What could be the reason for sudden feeling of tongue numbness?

Question

Hi doctor,

For about a week, the right end of my tongue has been feeling just a little numb and swelling. It would come and go a little bit throughout the day. It does not hurt, but it is just annoying. Sometimes, I would rub the end of my tongue on my teeth, and I did not know if that would cause it to feel like there was something inside my tongue. When I press down on it, it goes away and does not come back for a while. I did get a tooth filled a couple of weeks ago. I was also an occasional dipper, but this just started last week. I have not had any ulcers. Any of your suggestions will be appreciated.

Please help.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I have read through your complaint and the relevant details. You have mentioned that you have been experiencing this kind of tongue numbness only for a week and also had a filling done recently. So, my question to you is, did you get any injections in the mouth during your dental visit? If yes, then it is a side effect of the local anesthetic injection. It will revert in a few days automatically. If no, then it could be any of the following. Iron or vitamin B12 deficiency, medicine allergies, a thermal burn of the tongue, or dehydration from the least to any viral infections to the maximum.

I also saw the pictures you have attached (attachment removed to protect patient identity). I noted teeth marks on the back side of the tongue. Considering your age, I suspect that the whole condition could be the reason for the stress along with vitamin or iron deficiencies. I kindly advise you to take a total blood count along with a hemoglobin test to check if you have iron or vitamin deficiencies and also to rule out any viral infections. Once the cause is identified, then it can be managed accordingly.

I hope this helps.

Thank you.