Trauma is the most common cause of painful papillae of the tongue. The pain can occur because you have bitten your tongue or eaten something hot, such as pizza. Acidic foods such as orange juice and tomato sauce often can cause pain on traumatized areas of the tongue.

Some people unconsciously push the tips of their tongues against their upper teeth, which can cause tongue inflammation. People who grind or clench their teeth also irritate the edges of their tongues.

Benign migratory glossitis (also called geographic tongue is a condition of the tongue that can cause pain and can make your tongue more sensitive to spicy or acidic foods.

A painful tongue also can be a symptom of an underlying systemic (body-wide) condition, such as severe anemia, uncontrolled diabetes or a vitamin deficiency. Many skin diseases can affect the mouth. Yeast overgrowth and severe dry mouth (xerostomia) can lead to inflamed and painful papillae of the tongue.

Tongue pain can be caused by chronic skin diseases. If this is the case, you should visit a specialist in oral medicine, who can help with diagnosis and management of your condition.