What Causes a Tingling Tongue?

Raynaud’s phenomenoncauses the small arteries and veins that carry blood to narrow in response to cold or stress. This can temporarily reduce blood flow to your:

• fingers
• toes
• lips
• tongue
• ears
• nipples

If Raynaud’s affects your tongue, it may tingle or be painful for a short time and appear blue, red, or pale. If you drink something warm or relax to relieve stress, symptoms may go away.

Primary Raynaud has no known cause and isn’t dangerous, but often causes repeat episodes. If your tongue has temporary color changes, you can take a picture to share with a doctor. This may help them diagnose and treat the condition.

Sometimes, other health conditions can cause Raynaud’s phenomenon, known as secondary Raynaud’s phenomenon. These conditions can include:

• lupus
• rheumatoid arthritis
• scleroderma
• thyroid disease

An allergic reaction to a food, chemical, or drug can make your tongue swell, itch, and tingle. Allergies happen when your immune system targets a substance that otherwise does not pose a threat to your body.

An allergist can perform a test for common allergies, including foods.

Drug allergies can also cause your tongue to swell, itch, and tingle. While antibiotics often cause these reactions, any drug can trigger allergy symptoms. If you have any unusual symptoms after starting a new medication, contact your doctor right away.

When an allergy is an emergency

An allergic reaction has the potential to become severe and cause anaplylaxis, which can be life threatening. Symptoms of a severe allergic reaction occur immediately after coming into contact with the allergen and can include:

• wheezing, coughing, or trouble breathing
• swelling in your mouth, throat, or face
• rash or itching
• difficulty swallowing

If you or someone else experiences these symptoms, call 911 or your local emergency services.

Learn more about severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis).

Oral allergy syndrome

Some adults who are allergic to pollen can get a swollen or tingling tongue from oral allergy syndrome.

The allergy causes you to react to some common raw fruits and vegetables, such as:

• bananas
• melon
• stone fruit, such as cherries and peaches
• fresh herbs

Oral allergy syndrome can cause:

• mouth irritation
• tingling
• swelling

If you notice your mouth or tongue tingling after eating certain foods, avoid that food in the future and consider talking with an allergist.

Canker sores are small, oval-shaped, shallow sores that can form on or around your tongue or inside your cheeks. Although it’s not exactly clear what causes canker sores, things like minor mouth injuries, hormonal changes, viruses, inadequate nutrition, allergies, or food sensitivities all seem to play a role. While painful, they usually go away by themselves in about a week.

While you have a canker sore, avoid spicy, sour, or crunchy foods — they’ll irritate the sore. For pain relief, try rinsing your mouth with a solution of 8 ounces of warm water, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda. You could also try applying an over-the-counter remedy such as benzocaine (Anbesol) or Kanka.

Hypoglycemia occurs when your blood sugar has dropped below a safe level.

People with diabetes can become hypoglycemic if they skip meals or take too much insulin or certain medications for diabetes. Although it’s primarily associated with diabetes, anyone can experience this condition.

Other symptoms may include:

• feeling shaky, weak, or tired
• feeling hungry
• breaking into a sweat
• dizziness
• being very irritable or tearful
• feeling confused

Eating or drinking something with sugar in it, such as candy or fruit juice, can help return your blood sugar to normal if it’s too low.

Learn about managing hypoglycemia.

In hypocalcemia, the calcium level in the blood drops far below normal.

While hypocalcemia may cause tingling in your tongue and lips, you’ll typically also have other symptoms of low calcium, including:

• muscle twitches, cramps, and stiffness
• tingling around the mouth, fingers, and toes
• dizziness
• seizures

You can develop hypocalcemia if you have:

• low parathyroid hormone
• low magnesium
• low vitamin D level
• kidney disease
• a complication of thyroid surgery
• multiple myeloma or certain cancer treatments
• pancreatitis, or inflammation of the pancreas

If hypocalcemia may be causing your tongue tingling, it’s best to talk with a doctor about getting a blood test.

The symptoms of hypocalcemia usually go away when you treat the underlying cause. A doctor may also recommend calcium supplements.

Having low levels of vitamin B-12 or vitamin B-9 (folate) can make your tongue sore and swollen and affect your sense of taste. It may also cause:

• tingling in the hands and feet
• tiredness, fatigue, or weakness
• nerve pain or tingling
• anemia

If you do not get enough vitamin B-12 or folate in your diet or cannot absorb it from food, you can develop a vitamin B-12 or folate deficiency.

Some medications affect how you absorb B vitamins, including:

• metformin (Glucophage)
• esomeprazole (Nexium)
• lansoprazole (Prevacid)
• famotidine (Pepcid)

You can get both vitamin B-12 and vitamin B-9 through your diet. The treatment often consists of high dose supplements, but some people may need weekly vitamin shots.

Untreated, vitamin B-12 or folate deficiencies may cause permanent nerve damage.

Some people with migraine have an aura, or symptoms that precede the headache, which may include tingling.

You may feel a tingling sensation in the:

• arms
• face
• lips
• tongue

Aura can also include neurological or sensory changes and visual disturbances like seeing flashing lights or zigzag patterns.

Classic migraine symptoms tend to follow the aura phase. These can include:

• headache on one side of the head
• light sensitivity
• sound sensitivity

Some less common conditions can also cause a tingling tongue.

Burning mouth syndrome

Burning mouth syndrome causes a constant feeling of burning or discomfort in the tongue, lips, and mouth. It often has no cause but may be linked to problems with the nerves that control the area.

The symptoms vary from person to person, and can also include:

• changes in the sense of taste
• dry mouth
• a metallic taste in the mouth

Sometimes, burning mouth syndrome can indicate another issue, such as:

• vitamin B-12 deficiency
• acid reflux
• diabetes
• yeast infection
• certain medications

Treatment can involve medications for pain and dry mouth.

Hypoparathyroidism

While rare, hypoparathyroidism can cause tingling. It happens when the parathyroid glands stop producing enough parathyroid hormone. These glands control the amount of calcium in your blood.

When your calcium level drops too low, you might have:

• muscle cramps
• weakness
• seizures
• dizziness
• tingling in the hands, feet, and face

It can happen if one or more of the four parathyroid glands stop working due to damage, usually from surgery. But sometimes, the cause is unknown.

No matter the cause, treatment involves lifelong calcium and vitamin D supplementation.

Multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) can cause tingling and numbness. It may affect the:

• face and mouth
• body
• arms
• legs

This happens when inflammation causes the messages between the brain and the body to be disrupted. Symptoms can include:

• weakness
• fatigue
• trouble walking
• vision problems

MS happens when the body’s immune system attacks the nerves’ protective covering, or myelin. While there is no cure, treatment can help manage symptoms and slow disease progression.

Get emergency medical attention if you experience symptoms of a stroke, such as:

• tingling and numbness that affects the face, arm, or leg on one side of the body
• drooping face
• speech difficulty
• weakness or confusion

Tingling that only happens occasionally or that you can connect to something else, like a canker sore, should go away by itself. But if it continues, keeps happening, or bothers you, it’s best to talk with a doctor. They can determine the cause and recommend treatment.