, complications after meningitis or herpes are nerve damage with the leading syndrome being numbness.

As we found out, there are quite a few reasons for numbness of the tongue and lips. After this article, you can already decide which specialist you need to contact. If you cannot associate your numbness, which torments you periodically, with any of these diseases, then you need to contact a neurologist. And you shouldn’t delay this.

Do not worry if numbness occurs as a result of prolonged exposure to very cold, after anesthesia, or lying on the lip for a long time. And at the same time there are no more complaints, and there never were.

Language is a very sensitive organ of our body, one of the five senses. In addition to taste sensitivity, it, like skin, also has a very high tactile sensitivity, not inferior in this regard to the tips of the fingers on the hand. Therefore, this or that disturbance of sensations in the area of ​​the tongue, in particular numbness, is immediately noticed by a person and in some cases causes anxiety. Why does such a subjective sensation as numbness of the tongue occur?

Numbness of the tongue can be temporary and permanent or paroxysmal. Temporary numbness, as a rule, does not pose any danger and is associated with taking any medications that contain anesthetics. In particular, this could be the throat spray Kameton, tablets used for stomach pain - Bellasthesin. Another cause of temporary numbness of the tongue (paresthesia) may be short-term damage to the sensory nerves innervating the mucous membrane of the tongue. This phenomenon occurs during some dental interventions (when removing a wisdom tooth).
Numbness of the tongue can also occur as a result of improperly administered dental anesthesia.

It is a completely different matter when it is constant or paroxysmal in nature and is accompanied by other phenomena of paresthesia - tingling, itching, burning. The complex of these sensations without visible changes in the tongue itself is called glossalgia and may indicate various diseases - compression of the cranial nerves by a tumor or surrounding tissues as a result of their swelling during inflammatory or allergic diseases.

In this case, the localization of sensations will help determine which specific nerve is affected - if there is numbness in the root area, the glossopharyngeal nerve should be immediately checked, since it is this nerve that innervates this area; numbness and paresthesia at the tip and lateral surfaces of the tongue indicate damage to the lingual nerve. Numbness of the tongue of neurological origin is characterized by a gradual (with a tumor) or abrupt (with inflammation) onset; often, starting with the tongue, paresthesia can spread to the area of ​​the cheeks, lips, and palate. They may also be accompanied by other neurological symptoms - paralysis and paresis.

Other reasons numbness of the tongue Local and general microcirculation disorders and subsequent degenerative processes in capillaries, nerves and other tissues may serve. This situation can occur with diabetes mellitus, chronic alcohol intoxication, and hypovitaminosis. In this case, the phenomena of paresthesia develop slowly, gradually, from short-term “incomprehensible” sensations in the tongue to attacks of numbness, mainly in the mornings and late afternoon. Over time, the numbness becomes permanent.

The mucous membrane of the tongue does not change in the first weeks and even months of the disease, but over time its smoothness becomes noticeable (a sign of destruction of the taste buds of the tongue), dilated veins become visible on the surface of the mucosa, and salivation decreases. All this occurs as a result of degenerative processes in the tissues of the organ due to insufficient microcirculation.

It can also serve as an indirect sign of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract - helminthic infestation (paresthesia occurs especially often with ascariasis), gastritis, cholecystitis, peptic ulcer. A disruption of the blood system can also lead to paresthesia (anemia); in addition, it has been noted that with malocclusion, numbness of the tongue also develops.

It’s worth mentioning separately paresthesia after dental procedures. In addition to the already mentioned incorrect anesthesia, numbness of the tongue can occur after the installation of artificial dentures and fillings. The thing is that sometimes they are made of several metals soldered together. Under the influence of saliva, these dissimilar metals begin to interact with each other, creating something like a regular battery. The electric current generated in this case (often called galvanic current) can irritate the mucous membrane of the tongue, causing numbness and paresthesia.

What to do if your tongue suddenly becomes numb? If you do not associate this phenomenon with taking any medications or with a dental procedure, you must consult a doctor and undergo a full medical examination to determine the underlying disease and its treatment. If numbness occurs as a result of exposure to galvanic currents, then replacement of a low-quality prosthesis or filling is necessary. For paresthesia caused by microcirculation disorders, it is necessary to take multivitamin preparations and other medications that improve metabolism.

