Elder Care in Bellevue, WA
Everyone has had the terrible feeling of a taste bud that is swollen, inflamed, and painful. Old wives’ tales say that these bumps come from lying, but the truth is the swollen taste buds, or inflamed papillae, are the result of damage and irritation to the small structures on the surface of the tongue known as the papillae. While they are largely harmless, if these swollen taste buds become a part of your elder care journey with your aging parents, you will quickly find that they can create a miserable situation. Knowing how to handle them quickly and efficiently can help you to ease your loved ones’ pain and discomfort and reduce the chances that they will not eat and drink as much as they should because they are trying to prevent the pain.
There is no one scientific consensus about what causes swollen taste buds. While some people once believed that they came from bits of food getting stuck down inside the taste buds, this is not widely considered an actual cause of these difficulties. Instead, medical professionals believe that swollen taste buds come primarily from trauma or injury to the taste buds, such as biting, scraping, or hitting them, from a highly acidic or spicy diet, hormonal changes, dietary deficiencies, or irritation caused by products or lifestyle choices such as certain mouthwashes and toothpastes or smoking.
The most common symptom of swollen taste buds is the taste buds themselves, but this condition can also lead to a variety of other symptoms, including:
- Sore throat
- White or red bumps
- Swelling
- Loss of taste
- Change of color in the tongue
While for the most part swollen taste buds disappear on their own, there are ways that you can help to reduce the discomfort and pain of the condition. Some ways that you and your aging loved ones’ elderly health care services provider can help your parents get through their encounter with swollen taste buds quickly and efficiently:
• Ice cubes. Apply an ice cube directly to the swollen area of the tongue to help reduce the blood flow to the area of the tongue, cutting down on swelling and pain. Make sure that you do not apply the cube for more than 3 minutes as this could cause cold burn. Alternately, encourage your parents to suck on crushed ice.
• Sea salt. Sea salt and warm water are a beneficial combination often used to soothe sore throats because of their ability to ease inflammation and help fight germs. This same tactic applies to swollen taste buds and the symptoms that accompany them. Make a heavily concentrated sea salt and water mix and encourage your parents to gargle with it without swallowing.
• Clean the tongue. While you do not want to apply a lot of pressure that might further injure or irritate the bumps, it is important to continue to clean your tongue even when you are dealing with swollen taste buds. These buds can be more vulnerable to bacteria and germs, putting you at risk of infection and illness. Clean with your regular toothbrush while brushing or with a tongue scraper to remove coating and dislodge germs and bacteria.
Source
http://www.livestrong.com/article/152105-raised-tender-bumps-on-the-tongue/
http://www.healthline.com/health/tongue-problems-2
If you or an aging loved one are considering elder care in Bellevue, WA, or the surrounding areas, please contact SYNERGY HomeCare of Bellevue at 425-462-5300.
