If you've seen the movies "A Christmas Story" or "Dumb and Dumber," you're probably familiar with some of the scenes where the tongue sticks to a frozen flagpole in winter. Unfortunately, these situations can actually happen to real people in real life, not just funny scenes in movies. If your tongue or someone you know is stuck to a frozen surface, there are some easy and simple ways to remove your tongue or someone else's.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Removing Your Own Tongue
Step 1. Stay calm
The most important thing, what you need to do, is to be calm. If you are alone this will be difficult, but take a deep breath and try to calm yourself down.
- Don't panic when you realize you can't get your tongue off the frozen surface. If you pull the tongue too hard, the tongue can tear from the frozen surface; it will be very painful and bleeding. Only consider this as a last resort.
- If you see people hanging around your area, get that person's attention by waving or shouting (as loud as you can). You will feel more at ease when there are other people around you.
Step 2. Cup your hands around the tongue
Since you are alone, try this first. Your tongue is stuck because the metal surface is frozen and conducts heat away from your tongue. To remove it, warm the metal surface where your tongue is attached.
- You can also use your hot breath to warm the metal surface. Cup your hands around your mouth (but be careful not to touch your lips or hands on the same metal surface, as the moisture will build up and cause your lips or hands to stick together), then exhale hot breath right where your tongue is.
- You can also use a scarf or jacket to cover the cold wind from all around and make it easier for you to breathe warm air.
- While doing this, gently pull your tongue out. You may be able to release your tongue slightly or even completely.
Step 3. Pour the warm liquid over the frozen surface
If, for example, you have a thermos filled with coffee, tea, chocolate, or other hot liquid, pour it on the surface to warm it up. Pour the liquid onto the metal surface where your tongue is attached, then slowly try to remove your tongue.
- For this situation, warm water is most ideal, but you can use any warm liquid.
- Including urine. Although not recommended, but if you are in a very remote place without the possibility of other people's help, urine can be your lifesaving fluid. Use only in an absolute emergency.
Step 4. Call for medical help
Consider this option. Of course, you can only call for medical help if you have a cell phone with you and you can easily reach it.
When you call for medical help, it may be difficult to talk to the operator. Stay calm, explain your difficulties slowly, and let them know your location. Maybe they can track your location
Step 5. Pull your tongue out quickly
Surely this you can only consider as last option, when other options have failed or are not possible. You shouldn't have to do this option. This option will cause a very painful injury. Build your courage, then pull yourself off the frozen surface.
- Usually, warming the metallic area around your tongue with warm breaths or covering yourself from the cold with a scarf or jacket is enough to help you gently release your tongue, even in -40°C or cooler temperatures.
- Once your tongue comes off, seek immediate medical attention for your injured tongue.
Method 2 of 3: Helping Others With Sticky Tongue
Step 1. Tell the person to stay calm and don't try to pull the tongue
A tongue that is wet at body temperature will stick to a frozen metal surface because the metal draws heat away from the tongue. When heat is pulled from the tongue, the saliva will freeze and stick to metal surfaces like super glue. In addition, the texture of the taste buds on the tongue will grip metal surfaces tightly.
- Because the tongue is stuck so tightly, you can't let it go by gently pulling.
- If you pull the person roughly, part of their tongue will be torn off on the frozen surface and cause the person to bleed profusely.
- If you run into a person whose tongue is stuck to a frozen metal surface, tell the person to remain calm and not to pull their tongue out to avoid injury.
Step 2. Make sure the person is okay
Unless you witness the person sticking his or her tongue against a metal surface, you don't know the situation that led to the person's tongue sticking out. Make sure that the person is okay and that there are no other injuries.
If there are other signs of injury/abuse, and the other injury is not minor (such as bruising or swelling), seek medical attention immediately)
Step 3. Ask the person to take a deep breath
If you can warm the metal to which the tongue is attached, it will probably come off on its own. You can ask the person to blow as many warm breaths on the tongue as possible while cupping your hands around their mouth to keep the warm breaths directed.
- You can also try covering the metal surface to keep it out of the cold wind and warm it up even more.
- Be careful. Do not let the person's lips or hands touch the metal surface, as the lips and hands may be stuck together.
Step 4. Find warm water
If you live close by or have access to warm water, grab a glass or bottle of warm (not hot) water. Pour the warm water on the stuck tongue. After that, instruct the person to slowly withdraw their tongue.
- If you do not have access to warm water and cannot remove the tongue with warm air, seek medical attention immediately.
- You can also use liquids other than water. If you or someone else passing by, for example, brings coffee, tea, or other warm liquids, you can use these, though they will be a bit more messy.
Step 5. Call for medical help
If neither hot breath nor warm liquid can release the tongue, seek medical attention. If you live in a place where it's winter every year, emergency workers there may be used to the problem of tongues stuck to frozen metal surfaces.
Method 3 of 3: Treating Tongue Injury
Step 1. Wash your hands
You need to use your hands to stop the bleeding, so wash your hands thoroughly. Of course, it will be more difficult if you also try to treat the injured area.
- If available, you can also use medical gloves.
- As much as possible avoid stopping the bleeding with your bare hands.
Step 2. Sit down and lower your head
As much as possible avoid swallowing blood because you will feel dizzy and vomit. Sit up straight, then lower your head to draw the blood out of your mouth.
- If you have something in your mouth, like chewing gum, get it out now.
- If you have a piercing on your tongue or around your mouth that can be safely removed, remove it.
Step 3. Stop the bleeding
Use as clean a cloth as possible to apply pressure to the bleeding area. You can only use your bare hands to apply pressure to the area if you don't have a cloth or lining that you can use. This is especially true if your hands have not been washed.
- Since it's winter and you may be outside, wear your scarf or hat. Avoid using winter gloves as they are usually dirty.
- A cut or injury to the tongue will usually bleed profusely because your tongue and mouth contain lots of blood vessels. However, it can also be useful because treatment usually occurs more quickly where many blood vessels pass.
Step 4. Press your tongue for 15 minutes
Do not remove any coating you used to press your tongue for at least 15 minutes. Use a watch or clock to make sure that you press it for 15 minutes. Do not lift this pressure off your tongue to check for bleeding.
- If blood soaks the cloth you are using, place another cloth over the existing one without removing it or reducing pressure.
- Minor bleeding will generally subside after 15 minutes, but the wound will continue to bleed for 45 minutes.
- If the wound is still bleeding profusely after 15 minutes, call for medical help immediately or go to the hospital.
- Stop exercising for a few days after this incident. Exercise or intense physical activity can increase your blood pressure and reopen the wound.
Step 5. Reduce pain and swelling with ice
Of course, after this incident, you probably won't want to deal with ice in your mouth. However, ice can actually help reduce pain and swelling. In addition to ice, you can also use a cold compress (such as a clean washcloth soaked in cold water).
- There are two ways to use ice to reduce pain. You can suck an ice cube or an ice slab. Also, you can wrap the ice in a clean cloth and wipe the cloth on your tongue sore.
- Use this ice pack or cold pack for one to three minutes per application, six to ten times a day, at least for the first day.
- This compress will reduce swelling and stop bleeding. In addition, the pain you experience will also be greatly reduced.
- If you want, you can also use flavored ice (such as syrup or frozen juice).
Step 6. Gargle with salt water
Mix 1 teaspoon of salt with a glass of water. Gargle with this salt mixture, then remove it from the mouth. Do not swallow.
- Do not start gargling with salt water until at least a day after the wound.
- Use this salt mixture at least once after a meal. However, limit it to four to six times per day.
Step 7. Protect yourself from the cold
When your tongue (or lips) are being treated, you will be more susceptible to cold snaps or swelling from cold air in both areas of the body. Protect your face from the cold with a scarf, gloves, or face covering.
Step 8. Watch your food
Your tongue and mouth will not only feel sore, but also sensitive. Eat soft foods that are soft in the mouth. Avoid foods that are salty, seasoned, or highly acidic as they can cause pain.
- You can eat/drink: milk shakes, yogurt, ice cream, soft cheese, eggs, tuna, soft peanut butter, and canned or cooked vegetables or fruits.
- While in the healing process, DO NOT smoke or drink alcohol.
- During this process, avoid mouthwashes that contain alcohol. The drug can be painful when touched the injured area.
Step 9. If necessary, take medication
If you see a doctor, he will give you a prescription. Follow the recipe and instructions carefully. If the injury is not so serious that you need to see a doctor, buy over-the-counter medicines to reduce the pain.
- Over-the-counter medicines that you can use are paracetamol (eg Panadol), ibuprofen (eg Proris), or naproxen. These drugs are available in generic and branded forms at the nearest pharmacy and supermarket.
- Always follow the instructions on the medicine package. When in doubt, contact a pharmacist.
- If you are pregnant or may become pregnant, do not take ibuprofen or naproxen.
Step 10. Know when to see a doctor
If one or more of the following symptoms occur, contact your doctor immediately:
- The pain in your tongue is getting worse, not getting better
- Your tongue or other parts of your tongue start to swell
- Fever
- Difficulty breathing
- Wounds don't stop bleeding or reopen and start bleeding again
Tips
- It's not just humans whose tongues can stick to cold metal surfaces. Dogs can also be attached. If your dog is outside when it's cold, don't put food or water in a metal bowl. Use a ceramic, glass, or plastic bowl.
- If you want to know why tongue sticks to frozen metal surfaces, head over to this Live Science site: https://www.livescience.com/32237-will-your-tongue-really-stick-to-a-frozen-flagpole.html.
