Quality First Aid Can Help Assess the Severity of an Injured Tongue

A tongue injury can come from an accidental fall or a blow to the face. Should this befall you, applying quality first aid can help minimize the pain, manage complications and to help assess the need for emergency care. To aid in this endeavor, the oral care specialists at Konstantinos Proussaefs DDS Inc’s Simi Valley, California clinic offer the following advice.

Profuse bleeding likely indicates the need for professional care at the emergency room or an urgent care clinic. If your tongue is bleeding excessively, try not to swallow too much blood, as this can cause nausea.

A gentle rinse with lukewarm salt water can help clear away any blood or debris lingering in your mouth to give you a better look at the wound. It might also help soothe injured tissues. Avoid using antiseptic mouthwash as it can easily irritate the tongue injury.

You can control some minor bleeding by wrapping it in a few layers of sterile gauze and apply light pressure. If you can’t easily hold the gauze with fingers, you can try pressing your tongue to the roof of your mouth.

If the bleeding persists after 20 minutes, or the pain increases, you should strongly consider going the emergency room or a nearby urgent care facility, for more advanced treatment.

If you live in the Simi Valley, California area and you need further advice for treating a tongue injury, you can always call 805-422-3116 to speak to a member of Dr. Konstantinos Proussaefs’s staff.