Red Spots on Tongues and Throats – Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments

Tongue is one important organ in our body, due to its very important role in the digestive system. This organ has the ability to distinguish various kinds of taste such as sweet, bitter, sour, and salty. With tongue we can feel various delicacies of food. Healthy tongues usually pink in color covered by papillae or small nodules. Then what if there are red spots on the tongue? Is that normal?

Without realizing it, we have continuously used our tongue, both to taste food, to swallow, and to speak. We also have to know that tongue is also very susceptible to various problems, such as several tongue diseases. One sign or symptom of a tongue problem is the appearance of red spots on the surface of the tongue. This is often referred to as strawberry tongue. Here we will discuss about red spots on tongues and throats – causes, symptoms, and treatments.

Causes of Red Spots on Tongues:

Some conditions have been associated with the appearance of red spots on the tongue. These spots are blood-filled lump that can cause pain and uncomfortable feeling. Here are some of the reasons:

1. Malnutrition

One cause of this situation is because the body lacks the consumption of foods containing vitamin B12, and food that contains iron. One symptoms that can be arise is low blood count or anemia. To overcome this, health experts strongly recommend doing a healthy diet that is intended to meet the intake of foods that contain vitamin B and iron to overcome these problems. Here are some types of foods that can be consumed such as:

Fish
Red meat
Apricot
Nuts, etc.

2. Occurrence of Infection

People who have an infection such as dengue sufferer can be at risk for developing strawberry tongue. If you experience a high fever due to an infection, immediately contact a doctor to seek for medical help. In addition, you can also try to consume foods that contain probiotics such as yogurt to treat infections that cause red spots on your tongue.

Another step to overcome further complaint from the red spotted tongue is to rinse your tongue using salt solution and routinely maintain proper oral hygiene. The occurrence of this infection can also be caused by:

A result of high leukocytes in the body
Holding urine on for too long
Dog bites

3. Allergic reactions

Sometimes, we realize that we have consumed food and various types of drugs which cause side effects such as allergies.

This can also be the cause of red spots on your tongue surface. This often occurs in some cases of allergies such as asthma, caused by chronic inflation in the lung. The symptoms of this allergic reaction including itching, sneezing, runny nose, coughing, and other symptoms.

This allergic reaction can also occur from:

Some type of plants or animal, such as cats.
Types of analgesic drugs.
Side effects of paracetamol

4. An Unhealthy Life Style

Another factor that can cause red spots on the tongue is unhealthy life style such as excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages and smoking habits. Other than that, consuming foods that are dangerous for stomach, maybe because it’s too spicy or too hot, can also cause the same thing that is characterized by swelling. This will eventually develop the appearance of red spots on the surface of the tongue.

5. Oral Cancer

Although very rare, some types of diseases such as oral cancer can be one of the causes of this condition. But to ensure this, you should immediately consult with a doctor.

6. Indigestion

Red spots that appears on the tongue surface or the strawberry tongue can be caused by abnormalities that occur in the stomach. This is like the occurrence of stomach acid re-flux which causes the stomach to vomit acid and pepsin. This indigestion can also results:

The causes of increasing amount of gastric acid
Frequent burping
Bloody defecation

7. Kawasaki Disease

This is one type of autoimmune disease that can cause red spots on the tongue. This disease usually occurs in children aged 1 to 2 years. This disease is classified as a non-communicable disease, where the system works by attacking the walls of blood vessels in the body. Patients who experience this disorder usually require special care from medical personnel in the hospital, because it can cause severe symptoms for several days.

8. Scarlet Fever

Scarlet Fever is another disease causing strawberry tongue. The red spots on the surface of the tongue appear as a result of streptococcal bacterial infections.

9. Geographical Tongues

This is a condition where a map-like pattern and red spots appear on the surface of the tongue. Although it is considered harmless, the sufferer can experience pain and discomfort caused by their tongues. For this reason, seeking medical help will be the best option.

10. Irritation

The bacteria that accumulate in the mouth can cause inflammation or irritation which will eventually cause eczema or red spots on the surface of the tongue. This mouth irritation can also occur due to:

Pharyngitis
On-off or removable braces
Coughing up blood

Red Spots Symptoms in the Tongue

In some cases, the onset of this condition will not cause any symptoms. However, in most cases this can cause several symptoms such as:

The emergence of red spots on the surface of the tongue
The emergence of pain around the tongue area
The emergence of burning sensation on the tongue
Difficulty in chewing and swallowing food

Red Spot on Tongue and Throat Treatment

Treatment for this condition, will depend on several reasons that underlie the problem, including:

Meet the ideal intake of foods that contain vitamin B12 and iron. Some types of foods that contain all these nutrients include nuts, red meat, fish, milk, cheese, shellfish, and several other types of food. You can also get these nutrients from any form of supplements that are widely sold at pharmacies and drug stores.
To treat fever, doctors will usually prescribe several types of oral antibiotics and various types of benzatine G penicillin.
Patients who experience Kawasaki disease usually have to get doctor care at the hospital. Doctors will usually do intravenous therapy to provide immunoglobulin to treat symptoms.
To overcome irritation that causes red spots is to change diet patterns and meet the ideal fluid intake for the body. Several antibiotics and medicines is likely to be prescribed by a doctor to treat this condition.
Maintain oral and dental hygiene by routinely brushing your teeth using the right toothbrush. In addition, gargling with a saline solution can also help maintain cleanliness of the mouth area and get rid of bad bacteria that lives on mouth cavities.
Stop bad habits such as consuming excessive alcohol, smoking, or consuming foods that are dangerous for our body. You might as well start reading about the effects of alcohol for your health, the dangerous effects of smoking, or the effects of consuming foods that are too hot or spicy to help you get started with a healthier life style.
To treat oral cancer, a doctor will usually prescribe biopsy treatment.
Consuming foods that contain lots of probiotics such as yogurt to overcome infectious disorders.

If you experience this condition, you should immediately consult with medical personnel to early identify causes and symptoms. In addition, if you find that your children or you experience the condition due to further disease such as oral cancer, Kawasaki disease, or other diseases, doctors can treat it immediately.