What Causes Bumps on My Tongue and How to Address Them Effectively

Bumps on the tongue are often enlarged taste buds from irritation, or canker sores. See a doctor if they last more than two weeks.

Common causes

• Enlarged papillae (“lie bumps”) from irritation, hot food or stress.
• Canker sores (aphthous ulcers).
• Oral thrush.
• Allergic reactions.
• Viral infections like HPV (warts) or herpes.
• Trauma from biting.
• Scarlet fever causes strawberry tongue.
• Oral cancer (rare).

Home care

Rinse with salt water, avoid spicy foods and maintain oral hygiene.

See a doctor or dentist if

Bumps last more than 2 weeks, grow, bleed or are painful, or you have a white or red patch.

Fact

The tongue has 2,000 to 8,000 taste buds.

Prevention

Brush your tongue.

Common causes

Bumps on the tongue are common and usually harmless.

• Enlarged papillae (“lie bumps”): transient papillitis causes small white or red painful bumps, triggered by stress, acidic or spicy foods, irritation or smoking.
• Canker sores (aphthous ulcers): painful round white or yellow sores with a red border, affecting about 20% of people.
• Trauma from biting, burns or sharp teeth.
• Oral thrush: creamy white patches that can be scraped off, caused by Candida yeast.
• Allergies or food sensitivity, which can cause swelling.
• Viral infections, like hand, foot and mouth disease or herpes.
• Squamous papilloma caused by HPV: a small, painless wart-like growth.
• Scarlet fever: a strawberry tongue with red bumps.
• Geographic tongue: patches that change shape.
• Oral cancer, which can look like a persistent bump, ulcer or red or white patch.

Home care

• Rinse with warm salt water several times a day.
• Avoid hot, spicy, acidic and abrasive foods.
• Brush the tongue gently and keep up oral hygiene.
• Drink cool water and suck on ice chips.
• Use over-the-counter oral pain relievers.
• Quit smoking and limit alcohol.

See a doctor or dentist if

A bump lasts more than 2 weeks, grows, bleeds, is hard, painless or has a white or red patch, or if you have trouble swallowing, speaking or moving the tongue, or have fever and swollen glands. Dentists can biopsy suspicious areas.

Fact

The human tongue has about 2,000 to 8,000 taste buds. The bumps you see are mostly papillae, of four types: filiform (most numerous and without taste buds), fungiform, foliate and circumvallate. The tongue is made of eight muscles.

Prevention

Practice good oral hygiene, brush your tongue, limit irritants, stay hydrated, manage stress and get regular dental checkups. Oral cancer screening is part of a dental exam.

Papillae and typical conditions

The tongue is covered with papillae, which are small bumps that hold taste buds. Normally, humans have about 2,000 to 10,000 taste buds, and fungiform papillae look like small red dots on the tip. Enlarged papillae, called transient lingual papillitis or “lie bumps,” affect about half of people and can result from irritation, stress, hormonal change or acidic or spicy food, and usually resolve in a few days. Other causes include canker sores, oral thrush, burns, smoking, oral HPV, allergies and, rarely, oral cancer. Squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue makes up a large part of oral cancers and appears as a persistent sore, red or white patch or lump that doesn’t heal in 2 weeks. Rinse with warm salt water, avoid irritating foods, brush the tongue gently and stay hydrated. See a dentist or doctor for bumps that are painful, bleed, grow, or last longer than 2 weeks, or if you have trouble swallowing.

Based on data from the Cleveland Clinic and the American Cancer Society