Sore Tongue
Free Symptom Checker
with Physician-supervised AI
Reviewed By:
Maxwell J. Nanes, DO (Emergency Medicine)
Dr Nanes received a doctorate from the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine and went on to complete a residency in emergency medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin. There he trained at Froedtert Hospital and Children's Hospital of Wisconsin in the practice of adult and pediatric emergency medicine. He was a chief resident and received numerous awards for teaching excellence during his time there. | | After residency he took a job at a community hospital where he and his colleagues worked through the toughest days of the COVID-19 pandemic. |
Yoshinori Abe, MD (Internal Medicine)
Dr. Abe graduated from The University of Tokyo School of Medicine in 2015. He completed his residency at the Tokyo Metropolitan Health and Longevity Medical Center. He co-founded Ubie, Inc. in May 2017, where he currently serves as CEO & product owner at Ubie. Since December 2019, he has been a member of the Special Committee for Activation of Research in Emergency AI of the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine. | | Dr. Abe has been elected in the 2020 Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia Healthcare & Science category.
Content updated on Apr 4, 2024
Following the Medical Content Editorial Policy
Worried about your symptoms?
Start the Sore Tongue test with our free AI Symptom Checker.
This will help us personalize your assessment.
By starting the symptom checker, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
Try one of these related symptoms.
Pain on the tongue
Pain under the tongue
The surface of the tongue hurts
Tongue discomfort
How Ubie Can Help You
With a free 3-min Sore Tongue quiz, powered by Ubie's AI and doctors, find possible causes of your symptoms.
This questionnaire is customized to your situation and symptoms, including the following personal information:
Biological Sex - helps us provide relevant suggestions for male vs. female conditions.
Age - adjusts our guidance based on any age-related health factors.
History - considers past illnesses, surgeries, family history, and lifestyle choices.
Your symptoms
Our AI
Your report
Your personal report will tell you
✔ When to see a doctor
✔︎ What causes your symptoms
✔︎ Treatment information etc.
People with similar symptoms also use Ubie's symptom checker to find possible causes
- Tongue has a soreness
- Tongue is painful
Just 3 minutes.
Developed by doctors.
Try Free Symptom QuizAbout the Symptom
Tongue pain could be a result of injury, inflammation, sores or hot foods/ liquids.
When to See a Doctor
Seek professional care if you experience any of the following symptoms
- Numbness / sensory disorder
- Fever
- Unexplained weight loss of 5% or more in 1 month
- Peripheral cyanosis
- Facial edema
Possible Causes
Generally, Sore tongue can be related to:
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
Also known as ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease, or motor neuron disease, this progressive, degenerative condition affects the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. It results in loss of muscle control, eventually leading to difficulty eating, breathing, and speaking. The exact cause remains unknown and may be due to genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors.
- Pellagra
Pellagra is a systemic disease caused by a severe deficiency of vitamin B3 (Niacin). A mild deficiency might go unnoticed, but a chronically low or Niacin-free diet can result in symptoms. The primary symptoms include diarrhea, skin inflammation, inflammation of the mucous linings (inside the mouth), mental confusion, and weakness. If untreated, it can lead to death.
Herpes labialis
Herpes labialis, commonly known as cold sores, is a viral infection caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV), typically HSV-1. It is characterized by the appearance of painful, fluid-filled blisters on or around the lips and mouth. The virus remains dormant in the body and can reactivate during periods of stress, illness, or weakened immunity. While there is no cure, antiviral medications can help reduce the severity and duration of outbreaks, and topical treatments may alleviate symptoms.
- Vitamin B12 Deficiency
- Sarcoidosis (Including Erythema Nodosum-Like Eruption)
- Trigeminal Neuralgia
- Amyloidosis
- Candidiasis (Oral, Hands and Feet)
Related Serious Diseases
Sometimes, Sore tongue may be related to these serious diseases:
- Cerebral Infarction
Cerebral infarction refers to damage to brain tissue resulting from a stroke. It occurs due to decreased blood supply and oxygen delivery to the brain, causing brain cell death and brain damage. It is typically caused by a blood clot or fatty/cholesterol plaques blocking a blood vessel to the brain, but can also occur if a blood vessel ruptures and bleeds into the brain.
- Tuberculosis (TB) (Including Scrofuloderma)
Doctor's Diagnostic Questions
Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this symptom:
- Is your tongue hurting?
- How long have you had tongue pain?
- On a scale of 1-10, how bad was the pain in your tongue?
- Have you had similar tongue pain before?
- How did the pain in your tongue develop?
Just 3 minutes.
Developed by doctors.
Try Free Symptom QuizFind Similar Symptoms
Symptoms from similar body parts
Reviewed By:
Maxwell J. Nanes, DO (Emergency Medicine)
Dr Nanes received a doctorate from the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine and went on to complete a residency in emergency medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin. There he trained at Froedtert Hospital and Children's Hospital of Wisconsin in the practice of adult and pediatric emergency medicine. He was a chief resident and received numerous awards for teaching excellence during his time there. | | After residency he took a job at a community hospital where he and his colleagues worked through the toughest days of the COVID-19 pandemic. |
Yoshinori Abe, MD (Internal Medicine)
Dr. Abe graduated from The University of Tokyo School of Medicine in 2015. He completed his residency at the Tokyo Metropolitan Health and Longevity Medical Center. He co-founded Ubie, Inc. in May 2017, where he currently serves as CEO & product owner at Ubie. Since December 2019, he has been a member of the Special Committee for Activation of Research in Emergency AI of the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine. | | Dr. Abe has been elected in the 2020 Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia Healthcare & Science category.
What People Say about Ubie?
Male, 30s
I got more answers in one minute through your site than I did in three hours with Google.
(Sep 29, 2024)
Male, 20s
My experience was great. I was worried, but the symptom checker helped me narrow down what it might be. I feel a little relieved compared to when I first started, and it gives me a starting point for what my symptoms could mean.
(Sep 27, 2024)
Male, 50s
The questions asked and possible causes seemed spot on, putting me at ease for a next-step solution.
(Sep 26, 2024)
Female, 40s
I was actually very impressed with the results it provided because, although I didn’t mention it during the questionnaire because I thought it was unrelated, it suggested I may have something I’ve actually been diagnosed with in the past.
(Sep 25, 2024)
Just 3 minutes.
Developed by doctors.
Try Free Symptom QuizUbie is supervised by 50+ medical experts worldwide
Our symptom checker AI is continuously refined with input from experienced physicians, empowering them to make more accurate diagnoses.
Ubie is recognized by healthcare and tech leaders
“World’s Best Digital
Health Companies”
Newsweek 2024
“Best With AI”
Google Play Best of 2023
“Best in Class”
Digital Health Awards 2023 (Quarterfinalist)
Which is the best Symptom Checker?
Ubie’s symptom checker demonstrated a Top-10 hit accuracy of 71.6%, surpassing the performance of several leading symptom checkers in the market, which averaged around 60% accuracy in similar assessments.
Link to full study:
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.29.24312810v1