Hey there, To start off, in about 2nd grade (I was around age 8) I noticed that my tongue felt swollen in two places, but from further examination, I found that they were two lumps. I've never felt them go away, and I've always been aware that they were there. In 2nd grade, they hurt when I put pressure on them. These lumps in my tongue have always been there, like I said, but they've only again been causing pain in the last week. I've been told to be mindful if it's cancer, but I don't think that's the case; they haven't metastasized and lumps haven't been elsewhere, so I'm beginning to think that they're lymph nodes swelling. Is that reasonable? I should obviously get it checked out sometime...
Unless they are further back in your mouth/throat, I don't think they are lymph But you've had them for 11 years? Ever mention them to a doctor? Yes, if worried have them checked out.
Both of them are quite forward on the tongue, one in the middle, at the tip, and the other, slightly to the right, behind the other about a quarter of an inch.
like the first responder said, have you really never mentioned them to a doctor? or a dentist? my dentist examines my mouth for oral cancer every time i see her. your tongue itself is a muscle covered with nerves and blood vessels and taste buds. could they be swollen or irritated taste buds? are they always there or do they go away sometimes and then return? my mother has a lot of weird stuff in her mouth, like every time she eats anything she gets little bumps on her gums that she pops with her tongue, and she has something called "geographic tongue" which is just this rectangular white patch that appears on her tongue sometimes and then it goes away. so the mouth can be a weird and mysterious place. definitely go to the dentist or doctor just in case, but hopefully they're just weird mouth things that are harmless.
You should definitely get them checked out very soon - don't wait more than a month, tell the appt. person at the doctor's what you are concerned about. It depends on what size they are, too. If they are large, say half an inch of more, then that is unusual. If they are tiny bumps on the surface of the tongue, they might be just taste buds or sores of some kind. Do they usually swell up when you're sick? If they have only caused pain twice in your life, there is likely nothing wrong, that is a long time in between - 12 years? So it's likely nothing, but there is no reason to wait to find out it's nothing, do it as soon as possible so you know for sure.
Even if they are lymphnodes you need to get them checked out. Lymphnodes are a common place to find cancer. Get a doctors appointment pronto.
