Bumps on Tongue: Causes and Natural Treatments
Everybody has lots of small, tiny bumps on their tongue which are the same color as the tongue and are generally never noticed. Some of these bumps, called fungiform papillae, are connected with your taste buds and these are found on the top of your tongue. Circumvallate papillae are tongue bumps that are found on the back of the tongue. Infections, injury, or viruses can make these tongue bumps become enlarged and swollen causing discomfort and sometimes pain. The medical name for enlarged bumps on tongue is enlarged papillae.
Your tongue is a very sensitive organ which can sense thousands of many different tastes and textures. It is also needed to help us speak properly. Therefore when tongue bumps become enlarged it can interfere with eating, drinking, and even speaking. Usually, tongue bumps will go away by themselves. But, there are also many natural remedies such as apple cider vinegar and baking soda to help you get rid of tongue bumps faster and to soothe these painful bumps.
If a bump on the tongue doesn’t go away, then it is best to have this checked out by a doctor as it may be a sign of a more serious condition.
Bumps on Tongue – Causes and Natural Treatments
There are many reasons why you can get bumps under the tongue or on the surface of the tongue. Let’s now look at some common causes for these tongue bumps and what you can do to get rid of them.
Lie Bumps
Sore or swollen bumps on the tongue could be a symptom of a condition that is commonly called “lie bumps”, or transient lingual papillitis. Lie bumps can cause one or many bumps to appear on the surface of the tongue usually toward the tip. Usually, the best way to treat lie bumps is to apply something to soothe the irritation.
Dermatologist, Dr. Dyall-Smith says that factors like stress, digestive problems, hormone fluctuations, and some foods can cause tongue bumps (enlarged papillae) to appear.1 It has also been suggested that these bumps on the tongue can be due to increased sensitivity to environmental factors because many people with eczema, hay fever, and asthma get these.
One study into the reason why children have lie bumps on their tongues found that they could be caused by a viral infection.2
You usually don’t have to do anything to get rid of lie bumps; however, there are many natural remedies that can provide relief if you have inflamed tongue lumps.
Mix a teaspoon of salt with a glass of warm water and regularly rinse your mouth to get relief from the discomfort caused by lie bumps. A salt water rinse can also help to promote healing and reduce the irritation caused by bumps on your tongue.
Another way to get relief from lie bumps is to eat or drink something cooling. For example, you could eat some yogurt or suck on an ice cube or ice pop to soothe your tongue.
Canker sores
A common cause of bumps on the tongue or under the tongue is canker sores, which are small ulcers that have a white or yellow center. Canker sores can cause painful bumps on the tongue, on the lips and in other places in your mouth. There are many reasons why canker sores develop and some of the most common reasons are injury, vitamin deficiency, allergies, or stress.
The Mayo Clinic says that canker sores can be prevented by eating healthy and nutritional foods, avoiding foods like acidic fruits which could irritate your mouth, as well as maintaining good oral hygiene.3 If you think that stress is the cause of your lumps on your tongue, then a solution would be to try and learn techniques to reduce stress and anxiety.
Tongue bumps caused by canker sores can be treated by using baking soda. Baking soda is a mild anti-inflammatory and it can normalize the pH levels in your mouth which promotes healing and provides soothing relief. All you need to do is to mix 1 tsp. baking soda with a little water to form a paste. Apply this to the canker sore for a few minutes before rinsing off. The baking soda paste will help the canker sores to heal quicker.
You can also use witch hazel as a home remedy to get rid of canker sores fast. Witch hazel is a natural astringent and antiseptic which can ease the discomfort canker sores cause. Mix one tsp. witch hazel in a cup of warm water and add 1-2 drops of clove oil. Use this as a natural mouthwash to soothe canker sores.
Squamous cell papilloma
A bump on the tongue could be due to a squamous cell papilloma caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV). The tongue bump will look like a small protruding lump with a ‘cauliflower-like’ surface.
The squamous cell papilloma itself is non-cancerous but if it causes discomfort, dermatologists say that the only way to get rid of it is by surgery.4
If you notice a bump on your tongue or under your tongue that won’t go away, it is best to get it checked out by a doctor.
Oral Thrush
One of the symptoms of oral thrush is white bumps on your tongue, especially at the back of your tongue, on the roof of your mouth, or at the back of your throat. Oral thrush is a yeast infection and is caused when the Candida fungus infects the mouth because of an imbalance of bacteria in your body.
Doctor of Dental Surgery, Dr. Michael Friedman on WebMD says that oral thrush can be prevented by having good oral hygiene practices, limiting the use of sugar and yeast-containing foods and avoiding overusing antibacterial mouthwashes.5
Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is a great natural remedy for yeast infections which you can use to treat oral thrush and get rid of its symptoms, including bumps at the back of your tongue. Mix 2 tsp. raw, unfiltered ACV and 1/2 tsp. salt in a cup of warm water. Rinse your mouth with the ACV solution several times a day until the tongue bumps are completely gone.
You can also incorporate a healthy apple cider vinegar drink into your daily routine. This can help to both treat and prevent yeast infections in your body as well the bumps on the tongue. Add 1-2 tbsp. ACV to a glass of water and consume 2-3 times a day until the yeast infection has gone.
Coconut oil has been scientifically proven to kill the Candida fungus and treat yeast infections. Research has shown that it is just as effective as fluconazole, which is a popular treatment for Candida infections.6 Find out more information in my article about coconut oil for yeast infections.
Scarlet fever
Scarlett fever causes the tongue to become red and bumpy resembling a strawberry. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, scarlet fever is a bacterial infection caused by group A Streptococcus bacteria. Scarlet fever starts off as a sore throat and fever and then a rash may develop on various parts of the body.7
Use an apple cider vinegar mouthwash to reduce the inflammation and infection caused by scarlet fever. You can use the same home remedy mouthwash as I mentioned in the treatments for oral thrush. Rinse your mouth with the apple cider vinegar mix several times a day to get relief from the lumps on your tongue caused by the scarlet fever.
You can also use a saltwater gargle to relieve the symptoms of scarlet fever if you have bumps on the back of your tongue.
Other Causes of Bumps on the Tongue
There are some less common reasons why bumps appear on the tongue.
Lymphoepithelial Cysts
Lumps at the back of the tongue that are yellowish could be lymphoepithelial cysts. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, these cysts can appear on the tongue, at the back of the throat, or the floor of the mouth. They are caused by a disorder in the salivary glands.8
Traumatic fibroma
A common cause of a bump on the side of your tongue is a condition called traumatic fibroma or oral irritate fibroma. According to dermatologist Dr. Delwyn Dyall-Smith, the bumps appear on the tongue and other areas of the mouth because of constant irritation. For example, if you frequently bite the side of your tongue, you may develop a lump on your tongue.9
The only way to remove these bumps on the tongue is by surgery.
Oral Cancer
On rare occasions, a bump on the tongue can be a sign of oral cancer. Dr. Sumana Jothi says that a symptom of oral cancer is a painless lump on the tongue, lip, or another area of the mouth.10
If lump on the tongue doesn’t go away within 2 weeks, you should visit your doctor who can perform a proper examination.
Read my other related articles:
1. 8 Warning Signs Your Tongue May Be Sending
2. Bumps on lips: Causes and Top Natural Treatments
3. White Spots on Throat – 6 Common Causes
4. Bumps in Mouth: Causes, Symptoms and Natural Treatments
5. How to Get Rid of Nose Piercing Bump
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