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 Jan 29, 2025
Following the Medical Content Editorial Policy
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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:
- Zinc or Biotin Deficiency
This happens when the body doesn't have enough zinc or biotin, which is a vitamin. Either deficiency can cause skin irritation, hair loss, and fungal infections on skin lesions. Causes may include malnutrition, issues with nutrient absorption in the gut, a short gut, certain long-term conditions, and some medications.
- Candidiasis (Oral, Hands and Feet)
Normal human skin contains bacteria and fungi. Candidiasis occurs when the fungus overgrows and invades the skin. Risk factors include warm moist environments and a weakened immune system.
Burn/Scald of Roof of Mouth
Palatal thermal injury or palatal burn happens when the roof of the mouth (palate) gets damaged from coming into contact with heat or hot substances.
- Pellagra
- Vitamin B12 Deficiency
Herpes labialis
- Anemia
- Trigeminal Neuralgia
- Sarcoidosis (Including Erythema Nodosum-Like Eruption)
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.
Doctor's Diagnostic Questions
Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this symptom:
- Is your tongue hurting?
- Have you had similar tongue pain before?
- How has the pain in your tongue changed since it started?
- How long have you had tongue pain?
- On a scale of 1-10, how bad was the pain in your tongue?
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Developed by doctors.
Try Free Symptom QuizFAQs
Q.
Why Does My Tongue Hurt on the Side?
A.
Pain on the side of the tongue can result from various causes, including injuries, infections, and underlying medical conditions. Understanding these potential causes can help in identifying the appropriate treatment and when to seek medical attention.
References:
Porter S, Escudier M, Fedele S. My tongue hurts. Br Dent J. 2022 Oct;233(7):547-549. doi: 10.1038/s41415-022-5026-8. Epub 2022 Oct 14. PMID: 36241802; PMCID: PMC9568426.
Korean Academy of Orofacial Pain and Oral Medicine. (2022). Clinical characteristics and distribution of the tongue-related diagnoses of patients with tongue symptoms. ](https://doi.org/10.14476/jomp.2022.47.3.109)[_Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain, 47_](https://doi.org/10.14476/jomp.2022.47.3.109)[(3), 109–116.
https://doi.org/10.14476/jomp.2022.47.3.109
Rumayor Piña A, Carlos R, Almeida LY, de Almeida OP, León JE. Nodular swelling of the tongue. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol. 2015 Mar;119(3):260-3. doi: 10.1016/j.oooo.2014.10.017. Epub 2014 Nov 7. PMID: 25547822.
Find Similar Symptoms
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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.
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.
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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