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What to know about a tingling tongue and anxiety

The medical community refers to a tingling of the tongue as psychogenic lingual paresthesiaTrusted Source. Paresthesia is the term for an unusual sensation, and psychogenic means that the origin is psychological.

In this article, we discuss the link between anxiety and a tingling tongue in more detail. We also look at the other physical symptoms of anxiety.

Can anxiety cause a tingling tongue?

When a person is anxious, their body prepares them for a fight-or-flight response, triggering a wide range of physical changes. One of these changes is that the blood vessels constrictTrusted Source. This constriction reduces blood flow, which can cause numbness and tingling, especially in the feet and hands. It is also possible to experience tingling in the tongue.

A tingling tongue is a relatively common oral symptom. Although it can sometimes be due to physical issues, such as nerve damage, anxiety can also lead to tingling.

A 2015 case studyTrusted Source reports on a 32-year-old man who had experienced tingling on the tip and right side of his tongue for 5 months. An examination revealed no physical cause.

Based on the man’s other symptoms, doctors diagnosed him with psychogenic lingual paresthesia, which is tingling in the tongue for psychological reasons, along with mixed anxiety and depressive disorder. The tongue sensation resolved after he began taking an antidepressant.

Sometimes, anxiety causes tics, which are sudden, uncontrolled, repetitive movements. Some tics, such as chewing or sucking motions, can injure the tongue.

Some injuries may lead to numbness, pain, or tingling. Although anxiety is ultimately the cause, it is important to seek medical treatment for the injury.

Other causes

Anxiety is not the only possible cause of numbness in the tongue. Many people experience tongue numbness following dental proceduresTrusted Source or an injury to the face. Numbing agents, as well as nerve damage from falls or oral surgery, may cause tongue numbness.

Other conditions that cause compulsive behaviors, such as Tourette’s syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), can also cause a person to hurt their tongue.

When to contact a doctor

A person should contact a doctor if:

tongue numbness lasts several days or does not improve when a person’s anxiety is better

anxiety does not get better with home management strategies

they experience different anxiety symptoms than usual

they notice numbness after taking a new medication or sustaining an injury to the tongue or mouth

anxiety medication makes the symptoms worse, does not work, or stops working

anxiety is severe enough to interfere with daily life

they experience thoughts of suicide or self-harm

Emergency care is necessary if bodywide tingling occurs alongside other serious symptoms, such as intense chest pain, and anxiety management strategies do not help. Examples of these strategies include deep breathing and muscle relaxation.

It is easy to worry about a tingling tongue, especially if a person already feels anxious.

Many different conditions can cause a tingling tongue, so it is important not to ignore it. If it disappears as anxiety eases, the anxiety is likely the cause.

A person should contact a doctor if they frequently experience anxiety, panic attacks, or numbness, or if they have persistent tongue numbness and tingling.

(04/19/2021)
by Medical News Today

More Information: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/tingling-tongue-and-anxiety

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