They enable you to identify all the different tastes — sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami meaty or savory. You have about 10, taste buds in total. Each taste bud has between 10 and 50 sensory cells that are connected to nerve fibers.
But sometimes they can swell up. Enlarged or inflamed taste buds can become irritated and painful. Having swollen taste buds may make eating or drinking uncomfortable.
The complications depend on what condition is causing your swollen taste buds. Many of the issues that cause swollen taste buds will get better on their own with no further problems.
While your taste buds are swollen, they can make eating painful and difficult. Your doctor can diagnose the cause of swollen taste buds just by examining your tongue. Your doctor or dentist will look at the color, texture, and size of your tongue. While wearing gloves, they might touch your tongue to see if there are any bumps or lumps, or to check whether you have any pain. If your doctor suspects oral cancer, you might need a biopsy. This test removes a small sample of tissue from your tongue.
The sample is sent to a lab and examined under a microscope. TLP usually goes away on its own within a few days. Other causes are treated based on the condition. Talk to your doctor to come up with a treatment plan that works for you. The average tongue length for adults is 3. Address Jon C. Jon C. Packman DDS www. All rights reserved. Packman DDS, our hope is this dental blog will cover any issues that you and your family may need assistance with. Click to learn more about dental implants and more dental procedures.
Suddenly one of those tiny specks feels a lot larger, and touching it is uncomfortable. It will usually go away on its own in a few days, but the question about what caused it may linger. Very spicy foods like hot peppers or acidic foods like citrus fruits can also irritate the tongue themselves and cause them to swell. Deficiency of essential vitamins like vitamin B, lack of iron and other nutrients may cause inflamed taste buds.
This describes a harmless condition that causes small bumps at the back upper surface of the tongue. They typically resolve within a few days without any treatment.
Although very rare, oral cancer can sometimes present with swollen taste buds. Often this will present with a large bump that bleeds easily and is usually on the side of the tongue.
Often they will be painful and make it difficult to eat. This is more common in smokers and heavy drinkers. If you notice a bump on the side of the tongue that does not resolve within 2 weeks and is growing you should consult your doctor. To give you the best possible experience, this site uses cookies and by continuing to use the site you agree that we can save them on your device.
People at higher risk for oral cancers include those who smoke and drink alcohol. According to the American Cancer Society , if you're a heavy smoker and drinker, you have 30 times the risk of developing one of these cancers compared to non-smoker teetotalers. Cigarette smoke also irritates taste buds, for the record. Jessica Migala. Jessica Migala is a health and fitness freelance writer based in the suburbs of Chicago.
She spends her time with her two young sons, husband, and rescue beagle mix. Connect on LinkedIn. A swollen taste bud is probably caused by something you ate, but sometimes it's a sign of another condition. Video of the Day. And, just as you guessed, these taste buds can get swollen. See something? Here's what might be going on — and when to say something to your doc.
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