Bumps on the Back of the Tongue: Normal vs. Swollen

Most bumps on the back of your tongue are normal. They’re taste papillae and tonsil tissue everyone has, and a cold or a burn makes them swell enough to notice.

See a dentist or your doctor if you have a new, hard, bleeding, or persistent (two or more weeks) bump. Below are 12 causes of bumps on the back of your tongue. For bumps under your tongue, see our separate guide.

What Normal Bumps on the Back of the Tongue Look Like

Papillae are the tiny bumps on your tongue, and some have taste buds. The tiny bumps all over the top of your tongue are called filiform papillae, and they don’t have taste buds. When they overgrow and trap stains, you can get black hairy tongue.

Circumvallate Papillae

The largest papillae on your tongue have taste buds and are called circumvallate papillae. They form a V-shaped row at the back of your tongue with the point closest to your throat.

Foliate Papillae

You also have taste buds in the short folds along each side of your tongue toward the back. These are your foliate papillae. When they get irritated, they swell up and get red, making them look like a growth.

Lingual Tonsil

You also have tonsil tissue at the back of your tongue near your throat that’s called your lingual tonsil. This lumpy tissue helps fight infection. If you’re seeing small, pebble-like bumps on the back wall of your throat, that may be cobblestone throat, a sign of irritation.

How to Tell the Bumps Are Normal

Normal bumps on your tongue usually:

• Follow a pattern, either a V-shaped row or matching folds on each side.
• Are the same color as your tongue.
• Don’t change in size or shape once they’ve settled down from irritation.

These signs can’t prove a bump is harmless. If a bump is firm, growing or bleeding, or doesn’t match the other side, see a dentist or your doctor soon instead of waiting two weeks. Get any other bump checked if it’s still there after two weeks.

Common Causes of Swollen Bumps on the Back of the Tongue

Your normal papillae and tonsil tissue can swell up, and other bumps can form at the back of your tongue.

1. Irritation or Injury

Your papillae can get irritated from hot foods, sharp foods (like chips), spicy or acidic foods, or tobacco. Biting or brushing your tongue too hard can also irritate them. When this happens, they swell up and stay tender until the irritation goes away.

2. Lie Bumps

Lie bumps (transient lingual papillitis) are inflamed fungiform papillae, usually near the tip or sides of your tongue. They’re what many people call swollen taste buds. Lie bumps are small, red or white, and can be painful or cause burning or tingling.

Stress, minor injuries, viral infections, hormonal changes, allergies, braces, and irritating toothpastes or mouthwashes can cause lie bumps. They usually go away in a few days to a week.²

3. A Cold or Sore Throat

Since your lingual tonsil helps fight infection, it can swell up when you have a cold or throat infection. It sits deep at the base of your tongue, so you usually can’t see it when you look in your mouth.

4. Scarlet Fever

Scarlet fever is a strep infection that requires antibiotics. One of its symptoms is strawberry tongue, when your tongue first gets a white coating, then turns bright red with enlarged, bumpy papillae.

Strawberry tongue is one form of glossitis, or inflammation of your tongue, which can make it swollen, red, and sore.

5. Canker Sores

Canker sores are small, painful ulcers with a white or yellow center and red border. They can form anywhere in your mouth, including the back of your tongue, and go away on their own.

6. Oral Herpes

Herpes simplex virus is easily transmitted and can cause blisters that break open into sores on your lips, gums, or tongue. Symptoms usually go away in a week or two, but the first outbreak can last up to three weeks.⁵

7. Allergies

If your tongue itches or swells after you eat, you may be allergic to the food. If your tongue or throat suddenly swells up, you may be having a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis). Call 911.

8. Oral Thrush

Oral thrush is a yeast infection that creates creamy white patches on your tongue and cheeks. A dentist or doctor can treat it with antifungal medications. You’re more likely to get thrush if:

• You’ve recently taken antibiotics.
• You use steroid medicines, including inhalers.
• You wear dentures or smoke.
• You have dry mouth or diabetes.
• You have a weakened immune system (from HIV or cancer treatments, for example).

