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10 Reasons for Blisters Under Tongue

blisters under tongue

Almost everyone during their life time will feel blisters under tongue and in most cases this is nothing to worry about. Some however will not heal by themselves and do need to be treated by a doctor. The general rule is to see your doctor if the blisters under tongue cause you any sort of pain or if they have not disappeared by themselves within a few days. Below are 10 of the main reasons for lumps under tongue.

The 10 Main Reasons for Blisters Under Tongue
1. Cold sores – these are also called fever blisters and are caused by an infection relating to the Herpes Simplex virus. These are sometimes accompanied by a fever or swollen lymph nodes.
2. Canker sores – otherwise known as aphthous ulcers these look very similar to cold sores under tongue but are larger in size. Canker sores are believed to be hereditary and usually disappear within one week.
3. Food allergies – this is another common reason for blisters under tongue and is usually accompanied by stomach pain. Again these blisters usually clear up on their own or when the stomach problem is treated. However if the reaction is severe you should speak to your GP immediately.
4. Medication allergies – some blisters under tongue can be caused by an allergic reaction to medication. Stopping or switching the medication usually clears these blisters up within a couple of days.
5. Bacterial infection – Staphylococcus bacteria is another main culprit when it comes to blisters under tongue. The infection generally begins in the gums before spreading to a tongue and medication may be required to clear up the problem.
6. Yeast infection – if the sores under tongue are white it is likely that you are suffering from a yeast infection. This can also cause pain under tongue and you may need some medication from your doctor in order to clear up the infection.
7. Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease – this is one of the main causes of blisters under tongue in young children. If your child is suffering from it you will see red blisters on their tongue and elsewhere in their mouth that are incredibly painful. A rash may also be apparent on the hands and feet. It is always advisable to contact your doctor where blisters on children are concerned.
8. Minor Injuries – sometimes brushing your teeth too hard or eating food that is too hot can cause blisters under tongue. In these cases the blisters will usually heal by themselves within a week.
9. Unclear bowel movements – if you have had trouble passing stools you may notice you have blisters under tongue. A laxative can help with your bowel movements and vitamins can help to prevent the blisters from re-occurring.
10. More serious problems – sometime more serious problems can cause blisters under tongue. In this category are things such as anaemia, leukaemia, syphilis, tuberculosis and Vincent’s disease.

Treatment for Blisters Under Tongue
In many cases blisters under tongue will heal by themselves however if you have any pain under tongue, have had the blisters for a week or more or have any other medical conditions or problems accompanying the blisters it is a good idea to have them checked over by your doctor. The general medication that your doctor will prescribe is a topical ointment containing zinc and anesthetic to lower the pain felt and decrease the size of them. If your blisters are caused by another condition such as a yeast infection your doctor will treat the underlying cause rather than the side effect.

If you find that you get blisters quite a lot it is a good idea to take a vitamin B supplement as a deficiency in vitamin B can often lead to some of the conditions or problems described above. This way you’ll avoid getting blisters or lumps under tongue. Ice, saline water and turmeric are also known to help relieve the pain, treat and prevent blisters under tongue.

{ 17 comments… add one }
  • Emmitt L. Michel October 18, 2012, 10:28 am

    At first sign of blister, try to gargle salt solution.

  • Lisa June 3, 2014, 10:28 pm

    On Saturday my daughter who’s almost 4 said her throat hurt. I looked inside with the flashlight and saw small blisters on her tonsils. I took her then to the children’s Urgent Care they checked her for Strep throat and it came back Negative. They finally said it was viral and she had a sligtht ear infection. Monday she wasn’t eating or drinking so took her to her peditrician and he said it was also viral and gave her a script for her ear infection. She’s had hand foot and mouth twice now could she have had this again with the blister under her tongue? She goes to a daycare and this seems to keep going around there. Thanks…Lisa Lee

    • Lisa June 3, 2014, 10:30 pm

      By the way both Urgent Care nor her pediatric doctor looked under her tongue.
      Thanks again,
      Lisa

  • Janette January 29, 2015, 10:27 pm

    I got up this AM with large clear blisters, with looks like yellow underneath, on both sides under my tongue, really large, swollen clear blisters. Could you get this from oral sex ???

  • Isaac Hernandez September 3, 2015, 4:35 pm

    I have like two little blisters that sort of hurt because their under my tongue and next to my teeth, what could this be?

  • Thomas Mmethi January 25, 2016, 7:05 pm

    My 4 year old daughter has developed blisters, again this blisters usually clears up on their own.Took her to the Dr bt recommended surgical

  • Jyotsna April 26, 2016, 3:07 pm

    I have recurring large blister underneath my tongue. It’s 5th one within a month time. It is occuring at same place.

    • Edna September 15, 2016, 10:43 pm

      Me too – any advice?

    • Chuck October 17, 2016, 12:15 am

      Me too I pop them then yellow puss comes out then it pretty much disappears then it shows up starts with swelling right under my tongue on my right side the the blister appears. I’m gonna let this one pop by itself this time. Starting to think my popping it with a knife or fork is reinfecting it coursing it to come back but idk. Any help would be great

      • Chuck November 26, 2016, 11:28 am

        Has anyone descovered what this could be. Don’t got no health care or nothing. I did go too the ER bout a month ago he gave me antibiotics which didn’t help so I’ve now had this going on 6 months now. Still don’t get worse or nothing recurring though pops goes away next day or so comes back. No pain at all. Yellow puss I do have a broken tooth right beside the sore. Pulled most of it out myself. Part of it’s still their though. Hospital thought this was the cuz but idk tooths been broken like this for years. Maybe that’s all it is though just wondering if this had any relation to cancer or something? Any info would be great

        • Laura October 12, 2017, 11:55 am

          You are probably getting the sores reoccuring in the same space next to your broken tooth because in the night it is catching and slightly nicking the tongue which then gets infected and becomes a blister/boil/spot. My advice is get the tooth pulled out and have the dentist check the spot!

  • Marylyne August 25, 2016, 4:57 am

    I have a blister under my tounge which keeping disappearing and appearing it just started some few months ago. It’s not painful just a little discomfort

  • Mathew January 5, 2017, 3:08 pm

    There was like a white boil on the inner lip and now there is a white boil under the tongue also

  • kassie August 6, 2017, 6:33 am

    Is it possible to get a cold sore under your tounge if you shared foods or drinks???? or if your using allergy medicine??

  • Nishant February 10, 2018, 9:20 am

    i have one blister under my tongue which do not cause any pain and it is there from last 3 weeks ..what should i do. i m very worried

  • Nick May 21, 2018, 7:08 am

    I have a a few small clearish whitish blisters under my tongue and they hurt like hell cause ones practically right on that thin little line on the bottom of your tongue. Dont know what it is and im slightly worried. Anyone have any ideas?
    Also throats been hurting for about five days now. Related?

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