What causes those irritating, sometimes painful, sores on the back of the tongue? How do you get rid of them? Read right ahead to find out.
Don’t those painful, uneven spots on the back of your tongue make you mad every time you attempt to enjoy your favorite spicy snack or chilled dessert? I bet they do! Leave alone discomfort while eating, something as basic and involuntary as swallowing saliva leaves you with a sore, often burning, sensation at the back of your tongue near the throat, leading you to resent every gulp you take in. So, what exactly are these sores on the back of the tongue? Why do they appear? Most importantly, what makes them DISAPPEAR? Well, there are two reasons behind the appearance of these oral sores and the remedies for getting rid of them or preventing them are simpler than you might have imagined!
Causes of Sores on the Back of the Tongue
The most common and abundant type of these sores are canker sores, medically known as Aphthous Ulcers. These sores or ulcers typically appear in the form of open lesions on the mucous surface inside the mouth. These sores usually appear anywhere on the soft tissue surfaces such as on the gums, insides of the cheeks and the tongue. Mouth ulcers or canker sores mostly appear whitish or yellowish in color. The most common reason behind the appearance of these sores is a break or insufficiency in a specific area of the mucous membrane that covers the soft inner surfaces of the oral or buccal cavity.
Such a breach or insufficiency is usually caused by corrosion of the mucous membrane on eating very spicy or acidic food such as green or red chillies or unripe and sour citrus fruits. Another reason behind the appearance of these lesions on mucous oral surfaces is a deficiency of nutrients, especially Vitamin B, zinc, folic acid and iron, in the body. Canker sores in the rear part of the tongue’s surface, on the gums or insides of the cheeks can also occur due to oral trauma and injury to oral tissues caused by abrasive action of toothbrushes or tongue cleaners.
Although not that common, but cold sores caused by the Herpes simplex virus may lead to the formation of sores on different parts of the tongue. The preferred outbreak spots for cold sores are the lips, especially the upper lip but in rare cases, they can appear on the insides of the mouth and on the tongue as well. If you always get sores on the back of the tongue with cold and flu to accompany it every time, those sores may be caused by the Herpes simplex virus.
Getting Rid of Oral Sores
While it’s easy to get complete relief from canker sores, cold sores on tongue can be treated only temporarily as the virus that causes the sores to appear continue to live inside your body even after the sores disappear. The best way to cure canker sores is to eat food rich in vitamins, zinc and iron. You can take Vitamin B complex supplements and capsules to quicken the healing process. Mouth ulcer gels can be applied to the site of the lesions directly to get relief from the soreness. In case of cold sores, taking antivirals, eating Vitamin rich food and taking lots of rest to rejuvenate the immune system help in making the sores disappear faster.
While you undergo treatment for these sores, avoid aggravating your present condition by totally refraining from eating spicy, sour, acidic or rough textured food – that includes alcohol and carbonated beverages. Be careful not to cause further friction to the open sores while you brush your teeth or follow your daily oral hygiene schedule. Topical application of milk of magnesia is also known to soothe the irritation and soreness of these lesions. Gargling or rinsing the mouth with saltwater is a highly effective remedy that keeps the sores clean and maintains a neutral environment inside the mouth to discourage bacterial growth at the traumatized sites.
