What could cause a swollen tongue?
Ask the doctor
Q. What would cause a swollen tongue? Can this be a side effect of medication?
A. There are many reasons for a swollen tongue. Indeed, a reaction to a medication is one of the more common causes. For example, a well-known side effect of ACE inhibitors (short for angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors) is a condition called angioneurotic edema.
Swelling of the face, lips, and tongue can come on quickly in people taking an ACE inhibitor. The reaction may occur when the drug is first started or at any time thereafter. Sometimes people get this reaction even though they have been taking the drug for several years.
Many other medications also can cause angioneurotic edema or other types of allergic reactions that make the tongue swell.
Inflammation of the tongue (called glossitis) can lead to a swollen tongue. The inflammation might be related to an infection, such as thrush, or a vitamin deficiency, especially B12 deficiency.
A tongue that gets larger over many months can sometimes be related to an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism).
Rare conditions, such as amyloidosis, in which amyloid protein deposits build up in the organs, and acromegaly, a condition that occurs when the pituitary gland produces too much growth hormone, can cause a markedly enlarged tongue. However, you would expect additional symptoms, not just a swollen tongue.
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About the Author
Howard E. LeWine, MD, Chief Medical Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
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