Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypesCausesTreatment and PreventionReducing Transmission
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Types
Causes
Treatment and Prevention
Reducing Transmission
HPV warts on your tongue are contagious, so they easily spread from person to person. Knowing how this occurs can help reduce your risk of getting them or spreading them if you are infected.
In most cases, HPV occurs without symptoms and resolves without your knowledge. When symptoms occur on your tongue, the warts appear as raised, fluid-filled structures. Though treatment isn’t always needed, it can take years for HPV oral warts to resolve on their own.
This article describes warts on the tongue types, causes, and treatments. It also explains how to reduce your risk of spreading them or being infected.
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Types of Warts on the Tongue
Since about 40 strains of HPV can cause oral warts on your tongue, the virus can manifest in many different types of bumps on your tongue. Oral HPV symptoms include these common types of HPV bumps on the back of your tongue:
Verruca Vulgaris (Common Wart)
Verruca vulgarisoccurs from HPV strains 2 and 4. It is the main presentation of HPV infection, accounting for 70% of warts. Verruca vulgaris on your tongue can appear with the following characteristics:
Squamous Papilloma
Squamous papillomaoccurs from HPV strains 6 and 11. A squamous papilloma on your tongue has the following characteristics:
Reproduced with permission from © DermNetf2023.
Condyloma Acuminata
Condyloma acuminatais associated with HPV strains 2, 6, and 11. While it usually presents as anogenital warts, it can occur on your tongue with the following characteristics:
Multifocal Epithelial Hyperplasia
This type of lesion commonly occurs from HPV strains 13 and 32. Also called focal epithelial hyperplasia or Heck’s disease, multifocal epithelial hyperplasia has the following characteristics:
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Causes of Warts on the Tongue
There are multiple pathways for HPV transmission leading to warts on your tongue. Warts on your tongue can occur in the following ways:
Inter-Site Transmission Between Individuals
The genito-oral (genitals to mouth) method of transmission is the most frequent mode of HPV oral infection. This pathway of transmission includes:
Autoinoculation
Autoinoculationinvolves removing the cells from one area of your body and then placing them back into your body. This can occur with a transfer of HPV from genital or anal sites through intermediate contact with the hands, then transferring the virus from your hands to your mouth.
Perinatal
Perinatal transmission of oral HPV frequently occurs from an infected mother to her infant during delivery. HPV infection can be acquired in utero via the placenta or umbilical cord blood. It can also occur immediately after birth through skin-to-skin contact or breast milk.
You have a greater chance of developing warts on your tongue if you have any of the following risk factors:
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How to Treat Warts on the Tongue and Prevent Further Irritation
Warts on the tongue typically resolve without the need for medical attention. However, allowing them to clear on their own can take up to 2 years.
For most people, this means enduring a relatively unpleasant experience while talking and eating as long as the wart exists. While there is no treatment to cure HPV warts, several treatments can safely relieve symptoms and complications.
Consult your dentist or healthcare provider regarding the use of home treatments to try. Home and over-the-counter topical treatments for skin warts may not be appropriate for treating tongue warts.
Depending on the type and location of warts on your tongue, you may benefit from one of the following treatments:
Cryotherapy
Cryosurgeryinvolves the application of an extremely cold substance, such as liquid nitrogen or carbon dioxide, to freeze off the abnormal cells and kill abnormal tissue growth. The benefits of this safe and relatively inexpensive technique include:
However, cryosurgery treatment for oral warts can result in an unpredictable degree of swelling. The success of the treatment is also highly dependent on an operator’s skill and experience.
Surgery
Surgical removal of an oral tongue wart is the treatment of choice. This can be done with one of the following techniques:
Electrocautery
Electrocautery involves using a low-voltage electrical probe to cut through the wart and eliminate abnormal cells or tissue growth. The procedure burns off the wart to remove it. Electrocautery is typically used for small and isolated oral warts.
Laser-Assisted Therapy
Laser-assisted therapyinvolves using a concentrated diode laser to completely excise the wart. This involves the removal of the base of the wart and a small area of normal tissue surrounding it. Benefits of laser-assisted therapy include:
Surgical Excision
HPV tongue warts can be removed with traditional surgical techniques. The procedure can involve general anesthesia. Traditional surgical excision may require a stitch or two to close the incision though its primary benefit is a low recurrence rate.
Trichloroacetic Acid
Trichloroaceticacid is effective for treating HPV bumps on your tongue. Three 30- to 60-second applications can remove oral warts within 45 days. Advantages of this treatment include:
Imiquimod
While Aldara (imiquimod) cream, a synthetic imidazoquinoline amide derivative, is often used as a treatment for external warts. Researchers have found this topical cream effective and well-tolerated for oral HPV warts. Advantages of imiquimod include:
Transient Lingual Papillitis (Lie Bumps)
How to Reduce the Risk of Transmitting Oral HPV
HPV can exist without symptoms. This means the disease can be spread even when an infected person has no signs of illness.
One of the best ways to reduce the risk of transmitting oral HPV is to get anHPV vaccine. Research indicates that the vaccine is highly effective in preventing cervical, anal, and genital HPV infections, warts, and cancers as well as the incidence of oral HPV infections.
The National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises the following regarding the HPV vaccine:
Another way to prevent HPV is to avoid having sexual contact with another person. If you do have sexual contact, you can reduce your risk of transmitting or getting oral HPV with the following strategies:
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Summary
Warts on your tongue are a common problem. They usually occur from HPV. These highly contagious warts are most often spread from oral or anal sex involving oral-genital interaction. Practicing safe sex, including regular condom use, can help avoid the spread of HPV.
Warts on your tongue can occur without symptoms and resolve without treatment. However, letting the warts run their course can mean years of discomfort that can affect how you speak and eat. While treating tongue warts does not destroy the virus, it can relieve symptoms of pain and discomfort.
Consult your dentist or healthcare provider for a proper diagnosis of any unusual bumps or lesions that you notice in your mouth. HPV warts can increase your risk of several oral cancers even if your warts don’t have symptoms. Seeking an early and accurate diagnosis of tongue warts can help you get treated as soon as possible.
15 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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