What causes tongue pain?

Tongue pain, that is, tongue pain, is a common symptom of oral ulcers. There are many causes of oral ulcers. For example, digestive dysfunction often leads to lung fire, causing inflammation, which can cause this pain. In addition, endocrine disorders, lack of attention to oral hygiene, or mental factors may also cause oral ulcers.

What causes tongue pain?

1. Digestive system diseases and functional disorders

Patients with systemic diseases are prone to oral ulcers, mainly by affecting the immune system. Oral ulcers are related to gastric ulcers, duodenal ulcers, ulcerative colitis, regional enteritis, hepatitis, etc. Studies have shown that 30%-48% of patients with oral ulcers have digestive tract diseases, such as abdominal distension, diarrhea or constipation. More than 9% of them have gastrointestinal ulcers.

Some female patients often experience it during menstruation, which may be related to the decrease in estrogen levels in the body. Some women will experience oral ulcers during their menstrual period or before and after their menstrual period. Medication can only provide temporary relief, and the ulcers will reappear during the next menstrual period, causing unbearable pain. At the same time, they are often accompanied by annoying symptoms such as dry mouth, upset, irritability, and dry stools. Clinical studies have found that oral ulcers during menstruation are mainly due to increased progesterone levels and reduced estrogen (progesterone, etc.) levels in the body.

3. Mental factors

Some patients become ill when they are under mental stress, mood swings, or have poor sleep, which may be related to autonomic dysfunction.

If there is a lack of trace elements, such as when both parents suffer from recurrent oral ulcers, their children will have about 80-90% of the disease. If one of the parents has the disease, their children will have about 50-60% of the disease.

5. Other factors

Lack of zinc, iron, folic acid, vitamin B12, malnutrition, etc. can reduce immune function and increase the possibility of recurrent oral ulcers. Viruses may be the initiating factors of oral ulcers, but relevant antibodies have not yet been found in patient serum, and there are no reports of isolating viruses from oral ulcer lesion tissues. The role of bacteria in oral ulcers has been proposed for many years. The bacteria closely related to oral ulcers include Streptococcus sanguinis and Helicobacter pylori [14]. Imbalance in the generation and clearance of superoxide free radicals in the body, an imbalance in the ratio of thromboxane B2 and 6-keto-prostaglandins, and a decrease in their overall levels can cause oral ulcers. Microcirculation disorders lead to slow blood flow, low blood volume, and dilation of the diameter of the capillary venous end, causing local ischemia and hypoxia, thereby causing mucosal damage and ulcer formation. Serum zinc deficiency, iron deficiency, and high copper content are correlated with the occurrence of RAU. There are reports that quitting smoking can also induce oral ulcers. The ingredient 1,2-dimethoxysodium sulfate (SLS) in toothpaste may irritate the mucous membrane and induce oral ulcers.