Pimple on tongue, or lie bumps are small, soft, white or reddish tongue bumps that appear on your tongue. These look swollen and are painful. These come up when fungiform papillae that hosts your taste buds gets irritated. Medically referred to as transient lingual Papillitis, it is not a life threatening condition. However, you do have to make some lifestyle changes as well as other home remedies to get rid to them.
Symptoms of Pimple on Tongue
The inflammation of the fungiform papillae causes the bumps to look large and white in color. This is different from pimples caused by herpes which will have a yellowish color and a puss like liquid will appear after a few days. These symptoms may be accompanied by fever or flu symptoms.
Pimples in children could be caused by an eruptive lingual papillitis. In this case, the bumps will have excess saliva and the child will have feeding problems. In rare cases, there will be swollen lymph nodes and fever symptoms.
Causes of Pimple on Tongue
1. Food allergy
There are certain foods that can activate allergic reactions in your body system. This leads to pimples which occur as your immune system responds by ejecting the ingested allergen out of your body through the skin.
Often, when you eat foods or snacks like chips, pretzels, or nachos, you are likely to irritate the papilla; causing a pimple effect. Such products have a rough texture that hurts when you repeatedly chew them.
Eating hard things like candles, snacks or candy, can hurt your tongue causing bumps or pimples. Sometimes you get the pimples from accidentally biting the tongue. This hurts the surface causing a pimply feeling.
3. Eating too much fatty foods
Overconsumption of fatty foods brings about the pimples because your body is trying to remove the extra fats. As a result, it releases more oils through your skin. This could block the pores on your tongue creating a favorable environment for the bacteria in your mouth to spread causing the rashes.
4. Viral infection
Pimples on your tongue could also be as a result of viral infections such as flu and herpes. These often disappear when the infection fades.
5. Oral thrush
Thrush or oral candidiasis is a yeast infection characterized by tongue pimples. This infection releases red pimples as a reaction to the irritation of your taste buds.
6. Personal hygiene
Germs in your tongue inhabit the unclean base of your tongue blocking pores and forming irritable pimples.
Excessive smoking is bound to irritate your tongue making it painful and agitated
8. Canker sores
These are mouth ulcers with an unknown cause. They appear on your tongue and get worse when you are stressed.
9. Enlarged papillae
This is the inflammation of your taste buds causing swollen painful bump(s) on your tongue.
10. Oral cancer
A stubborn sore in your tongue that refuses to go away could be a sign of a cancerous swelling. Although painless, it could be dangerous and should not be taken for granted. If you experience such bumps for over two weeks, go for a medical checkup.
Home Remedies for Pimple on Tongue
Unlike other conditions, these pimples cannot be applied with topical ointment. Antibiotics are also not often prescribed by doctors. This makes home remedies a helpful solution. Some of home remedies include:
1. Abstinence from certain foods
Avoid eating foods that are too fatty, spicy, salty, sour, hot or sweetened. These could be snacks or extremely hot foods. These will only worsen the condition causing more painful bumps
3. Oral hygiene
Oral Hygiene is important when dealing with tongue problems. Clean your tongue twice a day, floss regularly to hinder bacterial infection in your taste buds.
4. Salt water gargle
To prevent the spread of the infection and reduce the size of pimples, try gargling salty water for 2-3 minutes every day. Although the pain and inflammation might continue, this action will curb further infection.
5. Medical mouthwash
A medically proven mouthwash has antibacterial properties to clean and relieve your mouth. Use daily for a clean wash.
6. OTC products
Antiseptic medicine given over the counter includes the topical application types that you can use for acute pain.
Net Wellness recommends OralBase or Zilactin medication which you can use as a cover on the bumps. This is an effective way to prevent further irritation and heal the bumps without exposing your tongue to infection. A mouth wash or a warm salty water rinse in your mouth is also a great solution.
7. Mint leaves
Fresh mint chewed prior to bed time will effectively reduce the pimple size within hours.
8. Baking soda and hydrogen peroxide paste
To control the bacteria, apply a paste of baking soda on the affected parts. Hydrogen peroxide also works the same way.
9. Hydrogen peroxide and water
With half water and half hydrogen peroxide, dip a cotton swab in the mix and coat the white pimple. Do this 3 or 4 times a day for quick healing. Be carefully with the amount you are applying.
10. Magnesia milk
Sore pimples can be reduced by dabbing cotton in magnesia milk. Applied twice a day on the tongue, it will provide relief.
11. Vitamin B supplements
Consult a doctor to see if your condition is caused by a deficiency in vitamin B. Take vitamin B supplements for a week for improvement.
12. Cold compress
You can also improve the condition faster by putting ice chips or cubes directly on the swelling. This has a soothing effect on your painful tongue.
13. Milk and fig mixture
If the pimples are caused by indigestion or a gastrointestinal problem, use a mixture of two figs and warm milk. Drink this every day to clear you stomach and reduce tongue bumps.