The tongue consists of a rough surface. This is rougher in the elderly than in the young. The rough surface is caused by the tongue papillae or taste buds. These provide the taste sensation. Sometimes one or more papillae are enlarged. They may be red and swollen and take on an elongated appearance. This can also cause pain. This often involves inflammation or damage to the taste bud, but sometimes an underlying disease is the cause. In this case, treatment is sometimes necessary.
What are papillae?
A papilla is an eminence. We find different papillae in our body. The most famous are those on the tongue. But we also know the dermis papillae and the hair papillae in the skin. A hair papilla is located at the bottom of the hair follicle and a dermis papilla is located in the dermis and contains blood vessels and nerve endings. The collecting ducts in the urinary tract empty into the renal papillae. And so the body has many more papillae.
You can see the tongue papillae as a rough surface
It is normal that you can see the tongue papillae. We also call this the taste buds. This has nothing to do with an underlying disease or condition. The taste buds give the tongue its relief. They feel a bit rough. By the way, it is not the case that we can see every papilla: we see more of a rough surface. The taste buds contain taste buds and are therefore important in the perception of taste. We distinguish four flavors. At the tip of the tongue and the side are taste buds that distinguish between sweet and salty. At the back and sides of the tongue are larger taste buds that mainly detect acid. The bitterest sensation is felt at the back of the tongue. These papillae are also somewhat larger than the front ones. All papillae perceive all tastes, but certain papillae are more sensitive to one type of taste. Finally, the taste buds are also sensitive to umami.
When a papilla is enlarged
You can clearly see or feel an enlarged papilla. Normally the healthy tongue is pink in color and has a not excessively rough surface. When a taste bud is enlarged, you can recognize it by its red color and enlarged appearance. The enlarged papilla takes on a rod-shaped appearance.
An enlarged papilla should not be confused with the side and back of the tongue, where the papillae are naturally larger. If the enlarged papillae are evenly distributed over the back and side of the tongue, this is not an enlarged papilla but a normal phenomenon. An enlarged papilla sticks out above the other papillae!
Causes
There are various causes for an enlarged papilla. First of all, it is important to know whether it is just one enlarged papilla or several. Below are the various causes:
- Only one papilla is enlarged: inflamed papilla or damage to the papilla.
- Multiple papillae enlarged: hair tongue due to disturbed wear, strawberry tongue (raspberry tongue) as a result of an infection, damage to the tongue.
Symptoms
A single enlarged papilla is clearly elevated above the rest and may turn red. It is also sensitive: there is often a tendency to brush against it with the tongue. Sometimes it is also accidentally bitten. There may be pain when touched. Multiple enlarged papillae give the tongue a red color. The tongue looks bumpy and irregular. The tongue may hurt.
Hairtongue
A hairy tongue often occurs at the back of the tongue. The papillae become enlarged and take on a white to black color. It looks like there are hairs on the tongue. The cause can be found in deposits from, for example, tobacco, coffee, medicines and reduced oral hygiene. There is rarely any pain. In most cases, brushing the tongue will cause hairy tongue to disappear again. Sometimes antibiotics need to be prescribed.
Inflamed papilla
When a papilla becomes inflamed, we call this papillitis. This is a swollen and red papilla that hurts, especially when touched. The inflammation will disappear on its own, but this may take some time if the tongue is accidentally bitten.
Damaged papilla
Sometimes the tongue gets burned or bitten. The taste buds can then be damaged. This is accompanied by pain and redness. The tongue is perfectly capable of repairing this, although this may take some time. Until then, avoid corrosive products such as soft drinks, alcohol, tobacco and acids.
Strawberry tongue
A strawberry tongue or raspberry tongue is not a disease in itself but a symptom or consequence of an underlying disease. It often occurs due to an infection with streptococci such as scarlet fever. Inflammation of the intestines or heart sometimes also causes strawberry tongue. When the medium-sized blood vessels are inflamed, we speak of Kawasaki syndrome. This also often results in strawberry tongue. The symptoms disappear automatically when the underlying disease is treated or cured.
Other bumps on the tongue
If there are other bumps on the tongue, they may be canker sores, ulcers, lumps or bumps caused by, for example, syphilis, pellagra (vitamin deficiency), tuberculosis or sometimes tongue cancer. If you have persistent complaints, always visit your doctor.
