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Why can the tongue hurt?

The tongue is an independent muscular organ located in the oral cavity and has a high degree of mobility due to the functions assigned to it by nature. Like any mobility of body parts, the mobility of the tongue is ensured by the nervous system, or more precisely, by the hypoglossal nerve and a system of muscle fibers, the work of which is regulated by the hypoglossal nerve. Like any other organ, the tongue can hurt.

Unfavorable circumstances occur that lead to disruption of the innervation of the tongue, and as a consequence, leading to disruption of the trophism (nutrition) of the muscle tissue of the tongue and the mucous layer covering this muscular organ, leading to loss of sensitivity of the tongue or impairment of its mobility. Such conditions are called neuroses of the tongue. And these states of language neurosis have a different nature of origin:

a consequence of mechanical, chemical or thermal injury to the hypoglossal nerve;
damage to conductive nerve fibers as a result of infectious diseases;
a consequence of diseases of the peripheral nervous system;
a consequence of a fracture or crack of the hyoid bone and at the same time traumatic affecting the fibers of the hypoglossal nerve and other reasons.

If the mobility of the tongue is partially or completely impaired, then we are talking about motor neurosis, that is, paresis or paralysis of the muscle fibers that form this organ. Motor neurosis can have a noticeable effect on a person’s speech and interfere with chewing and swallowing functions (pain may develop when the tongue is at rest or when swallowing).

If the sensitivity of the tongue is impaired (the heat or taste sensors of the tongue do not work), this can lead to partial (focal) loss of sensitivity or numbness of the tissues of the tongue, similar in sensations to the effects of local anesthesia.

When the trophism of the tissues of the tongue is disrupted, the qualitative characteristics of the state of the mucous layer of the tongue change, which have external manifestations visible to the naked eye (changes in the color of the mucous membrane of the tongue, changes in the relief of the surface of the tongue and the appearance of the papillae of the tongue, an increased degree of roughness of the tongue due to keratinization of areas of the mucosa or papillae language).

Neurosis of the tongue can become a non-obvious factor in the disturbance of digestive function, violation of the correct pronunciation of words (impaired diction), excessive salivation, pain in the throat, unpleasant sensations in the mucous layer of the tongue (for example, burning or pain), as well as a factor in many other disorders.

The diagnosis of “Neurosis of the tongue” is made comprehensively with the participation of doctors of several specializations: dentist, neurologist, otolaryngologist, in order to exclude diseases with similar symptoms. For this reason, any signs of possible pain in the tongue are considered against the background of other diseases.