What Could be Causing Swollen Tongue?

What Causes Swollen Tongue?

Swollen tongue can have various causes, ranging in severity from 'needs attention' to 'serious'. Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.

Diagnose your symptoms now!

understand what's happening to your body
identify any nutritional deficiencies
have a doctor review your case (optional)

Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms. In order to diagnose swollen tongue, we could:

Research the topic
Find a doctor with the time
Use a diagnostic computer system.

The process is the same, whichever method is used.

Step 1: List all Possible Causes

We begin by identifying the disease conditions which have "swollen tongue" as a symptom. Here are four possibilities:

Vitamin B12 Need
Dehydration
Mercury Toxicity
Food Allergies

Step 2: Build a Symptom Checklist

We then identify all possible symptoms and risk factors of each possible cause, and check the ones that apply:

indoor allergies

occasional sore throats

brittle fingernails

dizziness when standing up

broad-spectrum antibiotic use

moving white lines across nails

hallucinations

frequent colds/flus

occasional unexplained nausea

late puberty onset

numb/burning/tingling extremities

ovarian cysts

... and more than 130 others

Step 3: Rule Out or Confirm each Possible Cause

A differential diagnosis of your symptoms and risk factors finds the likely cause of swollen tongue:

Cause	Probability	Status
Food Allergies	91%	Confirm
Dehydration	20%	Unlikely
Vitamin B12 Need	1%	Ruled out
Mercury Toxicity	1%	Ruled out

* This is a simple example to illustrate the process

Arriving at a Correct Diagnosis

The Analyst™ is our online diagnosis tool that learns all about you through a straightforward process of multi-level questioning, providing diagnosis at the end.

If you indicate mouth problems, The Analyst™ will ask further questions including this one:

During the past year, how often have you experienced a swollen or inflamed tongue?

Possible responses:

→ Not at all / don't know
→ Minor swelling a few times in the past year
→ Frequent minor swelling / occasionally major
→ Frequent or constant major swelling

Based on your response to this question, which may indicate slight tongue swelling, tongue swelling or severe tongue swelling, The Analyst™ will consider possibilities such as:

Allergy to Foods (Hidden)

Dehydration

Dehydration causes decreased saliva production, which can leave the tongue feeling dry and swollen.

Mercury Toxicity (Amalgam Illness)

Vitamin B12 Requirement

Glossitis (inflamed tongue) is a possible sign of B12 deficiency.

Concerned or curious about your health? Try The Analyst™