Sensation in the tongue and feeling of apprehension: Origins, remedies, and additional details
In an unusual case, a 32-year-old man experienced a persistent tingling sensation on the tip and right side of his tongue for five months. Despite extensive investigations, no physical cause was found. The man was eventually diagnosed with psychogenic lingual paresthesia, mixed anxiety and depressive disorder, and his tongue sensation resolved after he began taking an antidepressant.
Psychogenic lingual paresthesia refers to tingling in the tongue, a condition that can be associated with anxiety. Anxiety not only affects the mind but also the body, causing a range of physical symptoms. These can include rapid heart rate, high blood pressure, palpitations of the heart, difficulty breathing, numbness elsewhere in the body, strange sensations, headaches, stomach pain, increased sweating, feeling more alert, and difficulty sleeping or relaxing.
In this specific case, the man also experienced several other symptoms related to psychogenic oral paresthesias. These included tingling or numbness, sudden prickling sensations, twitching, swelling, and trembling or shaking of the tongue. These symptoms arise due to an overactive sympathetic nervous system triggered by stress or anxiety.
It's important to note that injuries to the tongue can also lead to numbness, pain, or tingling. If a person frequently experiences anxiety, panic attacks, or numbness, or if they have persistent tongue numbness and tingling, they should contact a doctor.
Other causes of tongue numbness include nerve damage from falls or oral surgery, numbing agents, and conditions like Tourette's syndrome and OCD that cause compulsive behaviors. If an underlying condition is responsible for tongue tingling, a person may need treatment for that condition.
However, in cases where anxiety is the culprit, treatment for anxiety-related tongue tingling involves ruling out other potential causes and addressing the anxiety itself. This can involve therapy, medication, support from family or friends, anxiety support groups, alternative and complementary treatments (acupuncture, chiropractic care), self-care strategies (meditating, exercising, adopting a time management system), and chronic anxiety demands treatment.
It is crucial not to ignore a tingling tongue, especially if a person already feels anxious. If it disappears as anxiety eases, the anxiety is likely the cause. A person should seek medical attention if their symptoms do not improve with home management strategies, they experience different anxiety symptoms than usual, numbness after taking a new medication or sustaining an injury to the tongue or mouth, anxiety medication makes the symptoms worse, does not work, or stops working, anxiety is severe enough to interfere with daily life, they experience thoughts of suicide or self-harm, bodywide tingling occurs alongside other serious symptoms, and anxiety management strategies do not help.
In conclusion, while psychogenic lingual paresthesia is an unusual sensation with psychological origins, it is a real condition that can be associated with anxiety. It's essential to seek medical advice if experiencing persistent tongue numbness or tingling, as other underlying conditions may also be responsible.
- The science of mental health reveals a correlation between anxiety and psychogenic lingual paresthesia, a condition that causes tingling in the tongue.
- Just as anxiety can lead to a variety of physical symptoms, the man's case demonstrates how it might manifest as depression, persistent tongue tingling, and other psychogenic oral paresthesias.
- To manage mental health and wellness effectively, it's crucial to acknowledge and treat anxiety-related conditions like psychogenic lingual paresthesia, which can significantly improve a person's overall health.
