# Why is my tongue swollen? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 10, 2013, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-tongue-swollen/676001 "2013-12-10T18:45:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2013, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-tongue-swollen/676001/1 "2013-12-10T18:45:54Z")
Yes, I have an appointment with my ENT to continue investigating this question, but why not speculate in the meantime? It’s not terribly swollen, just enough that it feels like it doesn’t fit properly in my mouth. It has indentations along the edges from where it’s resting against the inside surfaces of my teeth. This has been going on for about 6 months now. It doesn’t hurt per se, but it can get irritated when it rubs against my teeth too much. So far, we’ve tried cutting out my corticosteroid nasal spray for a couple weeks, Magic Mouthwash from the pharmacy, cutting down on alcohol, clotrimazole lozenges for possible thrush, and adding a B complex vitamin to my routine (I’ve been fairly good but not perfect about taking it daily, for about 3 weeks). None of these has helped. I don’t recall any new irritants. Same toothpaste, same tea, same foods, no consistent or large changes in cosmetics. I’m allergic to dust mites. I take Flonase daily for it and have for over 10 years. I also have dry eye for which I take Restasis eye drops daily. I also take Ambien 0-4 days a week, depending on how I’m sleeping. Any bright ideas? ---
**Author:** ![Sateryn76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Sateryn76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sateryn76)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2013, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-tongue-swollen/676001/2 "2013-12-10T22:08:09Z")
Dave Barry on a swollen tongue: [Salt Water](http://books.google.com/books?id=8nx8v2FVZ24C&pg=PA228&lpg=PA228&dq=dave+barry+swollen+tongue&source=bl&ots=lq_cvNC43c&sig=i6SoMsv59YoEXBs19oSNrw-Br0Q&hl=en&sa=X&ei=k5CnUvvKBIO3rgGrzICwAg&ved=0CC4Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=dave%20barry%20swollen%20tongue&f=false) ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2013, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-tongue-swollen/676001/3 "2013-12-10T22:48:23Z")
I believe it’s a symptom of low thyroid function (among other things, maybe). FWIW I’ve had treated thyroid disease for twenty years and my tongue has had crenellations pretty much the whole time. My tongue rests on top of my lower teeth, not inside them. ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2013, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-tongue-swollen/676001/4 "2013-12-10T22:52:24Z")
Have you been telling lies? ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-tongue-swollen/676001/5 "2013-12-11T00:02:46Z")
> [@Sateryn76](#): > > Dave Barry on a swollen tongue: > > [Salt Water](http://books.google.com/books?id=8nx8v2FVZ24C&pg=PA228&lpg=PA228&dq=dave+barry+swollen+tongue&source=bl&ots=lq_cvNC43c&sig=i6SoMsv59YoEXBs19oSNrw-Br0Q&hl=en&sa=X&ei=k5CnUvvKBIO3rgGrzICwAg&ved=0CC4Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=dave%20barry%20swollen%20tongue&f=false) That may prove both entertaining and useful. I’ll give it a try! And if the salt water doesn’t help, I’ll read more Dave Barry and at least have a few laughs. **Sattua** , I just had my thyroid tested very thoroughly from looking at all my blood hormone levels to sticking needles into the gland itself and doing biopsies. All is well in that department. > [@Lukeinva](#): > > Have you been telling lies? No, and I haven’t gone to communion unshriven either. It’s a stumper. ---
**Author:** ![rsat3acr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@rsat3acr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsat3acr)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-tongue-swollen/676001/6 "2013-12-11T02:05:33Z")
The indentations are called crenations. As a dentist I can assure you that lots of people have them and they aren’t necessarily indicitive of a swollen tongue. Have they been there all along and you just didn’t notice. Don’t mean to be snarky but I see people all the time that have just noticed something in their mouth that has been there for years. Jaws and tongues grow at different rate and to different sizes. You could have them as an adult but not have noticed them as them as a teen. I interested in the comment of cutting out clotrimazole for thrush. Thrush is a yeast infection and a good possibility for a cause of swelling while adverse reaction to the medication isn’t common. B vitamins are a good idea, a swollen tongue is a symptom of lack of B3. Don’t know about how long it may take to reverse symptoms. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-tongue-swollen/676001/7 "2013-12-11T04:17:41Z")
> [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](#): > > **Why is my tongue swollen?** > > . . . . > > Any bright ideas? The clue may be in your username. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-tongue-swollen/676001/8 "2013-12-11T19:40:09Z")
See that gutter over there? Now, see that tiny thing at the bottom of the gutter? That’s my mind. Someone please help get my mind out of the gutter. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-tongue-swollen/676001/9 "2013-12-11T19:56:03Z")
I don’t know why, but according to [this](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Reason_%28House%29) thorough documentary, you might pop an eye out shortly before your testicles explode. I seen it on teevee, must be 'struth ain’t it ? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-tongue-swollen/676001/10 "2013-12-11T20:24:47Z")
Sounds like one of the final stages of rabies to me. ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-tongue-swollen/676001/11 "2013-12-12T20:10:40Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > Sounds like one of the final stages of rabies to me. Clearly you understand how my mind works. The Official Medical Opinion is, “I don’t know, but it almost certainly isn’t anything to worry about.” My orders are to call them if it becomes actively painful or dysfunctional, like causing problems eating or speaking. Life would be so much cooler if Dr. House was real. But I suppose then I’d be on death’s door three or four times before I got the definitive diagnosis, so I’ll settle for reality. ---
**Author:** ![shantih](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f6c823/32.png) [@shantih](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shantih)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-tongue-swollen/676001/12 "2013-12-12T23:26:06Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > Sounds like one of the final stages of rabies to me. Nah, I’m thinking lupus.