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 Pregnancy brings with it a host of changes in your body many of which may seem to be completely unrelated to your pregnancy. One such change is tongue numbness during pregnancy. It is common for pregnant women to experience numbness in various parts of the body, including the tongue. There are several causes for a numb tongue during pregnancy including:

• Allergic Reaction: It is not uncommon for pregnant women to get allergic to foods that they never were allergic to before. These allergic reactions can often cause the tongue and the mouth to go numb. Some foods that might cause an allergic reaction in pregnancy women include kiwi fruits, pineapples, bananas and soy.  
• Bell's Palsy : Although this condition can affect anybody, it occurs more often in women. Bell’s palsy is a temporary facial paralysis that could be due to trauma or damage to the 7th facial cranial nerve. A paralytic attack due to this condition affects either a part or the entire face, including the mouth and tongue.
• Spinal Compression: As your baby grows, there is some amount of pressure on the spine. When your baby’s weight is at the highest, spinal compression can occur. This means a nerve in the spine has been compressed and you may feel temporary numbness in your back, which might travel to your mouth and tongue.
• Nerve Compression: Aside from spinal compression, oral numbness in pregnancy could also be due to a compressed nerve in your neck or leg.
  

Here are some home remedies you can follow to prevent tongue numbness:

• Keep a Diary: If you experience numbness in the tongue while or after eating certain food products, make a note of it in your diary. This will help you identify as well as avoid foods that might have caused the allergy.
• Sudden Neck Movements: Avoid moving your neck too much if your tongue gets numb during eating. Numbness due to spinal or nerve compression radiates from the back, up to the neck, and to the mouth and tongue, hence any sudden neck movements might just aggravate the numbness.
• Strain on the Back: Avoid putting too much strain on your back especially during the 36th trimester. This is when your baby will weigh the most, adding pressure to the back and the spine.
• Sodium-Intake: Numbness in the tongue could also happen due to high blood pressure and water retention. Foods high in sodium trigger the rise in blood pressure and so you may need to limit your intake of these foods.
• Eat at Regular Intervals: Low blood sugar can also sometimes cause temporary numbness of the tongue. So make sure your baby and you get all the nutrients and minerals required as part of your dietary intake.
• The Right Posture: Make sure that you sit or stand with the right posture to avoid putting too much pressure on your back, spine and legs.
• Comfortable Shoes: Wear comfortable and flat heeled shoes so that there isn’t too much pressure on the feet and legs, to avoid compressing a nerve.
  

Oral numbness usually goes as quickly as it comes. It is usually accompanied with a tingling sensation. The numbness doesn’t cause pain but it might be annoying and bothersome. Although tongue numbness is usually a sign of some other condition, a doctor will be able to provide an accurate diagnose after a thorough medical examination. Be sure to let your doctor know about any particular foods that you think may have caused the numbness. Treatment will be advised based on the diagnosis, the frequency and the severity of the problem. While home remedies may relieve your symptoms, it cannot be used as a substitute for medical treatment.

Reference

1. http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Bell_s_Palsy

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

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