What Causes Single Episode Of Vomiting And Burning Sensation On The Left Side Of The Tongue?

Posted on Tue, 25 Feb 2014

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Tue, 25 Feb 2014 Answered on

Tue, 18 Mar 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : Hi, I'll try to make this brief, I got up this morning feeling fine, had breakfast (scrambles eggs and kale) normal, then all of a sudden with no warning before I finished I had to go vomit. Lost my breakfast, but then felt fine. I'm at work, feeling ok, a little tired but when I tried to eat something, I have a strong burning sensation on the left side of my tongue. It goes down into just under my ear, and my tongue feels thick on that side but doesn't look it.

Answered by Dr. Dr. Praveen Tayal (3 hours later)

Brief Answer: Can be a nerve related cause. Detailed Answer: Hello, Thanks for posting your query. Most of the times, vomiting is caused by gastroenteritis, stomach flu, food poisoning, peptic ulcer disease, GERD, etc. A single episode of vomiting is not worrisome. The burning sensation on the left side of the tongue to the ear is suggestive of a neural ( nerve compression or nerve irritation related) cause. This can happen due to abnormal levels of calcium, potassium, or sodium in your body or a lack of vitamin B12; stress and anxiety; thyroid hormone imbalance; viral infection etc. You can have a glass of orange juice or any mixed fruit so that any electrolyte imbalance is corrected. Avoid stress and relax your mind. If you are a vegetarian then you can take vitamin B 12 supplements after consulting your physician. If the symptoms persist even after 5 days or worsen consider visiting a Physician for evaluation as a physical examination would be beneficial. I hope this answers your query. In case you have additional questions or doubts, you can forward them to me, and I shall be glad to help you out. Wishing you good health. Regards. Dr. Praveen Tayal. For future query, you can directly approach me through my profile URL http://bit.ly/Dr-Praveen-Tayal

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Dr. Praveen Tayal (11 hours later)

The sensation is strange, when I eat something, my tongue gets tired and I don't feel like finishing. That happened last night when I was eating a piece of buttered toast. Also I get an excruciating sensation, and pain in my ears that lasts about 5 minutes if I eat certain foods, so far ketchup did it and cinnamon did it. Never before have I experienced anything like this.

Answered by Dr. Dr. Praveen Tayal (12 hours later)

Brief Answer: Likely to be electrolyte imbalance. Detailed Answer: Hello. Thanks for writing again. The symptoms you have are likely to be due to minor electrolyte imbalance or an infection in the area. In case the symptoms do not resolve with fluid and electrolyte intake in next 3-5 days then do consult your physician for a physical examination. Hope my answer is helpful. If you do not have any clarifications, you can close the discussion and rate the answer. Wish you good health. Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar