Why is my tongue sore?

Symptoms:

It has been sore since you had a course of antibiotics two weeks ago and you’ve noticed that you have white patches on your tongue and gums. You have a nasty taste in your mouth. You keep getting painful round sores on the underside of your tongue and mouth. They’re so painful they interfere with eating and drinking but usually heal in 10-14 days without treatment.

You have a large ulcer on your tongue with a yellow edge which is getting bigger and more painful.

It could be:

Thrush (candida), which quite often follows a course of antibiotics, especially if you have a dry mouth and smoke. Aphthous mouth ulcers which could be caused by stress, anxiety, smoking and damage to the tongue by eating something hard and sharp.

A cancer, commonest among smokers with or without a broken tooth whose edges irritate that part of the tongue.

Stop it:

See your GP for treatment with antifungal medicines, often in the form of a gel or liquid that you paint on your tongue and in inside of the mouth. Use it several times a day for 7-14 days.

Get a mouth gel to apply to the ulcer from your pharmacist. Stop smoking and use a mouthwash. See your GP if the mouth ulcer persists for more than a few weeks.

See your GP for any ulcer which persists beyond 3-4 weeks, get a diagnosis and referral to a specialist for treatment.