A numb tongue is a sensory change that can manifest as tingling, prickling, or a complete loss of sensation. This unusual feeling can impact taste perception, speech clarity, and the ability to comfortably eat. While it can sometimes be a fleeting annoyance, tongue numbness may also signal a more persistent or concerning underlying health issue.
Common Everyday Reasons
Tongue numbness can arise from simple, everyday occurrences that are short-lived and resolve without intervention. Consuming hot foods or drinks can temporarily scald the tongue’s surface, leading to a transient numbing sensation. Similarly, highly acidic foods may irritate the tongue’s tissues, causing a temporary tingling or numb feeling.
Minor physical trauma, such as biting the tongue, can also result in localized numbness due to temporary nerve irritation. Sustained pressure on the jaw, perhaps from sleeping in an unusual position, might compress nerves that supply sensation to the tongue, leading to brief numbness. Even anxiety or panic attacks can induce tongue paresthesia, often linked to hyperventilation which alters blood gas levels and affects nerve function.
Underlying Health Conditions
More persistent or unexplained tongue numbness can indicate an underlying health condition affecting the nervous system or other bodily processes. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurological disorder where the immune system attacks nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord. This damage can disrupt nerve signals, leading to sensory disturbances like numbness or tingling in various body parts, including the tongue and face.
A stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA), often called a “mini-stroke,” occurs when blood flow to part of the brain is interrupted. This can cause sudden tongue numbness or tingling, sometimes accompanied by difficulty speaking, facial drooping, or weakness on one side of the body. Bell’s palsy, characterized by sudden weakness or paralysis on one side of the face, can also lead to numbness on the same side of the tongue and a loss of taste, due to inflammation of the facial nerve. Migraines can also present with an “aura” that includes sensory changes like tongue numbness or tingling.
A deficiency in vitamin B12 can impair nerve health and lead to neurological symptoms. This deficiency can cause abnormal sensations like pins and needles or numbness, which may affect the tongue, hands, and feet. Allergic reactions, particularly severe ones like angioedema, can cause rapid swelling of deeper skin layers, including the tongue and throat. This swelling can lead to numbness or tightness and, in severe cases, obstruct breathing.
Autoimmune diseases such as Sjögren’s syndrome, where the immune system attacks moisture-producing glands, primarily cause dry eyes and mouth. It can also affect nerves, leading to numbness, tingling, or burning sensations in various parts of the body, including the tongue, hands, and feet. Certain infections, like shingles, can reactivate from dormant viruses and affect specific nerves. If the virus reactivates in the trigeminal nerve, it can cause pain, burning, and numbness in the face and mouth, including the tongue, often accompanied by a rash.
Medications and Dental Procedures
Tongue numbness can sometimes be an unintended consequence of medical treatments or specific substances. Certain medications can cause oral side effects, including altered sensation. Some antibiotics, specific blood pressure medications, and chemotherapy drugs can induce dysesthesia, which may include tongue numbness, tingling, or burning.
Local anesthetics, used in dental procedures to numb the mouth, will temporarily cause numbness in the tongue if the nerve is anesthetized. This effect is expected and wears off as the anesthetic metabolizes, typically within a few hours. In rare instances, dental procedures like wisdom tooth extractions or root canals can lead to nerve damage, particularly to the lingual nerve. This damage can result in prolonged or even permanent numbness or altered sensation in the tongue, chin, or lower lip.
When to Seek Medical Help
While many instances of tongue numbness are benign and temporary, certain symptoms warrant immediate medical attention. If tongue numbness appears suddenly, especially if it is accompanied by weakness or paralysis in other parts of the body, difficulty speaking or swallowing, or changes in vision, these could be signs of a serious neurological event like a stroke.
A severe headache alongside tongue numbness, or numbness that is persistent or worsens without a clear cause, should prompt a consultation with a healthcare professional. If tongue numbness is accompanied by a fever or a rash, it could indicate an underlying infection or allergic reaction that requires prompt diagnosis and treatment. Consulting a doctor allows for proper evaluation and appropriate care.