Less Common Causes That Need a Checkup

These four causes need a dentist or doctor. They’re not something you can take care of at home.

9. Squamous Papilloma

A squamous papilloma is a harmless growth from the human papillomavirus (HPV). Low-risk forms of HPV can cause painless white or pink bumps, which often look like tiny pieces of cauliflower. A dentist or oral surgeon can remove the bump.

10. Traumatic Fibroma

A traumatic fibroma is a firm, smooth, pink bump that forms where something keeps rubbing, like a rough tooth, denture or biting habit. It’s harmless, and a dentist removes it if it bothers you.

11. Syphilis

Syphilis is a bacterial infection you can pick up from sexual contact. Antibiotics can clear it up, but it can also cause sores and other mouth lesions, even on your tongue.

Get tested if a new mouth sore follows possible sexual exposure or comes with a rash, fever or swollen glands. Untreated syphilis can cause serious long-term problems, even if the sores heal on their own.

12. Oral Cancer

It’s rare, but oral cancer can cause a lump or thick patch in your mouth, a red or white patch, or a sore that doesn’t go away. Using any kind of tobacco, drinking alcohol heavily, or having certain types of HPV increases your risk.

HPV-related cancers usually begin at the back of your throat, which includes the base of your tongue. Let your dentist or doctor know if you have a lump on your neck that won’t go away or trouble swallowing.

Diagnosing and Treating Tongue Bumps

Your dentist or doctor will ask how long you’ve had the bump, if it hurts and what other symptoms you have. They’ll also look at your tongue and other areas in your mouth. They may:

• Swab your throat to test for strep bacteria.
• Scrape a white patch to check for a yeast infection.
• Order blood tests to check for syphilis.
• Take a biopsy (small tissue sample) from a sore that won’t heal.

Treatment depends on the cause: antibiotics for strep throat and syphilis, antifungal medicines for thrush, and minor surgery to remove a fibroma or papilloma.

Home Remedies for Swollen Tongue Bumps

For swollen papillae, lie bumps and small sores, these steps may help:

• Rinse your mouth with warm salt water a few times a day.
• Eat soft, cool foods. Avoid spicy, acidic and crunchy foods.
• Drink plenty of water. Use a straw if drinking hurts.
• Use an alcohol-free mouthwash.
• Brush your teeth gently, and don’t scrape your tongue while it’s sore.
• Take an over-the-counter pain reliever or use an oral numbing gel as directed.

Don’t use benzocaine numbing gels or sprays on children under 2. In rare cases, these medicines can cause a life-threatening blood condition.

Avoid tobacco, limit alcohol and see your dentist as often as they recommend. They can spot tongue changes early.

When to See a Dentist or Doctor

See a dentist or doctor for any bump, sore or patch on your tongue that lasts more than two weeks.¹¹ A dentist is a good first stop, but see a doctor first if you also have a fever, sore throat or rash.

Call 911 for These Symptoms

Call 911 right away if you have any of these symptoms:

• Sudden swelling of your tongue, lips or throat
• Trouble breathing, throat tightness or sudden trouble swallowing
• Severe dizziness or fainting during a possible allergic reaction

Anaphylaxis can happen without hives or a rash. If you think you’re having anaphylaxis and have prescribed epinephrine, use it right away, then call 911.⁶ Don’t wait for symptoms to get worse.

Book an Appointment If You Notice

• Any bump, sore or thick patch that lasts more than two weeks
• Red or white patches that don’t wipe away
• A hard, growing or bleeding bump
• Numbness or trouble moving your tongue, chewing or swallowing
• A lump in your neck
• Fever or a sore throat with a red, bumpy tongue
• A new mouth sore after possible sexual exposure, or one with a rash, fever or swollen glands
• Bumps that keep returning or make eating or drinking hard