Can diabetic peripheral neuropathy affect your tongue?

[RichardHawkings]

Apart from numb spots on my feet soles, my tongue seems a little less sensitive. Can this happen?

 

[kitedoc]

Hello @RichardHawkings - I had to look this up !!
Yes, is the answer I found:
Ref: doi. 10.4103/2249-4863.141654 - A female diabetic patient was diagnosed with diabetes due to her diminished taste.
There was discussion about diabetic neuropathy being the usual cause and may be this lady had had diabetes for some time and this had allowed the problem and symptom to develop.
It was stressed that diabetes is not the only possible cause of tongue and taste problems.
The paper also reported a study where in 73 T2D patients, 40% on testing had diminished or no ability to taste.

In Rev Med Inst Mex Seguro Soc 2009 Sep-Oct 47(5) p 483-8 Taste sensitivity diminution in diabetic patients was associated with high blood sugars. As the BSL went up the ability to taste something sweet reduced.

Diabetes Care 1989 Mar 12 (3) 177-8 - reported that taste problems also occurred in T1Ds most likely due to neuropathy.

The Take home message seems to be: Yes, it can happen but best to get your doctor to rule out other causes.

It reminds me I had taste troubles some years back and it turned out to be due to being too low in zinc.
I found the best foods to correct it and my taste improved.
Best Wishes

 

[Member496333]

Glucotoxicity can affect every system in the body, so I guess it’s possibly not a surprise to learn that it can screw the tongue up as well

 

[RichardHawkings]

Thanks people!