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Who will take care of our health if not ourselves? The body of each of us is a multifunctional complex mechanism that is capable of informing us about its malfunctions. Distress signals - symptoms sent during the development of any disease, are vitally important and necessary, because it is thanks to their appearance that it is possible to promptly suspect and treat the disease.

There are symptoms, such as headache or fever, that do not cause much concern for a person. Your head may hurt from fatigue, and a high temperature may indicate a common cold. But why the tongue goes numb is a question that requires due attention.

Paresthesia is one of the variants of sensitivity disorder, in which a feeling of numbness, crawling and slight tingling appears.

Why does my tongue go numb after going to the dentist?

It often happens that after anesthesia during the removal of a tooth in the lower jaw, for some reason the tongue becomes numb. However, unpleasant sensations may persist even several days after dental procedures. As a rule, this is due to partial damage to the nerve endings of the tongue located near the root of the extracted tooth.

What to do?

If you are sure that the reason why your tongue is numb is directly related to a trip to the dentist, you don’t need to do anything. Within a few weeks, the sensitivity of the tongue will be completely restored.

Why does the tip of the tongue and left hand go numb?

In people with diseases of the cardiovascular system, numbness of the tongue may be accompanied by paresthesia in another part of the body, for example, an upper limb. In this case, the appearance of such sensations may be associated with an increase in blood pressure and indicate the development of cerebral circulation. The most life-threatening conditions in which the tongue can become numb are cerebral stroke and myocardial infarction.

What to do?

The presence of cardiovascular pathology significantly increases the risk of stroke. To avoid serious complications, if you experience tingling or numbness in your tongue, you should immediately report it to your doctor.

Why does my tongue go numb after brushing my teeth?

A crawling sensation or a feeling of numbness in the tongue area often occurs after brushing your teeth. Toothpaste contains components that can cause an allergic reaction.

What to do?

Use your usual toothpastes. You should not be influenced by advertising when experimenting with various pastes to cleanse your mouth. Try to buy toothpaste after studying its composition.

Other reasons why the tongue goes numb.

A symptom such as numbness of the tongue may indicate the development of many unrelated diseases. The most common reasons why the tongue began to go numb include:

Osteochondrosis in the cervical spine: paresthesia of the tongue develops against the background of an exacerbation of the disease, when the pinched vertebrae compress the main vessels, causing a disruption of the blood supply;

Long-term use of antibiotics;

Metabolic disorders (diabetes mellitus);

Tumor-like formation in the brain;

Pregnancy: lack of vitamin B12, iron deficiency anemia can also provoke the development of paresthesia in the tongue;

Smoking: Cigarettes contain nicotine, which has a vasoconstrictor effect. For heavy smokers, tongue numbness is a common symptom;

Poisoning by poisons, exposure to radioactive radiation, alcohol poisoning;

Hormonal disorders (thyroid pathology);

Stress, hard work, emotional overstrain: in this case, numbness of the tongue is one of many neurological symptoms, which may include fear of eating solid food, speech impairment, dizziness, etc.;

The presence of vegetative-vascular dystonia (VSD).

Why does my tongue go numb? Action plan for eliminating paresthesia.

The first step if numbness occurs in the tip of the tongue or the entire organ should be a visit to the doctor. First, consulting a specialist will help rule out some of the diseases that cause paresthesia. Secondly, the doctor will draw up an examination plan. The local therapist can handle this task quite easily, so you should not disturb the endocrinologist or neurologist unnecessarily.

What examinations need to be done if the tongue is numb?

If you suspect you have diabetes, it is enough to take a general blood test to determine your glucose level. For people suffering from hypertension, electrocardiography (ECG) and cardiac ultrasound (ultrasound) will not be amiss. As for cases where, in addition to numbness of the tongue, there is dizziness, lack of coordination, incoherence of speech, etc., a more thorough and expensive examination will be needed, which includes magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography of the brain (MRI, CT).