Why does my tongue hurt?!
Question:
Why does my tongue hurt?
Before anyone says anything, I'm not going to the doctors with this because I'm sure it's nothing serious, BUT, does anyone have any idea what I might be suffering with - I gave up smoking a few weeks ago and, rather than my sense of taste improving, it seems to have partially vanished. I can taste things, but have difficulty with sweet things which simply don't taste sweet. Also, I have a discomfort down one side of my tongue - as though I've eaten something really sharp, like pineapple (if you can imagine that). There are no ulcers in my mouth and my tongue looks healthy (better than it did with the ciggies!) I'm sure it will clear up in time, but I wondered if it has something to do with quitting cigarettes.
Answers:
There are quite a few conditions that can cause a sore tongue. I have what's called geographic tongue, or benign migratory glossitits, and the sides often feel irritated or raw. The condition comes and goes and is triggered by different things (for me, sweettarts candy brings it on the most) but can include spicy foods or alcohol. There are varying degrees of this, and you might have noticed it only after you've quit. I would still recommend going to the dentist to get it checked out, though. Good luck, and congrats on being smoke-free!