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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Chewing Tobacco, Tongue Pain. Early Signs Of Cancer?

i chew tobacco about once a day for the past year. recently, the left side of my tongue doesnt really hrt but rather aches some times. Also there are several pink colored lumps (small) on the very very back of my tongue, unreachable by a toothbrush. wondering if you have any idea what this is or if it is early signs for cancer . i dont have luekoplakia or anything like that right now which is why i thought it was weird that just my tongue hurt. my wisdom teeth are on their way in aswell i do not know if that would effect anything
Wed, 17 Oct 2012
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Dentist 's  Response
i don't think it could be cancer. you could have hurt the tongue by having too hot a foood or accidentally bitten over it. yeas you shoul quit tobacco. could you please post the picture of it ?
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Dentist Dr. Mukesh Asrani's  Response
Hello,
I am Dr. Mukesh Asrani and would like to answer your query. The pink lumps on the very back of your tongue are the normal circumvallate papille which help in taste. No need to worry regarding that.
Chewing tobacco causes cancer and this fact is proved by many studies and most of the oral cancers are mainly due to tobacco. I would advice you to please stop this habbit.
The pain over the side of your tongue could be due to some sharp cusp of your tooth. you should visit your dentist to rule out any sharp cusp and also to find any ill effects of tobacco.

Wish you a good health,

Regards,
Dr. Mukesh Asrani
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Dentist Dr. Bindiya Bhaskar's  Response
hello and welcome,
this is early sign of oral submucous fibrosis.
in later stages you can feel-burning sensation in mouth when consuming spicy food,appearance of blisters especially on palate,ulcerations or recurrent generalised inflammation of oral mucosa,excessive salivation,defective gustatory sensation,dry mouth,small vesicles in cheek and palate,petechiae on tongue,oral mucosa becomes blanched,white fibrous bands appear,,limited mouth opening,difficulty in swallowing,atrophy of tongue papillae.
reduction or elemination of tobacco chewing is an important preventive measure.
treatment regimen are-
nutritional support-mainly for high protein and calories and for vitamin-b complex and other vitamins and minerals.
immunomodulatory drugs-ocal and systemic application of glucocorticoids and placental extracts are commonly used.
physiotherapy-measures such as forceful mouth opening and heat therapy should be done.
local drug delivery-
combined therapy
surgical managemant
regards
dr.bindiya

r
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Dentist Dr. Udaykumar Bondre's  Response
Hello & welcome,
Aching or pain in tongue is definitely not a sign of cancer. You chew tobacco & tongue might have burnt on little area by the lime used with tobacco or any hot food stuff unknowingly.
Now Pink colored lumps which are present on very back side the tongue are nothing but the normal circumvallate papillae. But if you feel their size in enlarged than usual, then visit you dentist for clinical examination.
Chewing tobacco is itself very important causative factor of oral cancer or oral submucous fibrosis. In Oral sub-mucous fibrosis patients oral mucosa become dry with reduced salivation. Patient starts feeling burning sensation even on consumption of slight spicy food. There is reduced mouth opening ,too.
So, better you leave the habit of tobacco chewing behind by tapering it over the period of a few days.

Take care.
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Dentist Dr. Geoffrey Ward's  Response
Hello and thank you for your question.
If the bumps are on the top of your tongue, chances are they are the circumvallate papillae which help in taste. If they are on the sides of your tongue then chances are they are the foliate papillae. It is highly unlikely to develop oral cancer from one year of use, but does increase you chances of developing it. I would recommend discontinuing the use of chewing tobacco and use substitutes like xylitol gum. Your wisdom teeth can contribute to the pain and you should probably be evaluated to have them taken out. See if the pain stops after discontinuing the usage of the chew. It may take two weeks for the tissue to heal post exposure to the irritant.

Best wishes and good health.

Dr. Ward
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Dentist Dr. Neha Sumra's  Response
Hello
Welcome to HCM
You are suffering from premalignant condition known as oral submucous fibrosis.
Currently you are having blanching of tongue & that's initial stage. Later on you will have vertical and circular palpable fibrous bands in and around the mouth or lips, resulting in a mottled, marble-like appearance of the buccal mucosa, difficulty in opening mouth,atrophy of tongue papillae.
To get rid of this problem you need to quit your habit of tobacco-chewing.Get a biopsy done for same.
Treatment also includes following:
Start with omegacheck capsule once daily.
The prescription of chewable pellets of hydrocortisone (Efcorlin); one pellet to be chewed every three to four hours for three to four weeks
Forgoing hot fluids like tea, coffee
Forgoing alcohol
Submucosal injections of hydrocortisone 100 mg once or twice daily depending upon the severity of the disease for two to three weeks.
Take green leafy vegetables & high protein diet.

Take Care
Regards
Dr.Neha
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Chewing Tobacco, Tongue Pain. Early Signs Of Cancer?

i don t think it could be cancer. you could have hurt the tongue by having too hot a foood or accidentally bitten over it. yeas you shoul quit tobacco. could you please post the picture of it ?