Tingling Mouth

Many times, after eating some kind of food like biscuits containing gluten or drinking really cold drinks, you may feel a tingling sensation in your mouth. Most of the time, it does not mean anything and it resolves on its own. However, a persistent problem is a cause of concern as it can indicate a whole lot of health problems.

We often suffer from tingling in our feet, legs or hands and less commonly around the mouth. Paresthesia, often called 'pins and needles', is a condition where a body part is said to have 'fallen asleep'. This is often seen as an occurrence that lasts for just a few minutes or so.

Chronic paresthesia indicates that there is some serious problem within body such as the neurons of the brain, thyroid problem, deficiency of some kind, etc. Here are some of the causes:

This is a health condition where the number of red blood cells increases or there is a decrease in volume of plasma. This occurs due to abnormality of the bone marrow, physiological stress, hypoxic diseases, etc. Too many red blood cells in blood can also lead to this condition.

If you experience this condition after eating or using some cosmetic product, it may indicate an allergic reaction. Many times, use of gel toothpaste cause tingling sensation in mouth. Menthol or mint based products like mouthwashes, or face washes, etc commonly cause temporary tingling.

If one is going to develop a cold sore or herpes simplex virus infection, they will often suffer from itching as well as tingling in mouth and lips. This initiation of a herpes infection is called prodrome and is often accompanied by discomfort around the mouth.

Presence of low calcium levels in blood (less than 2.1 mmol/L) is called hypocalcemia. This is an electrolyte disturbance that is caused by a number of health problems that include eating disorders, chelation therapy, hypoparathyroidism, etc. Hypocalcemia can also lead to this sensation of the mouth and lips.

Multiple sclerosis is a progressive nerve disorder. It is an inflammatory disease that affects the myelin sheaths of the axons around the brain and spinal cord. This affects the communication between the nerves of the brain and spinal cord.

When the nerve signal is lost, it leads to many physical and cognitive disabilities. One of the symptoms of multiple sclerosis is numbness and tingling of mouth.

The autoimmune disease of the small intestine is called celiac disease. This disease leads to weight loss, greasy stools and tingling. This sensation increases when one eats foods containing gluten. Thus, gluten-free diet is the only cure for celiac disease.

Those who undergo an oral surgery for removal of a tooth, often suffer from temporary paresthesia. This sensation is often experienced as tingling in the mouth. This occurs after the nerve pressure is released and the effects of anesthesia wear off.

Vitamin B, iron and thiamine deficiency can also lead to tingling in mouth. Drinking hot and cold liquids can also lead to this condition.

Chronic, persistent tingling should be reported to a doctor to conduct a detailed examination. Most of the time, it is nothing to worry about and an early intervention helps one get rid of this sensation. It is always better to eliminate underlying health complications and not worry about what is causing the numbness and tingling sensation around the mouth.