How do I get rid of bumps on my tongue?

If you are not sure, our location guides can help: back of the tongue, side of the tongue, tip of the tongue and under the tongue.

None of these will make a bump vanish overnight. The NHS is clear that mouth ulcers need time and there is no quick fix. What they do is reduce pain and stop you re-irritating the area so it can heal.

• Salt water rinse. Half a teaspoon of salt dissolved in a glass of warm water, rinsed and spat out. Repeat several times a day. Cleveland Clinic suggests it for both lie bumps and canker sores.
• Cold. Ice chips, cold water, yogurt or a popsicle numb a sore bump quickly and help with burns.
• Pharmacy products. Numbing gels or sprays, antimicrobial mouthwashes and protective pastes for ulcers. Alcohol-free rinses sting less.
• Over-the-counter pain relief such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, following the label.
• Soft, bland food and drinking through a straw while it is sore.
• An SLS-free toothpaste if you get canker sores often. Both the NHS and Cleveland Clinic mention sodium lauryl sulfate as a possible trigger.

• Do not pop, squeeze or pick at it. Lie bumps are part of your tongue, ulcers will only get bigger, and opening a mucus cyst yourself risks infection.
• Do not scrape it off. A tongue scraper removes coating and debris from the surface. It does not remove bumps, and scraping over an inflamed papilla or ulcer reopens and irritates it. Scrape gently around a sore spot or pause for a few days, then restart with light pressure. Our how-to guide covers technique.
• Do not try to remove normal papillae. The large bumps at the back of your tongue are taste structures, not growths.
• Do not keep checking it. Prodding with your finger, tongue or a mirror every hour keeps it irritated.
• Avoid triggers while it heals: spicy, salty and acidic food, sour candy, crunchy chips and toast, very hot drinks, alcohol and smoking.

• Prescription steroid gels or rinses for large, very painful or frequent canker sores.
• Antiviral medicine for herpes, which works best started early.
• Antibiotics for bacterial causes such as scarlet fever or syphilis, after testing.
• Smoothing a sharp tooth or adjusting a brace or denture that keeps rubbing the same spot.
• Removal of fibromas, papillomas and recurring mucus cysts, usually by simple surgery, laser or freezing, with the tissue sent to a lab.
• Blood tests for iron, vitamin B12, folate or celiac disease if sores keep returning.
• A biopsy of any lump or patch that does not heal, to rule out precancer or cancer.

• Let hot food and drinks cool before the first bite. Cleveland Clinic singles out microwaved food, which heats unevenly, as a major cause of tongue burns.
• Notice your personal food triggers and cut back on them.
• Get sharp or broken teeth fixed rather than living with them.
• Use a soft toothbrush and gentle pressure when cleaning your tongue.
• Stop smoking and limit alcohol, which also lowers your risk of mouth cancer.
• Keep up regular dental check-ups, where your dentist examines your whole mouth.

Home care is for bumps that are clearly getting better. NIDCR advises seeing a dentist or doctor for any sore, lump or patch in the mouth that lasts more than two weeks, and the NHS says the same for mouth ulcers that last longer than three weeks. Go sooner if a bump is hard, bleeding, growing, or comes with numbness, trouble swallowing or a lump in your neck.