Burning tongue with cervical osteochondrosis is a rather painful symptom that can occur with a variety of diseases. In scientific terminology, this phenomenon is called glossalgia. In addition to burning, a person may experience a sensation of tingling, itching, numbness, rawness, as well as soreness, loss of taste, a feeling of tiredness in the tongue during a conversation. What can such pathological phenomena testify to? If the tip of the tongue is numb, what does it mean?
About Syndrome
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is a degenerative-dystrophic disease that affects the intervertebral discs in this part of the spinal column.
Degenerative disorders usually develop in the most mobile parts of the spine, therefore, in most cases, nerve roots at the levels of C7, C6 and C5 suffer from violations of the structure of the vertebrae.
The age at which this pathology most often occurs
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis can be observed in people at any age, especially among the middle-aged population, from about 30 to 50 years. Some people develop this ailment, but they often do not even suspect the cause of the ailments, since degenerative pathologies in the cervical region can be asymptomatic. Timely treatment of osteochondrosis will return a person to normal health and help get rid of a burning tongue.
This symptom with cervical osteochondrosis is observed very often, however, the causes of its occurrence are still not fully understood. Most often, a burning sensation of the tongue occurs with pathological changes in the zone of the fourth vertebra, which innervates the area of the mouth, nose and lips.
Signs of ailment
Signs of cervical osteochondrosis with a burning tongue can be as follows:
- Headache: aching in nature, which often occurs in the morning after waking up. It can last from several hours to several days.
- Severe drowsiness or insomnia. Drowsiness with osteochondrosis can occur completely suddenly, a person is often unable to cope with it. The same applies to sleep disorders, when any attempt to fall asleep at night ends in failure.
- Dizziness, the appearance of flies in the eyes when turning the head.
- Sore neck and shoulders.
- Hearing and visual impairment.
- Frequent fainting.
- Coughing.
- Acne eruptions in the face.
- Frequent occurrence of inflammatory diseases of the nasopharynx (pharyngitis, rhinitis).
The causes of the pathological phenomenon
Some patients do not attach special importance to a burning tongue in cervical osteochondrosis, however, it is considered one of the signs of a dangerous pathology. People often go to the doctor even when they begin to worry about severe pain that cannot be tolerated.
The reason for burning the tongue with cervical osteochondrosis is, according to many experts, that in the first place with this disease, the structures of the central nervous system are affected. The entire oral cavity is most sensitive to these changes, which is why the patient feels such a symptom.
The language is also quite sensitive to various changes and sharply reacts to everything that happens in the body. If there is such a symptom, a rational solution is to contact a doctor who will send the patient for a medical examination to determine the cause of such discomfort. After that, appropriate treatment will be prescribed, aimed directly at eliminating the underlying disease. Medical care should not be neglected, since serious pathologies such as peptic ulcer, allergic reaction to certain irritants or medications, diabetes mellitus, anemia, trauma of the tongue, malignant diseases of the digestive tract, etc. can be the cause of burning the tongue.
Many patients notice that after burning the tongue, the same sensation develops in the face. As a rule, the face and the oral cavity are closely interconnected, and they are affected by the same nerve endings. With osteochondrosis of the neck, several other factors for the development of a burning sensation of the tongue may also appear:
- inflammation and impaired patency of blood vessels;
- development of intervertebral hernia;
- inflammation of nerve fibers.
Osteochondrosis of the cervical zone provokes circulatory disorders, which causes such symptoms as a burning tongue.
If the disease is ignored, it can provoke an aggravation of the condition and the development of more serious diseases, which in the future will be very difficult to get rid of. This increases the likelihood that facial muscles can be paralyzed, and in this case, radical treatment will be needed. In addition, the patient may develop hearing and vision impairment, since it is in the occipital part of the brain, which suffers greatly in osteochondrosis, that there are areas responsible for visual and auditory perception.
Surveys
Diagnosis of tongue burning in cervical osteochondrosis is based on patient complaints, external examination and special examinations. During an external examination, a specialist assesses muscle soreness, checks neck mobility, and the presence of seals. Secondary diagnostic methods include ultrasound of the vessels of the neck, radiography, MRI and CT.
Radiography of this department of the spinal column allows us to evaluate the appearance and structure of the vertebrae, their relative position, the functionality of these structures during movement, and the presence of segment instability.
What other examinations for osteochondrosis and burning in the tongue are prescribed?
Ultrasound of the cervical vessels
Safe ultrasound screening method. This technique helps to establish the degree of vasoconstriction, their tortuosity, and the presence of atherosclerotic plaques on their walls. Using good equipment, using this diagnostic method, you can evaluate the general condition of the cervical spine, identify hernias and protrusions.
CT and MRI
These are modern diagnostic techniques that allow you to get the most complete picture of the condition of any organ or department, to determine the location and size of the intervertebral hernia. They are used most often to exclude the development of malignant processes, since these procedures are very expensive.
Tongue burning treatment for cervical osteochondrosis
This pathology is chronic, exacerbation alternates with periods of remission. During exacerbation, the patient may be recommended to take the following medications:
- B vitamins (“Combilipen”, “Milgamma”, “Kokarnit”, “Nerviplex”);
- anti-inflammatory non-steroidal drugs ("Nise", "Ketoprofen", "Analgin");
- nootropic drugs ("Neuromidine", "Mexidol", "Piracetam").
If necessary, novocaine blockades are performed.
As a concomitant treatment, some physiotherapy techniques can be used, for example, magnetotherapy, electrophoresis with novocaine, alternating magnetic current. During the exacerbation, you can massage, but it should be done gently, in the form of a relaxing procedure. Rubbing and sharp pressure can cause increased pain in the neck. Particular attention is paid to kneading the muscles of the shoulders and arms, which helps to eliminate muscle spasm.
We examined what burning and numbness of the tongue in cervical osteochondrosis means.