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Noticed Hard And Sore Lump On Tongue. History Of Mouth Sores. Should I Be Concerned?
Question: I have recently noticed a lump on the top side of my tongue. It is the same color as rest of my tongue with a very little white spot in middle. It is hard and a little sore. I do not smoke and drink alcohol rarely. I am 60 years old. I do have history of mouth sores. Should I worry?
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There are various reasons for a lump on the tongue. The most common being trauma of being bitten without knowledge. The other common reasons for trauma is a burn occurring by drinking something hot after which the tongue develops a lump. Another common reason could be allergy to something eaten which will result in a bump like swelling. Infectious causes such as Candida or herpes can also lead to bumps. All these reasons for bump are not to worry much and will go off in 1-2 weeks with treatment.
The only reason to worry is it being a cancerous lesion. However you mention that it is sore is something which goes against the possibility of being cancerous.
You should wait for a few days to see if it is resolving. For pain you can take paracetamol (Over the Counter) if it is bad. Most of the bumps of trauma and allergy will disappear on its own.
If the lump stays for more than 2 weeks, you should get a Biopsy done by a pathologist/ENT specialist. That is the most confirmatory way to identify what it actually is.
Until then you should not worry and the lump will mostly resolve on its own.
Hope I have answered your query. I will be more than happy to help you if you need any further clarifications.
In case you don’t need any further clarifications, you can close the discussion and rate the answer.
Wish you a good health!
Thanks for using XXXXXXX for posting your query!
There are various reasons for a lump on the tongue. The most common being trauma of being bitten without knowledge. The other common reasons for trauma is a burn occurring by drinking something hot after which the tongue develops a lump. Another common reason could be allergy to something eaten which will result in a bump like swelling. Infectious causes such as Candida or herpes can also lead to bumps. All these reasons for bump are not to worry much and will go off in 1-2 weeks with treatment.
The only reason to worry is it being a cancerous lesion. However you mention that it is sore is something which goes against the possibility of being cancerous.
You should wait for a few days to see if it is resolving. For pain you can take paracetamol (Over the Counter) if it is bad. Most of the bumps of trauma and allergy will disappear on its own.
If the lump stays for more than 2 weeks, you should get a Biopsy done by a pathologist/ENT specialist. That is the most confirmatory way to identify what it actually is.
Until then you should not worry and the lump will mostly resolve on its own.
Hope I have answered your query. I will be more than happy to help you if you need any further clarifications.
In case you don’t need any further clarifications, you can close the discussion and rate the answer.
Wish you a good health!
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Shanthi.E
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