Clear bumps on the toungue are known as canker sores. These can be incredibly painful, but simple over-the-counter pain medications can help, and they typically resolve on their own within several weeks. More powerful prescription medications can also help, if needed. However, if your canker sores are atypical -- for example, if they last longer than expected -- they may be indicative of an underlying, more serious disease process.
Identification
Canker sores -- medically, "apthous ulcers" -- are extremely common, say Lawrence Lustig and Joshua Schindler in "Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment;" nearly everyone will have a canker sore at one time or another during their lives. They appear as single or multiple small, painful, clear bumps on the tongue and can also appear on the inside of the cheek or lips.
Time Frame
Canker sores usually develop over a day or so, they remain painful for a week to two weeks, and they heal up by two to three weeks. According to Familydoctor.org, if your sores are particularly painful, you should try taking ibuprofen or acetaminophen. If these fail to control the pain, or if the sores persist for several weeks, you should see your doctor. It is possible that prescription medication may help; it is also possible that your sores are not canker sores, but are something else entirely.
Other Treatment Options
Although no treatment has been shown to be terribly effective at reducing the duration of canker sores, several may help reduce pain. These include topical steroid creams containing triamcinolone or fluocinonide, or oral prednisone. Medline also suggests that a mix of half-and-half hydrogen peroxide and water, applied to the canker sore and followed by a dab of milk of magnesia, may be effective at providing symptomatic relief.
Cause
Although the precise cause of canker sores is not clear, Ginat Mirowski and Eva Parker say that triggers include hereditary, allergic reactions, trauma, and immune disorders. As well, they suggest that the immune system may be involved in their development. Specifically, canker sores are associated with an infiltration of T cells, macrophages, and mast cells -- all cells of the immune system -- and canker sores are more likely to occur in people with immunodeficiencies such as AIDS.
Differential Diagnosis
Other diseases that can look like canker sores include herpes infection, Chron's disease, and a variety of autoimmune disorders. These have different prognoses and treatment protocols than canker sores. Therefore it is important to see your doctor if your canker sores are incredibly painful or last for an abnormal amount of time, so that these diseases can be diagnosed if they are present.
References
- "Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment"; Stephen J. McPhee and Maxine A. Papadakis (editors); 2009
- Familydoctor.org: Canker Sores and What to Do About Them
- "Dermatology"; Klaus Wolff, Lowell A. Goldsmith, Stephen I. Katz, Barbara A. Gilchrest, Amy S. Paller, David J. Leffell (editors); 2008
