A blow to the face, hard fall or other accident can injure your tongue or even cause you to bite through it. If the injury is severe, or bleeds excessive you should consider calling 911 or going directly to the emergency room.
If the injury isn’t severe but still requires basic first aid, there are a few things you can do. If there’s blood or debris in your mouth you can use lukewarm salt water to rinse it away. You shouldn’t use antiseptic mouthwash as this can irritate the injured tongue.
If your tongue is bleeding, you can try wrapping it in a few layers of sterile gauze and applying light pressure with your fingers. If you can’t easily hold the gauze with fingers, you might try applying light pressure by pressing your tongue to the roof of your mouth.
If the bleeding continues for longer than 20 minutes, or the pain is getting worse, you should go the emergency room to seek further treatment.
If you have questions about the best way to handle the issue or would like to schedule an appointment should call us at 812-663-4400.
