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Ranula?

07/14/2008

Question:

I have a swollen area underneath my tongue. I do use snuff, and do regular self mouth checks. I have set up screening this Thursday. Anyway, one night at a friends house I was offered some type of clove cigarette. I had never smoked them. About an hour or two later I realized I was able to press the area underneath the left side of my tongue between the top of my back molars and my tongue. I woke up the next morning and the left side of my tongue was swollen and painful when I pushed on it using my teeth and tongue. It is located under the tongue, on the floor of the bottom jaw. It seems normal color, a couple of white streaks mixed in, and some small red bumps that are very tiny. I hold my snuff in the right side of my mouth as opposed to my left, where the swelling is. I do have my lip pierced on the left side, and it has been pierced for half a year. I have been dipping and smoking for almost a year. My top left wisdom tooth is coming in, but I have room for it and it is coming in straight, so I am told I can keep it. Could this be allergic reaction to the clove cigarettes, or a ranula, or swelling due to the tooth? I also took benadryl that nite for itchy eyes.

Answer:

It would be impossible to say exactly what this problem is without doing an examination. The rapid onset suggests that this is a reaction to something, but whether it is to the clove cigarettes or another irritant would be speculation at this point. Evaluation by an oral pathologist would be most appropriate.

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