# Please help me heal my tongue!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-heal-my-tongue/100790>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 29, 2002, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-heal-my-tongue/100790 "2002-03-29T18:44:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Ewdlorr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@Ewdlorr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ewdlorr)\
**Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-heal-my-tongue/100790/1 "2002-03-29T18:44:05Z")

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I didn’t burn my tongue with hot peppers, I didn’t burn it eating a hot pizza – I burned it chewing three pieces of **Big Red** chewing gum in a row – and this was three days ago.

It’s just the tip of my tongue where I have this burning sensation, but it doesn’t feel like it’s gotten any better. Normally, even if it’s a hot pizza scald, I’m okay within a day or two. At three days with still a burnt sensation (and an intense cigarette-being-put-out-on- **Ewdlorr** ’s tongue feeling when I rinse with Listerine), I’m starting to get worried. I also feel like a true :wally for having damaged my tongue with chewing gum.

Have I permanently damaged my tongue? Either way, can I heal it somehow? Is this kind of damage possible by just chewing too much gum? I’ve been sick with a nasty head cold since then, and while the cold is getting better – my tongue is still burned! Please help me, Teeming Millions!

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**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\
**Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-heal-my-tongue/100790/2 "2002-03-29T19:09:25Z")

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Sounds to me like you are suffering from an upset stomach, rather than it being something the **BIG RED** did to your tongue. You may have some mild ailment, for instance I found this:

> [@](#):
>
> Red tongue tip with white thin or yellowish tongue coating, floating and rapid pulse are all signs indicating pathogenic mild heat attacking the wei qi of the body.

Wei qi refers to the immune system.

You know what they say **"If the symptoms persist see your doctor."**

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**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\
**Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-heal-my-tongue/100790/3 "2002-03-29T19:32:41Z")

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- 
  - 
    - Now now, we hardly need any “wei-qi” theories.  
~

- Try “Kanka” mouth sore medication on the affected area. _Dry_ the affected area first with a napkin, or the stuff doesn’t work right, and, much like life, it has its ups and downs. Good: it kills pain and speeds healing, bad: it tastes awful. - DougC