Clinically verified
The content of this article has been verified by the specialist team of the Sztuka Harmonii Psychological Centre.
Tingling lips and tongue: causes, anxiety disorders and treatment
Sudden numbness of the lips, a numb tongue or a feeling of „pins and needles” around the mouth are symptoms that easily cause alarm. Very often tingling of the lips and tongue has an anxiety-related cause and is linked to the way we breathe under stress, but because it can also have medical causes, it is worth knowing both scenarios.
Why do the lips tingle in anxiety disorders?
Hyperventilation plays a key role. When we are anxious, we breathe faster and more shallowly, which lowers the level of carbon dioxide in the blood. This alters the balance of calcium and magnesium and the excitability of the nerves, causing characteristic paraesthesia, felt most strongly around the mouth, on the tongue and in the hands. It is an entirely reversible, though unpleasant, mechanism.
The area around the mouth is richly supplied with nerves, so it is one of the first to react. The tingling usually appears at the peak of tension and subsides when breathing returns to normal. We describe a similar mechanism in the article on tingling in the hands and fingers.
Symptoms suggesting an anxiety-related cause
- The tingling appears in situations of stress or tension
- It is accompanied by rapid breathing, palpitations and dizziness
- It occurs on both sides and is symmetrical
- It subsides once your breathing calms down
Other causes of tingling in the lips and tongue
- Deficiencies – of vitamin B12, calcium or magnesium
- Allergic reactions – especially when the tingling is accompanied by swelling
- Cold sores or irritation of the mucous membrane
- Neurological and dental causes
When to see a doctor
Tingling of the lips accompanied by swelling of the lips, tongue or throat and difficulty breathing requires urgent medical attention, as it may be an allergic reaction. You should also see a doctor if the numbness affects only one side, persists, or is accompanied by speech problems, a drooping corner of the mouth or weakness of the facial muscles. Such symptoms require neurological causes to be ruled out.
How to treat tingling lips in anxiety disorders
Once medical causes have been ruled out, treatment focuses on managing anxiety and learning to breathe correctly. Diaphragmatic breathing training counteracts hyperventilation, while cognitive behavioural therapy helps change the catastrophic interpretation of the symptom, which in itself increases tension.
A psychological consultation makes it possible to assess whether the tingling is part of an anxiety disorder and to plan appropriate help. It is also worth reading about related symptoms in the text on anxiety neurosis.
At Centrum Psychologiczne Sztuka Harmonii (the Sztuka Harmonii Psychological Centre) in Gdańsk and Gdynia, we work with people whose anxiety shows up as physical complaints. We use methods of proven effectiveness, always after medical causes have been ruled out.
Call to book an appointment: 732 059 980
