Q: If you are experiencing a sore tongue and home remedies don’t help, consult your doctor. He/She will help identify the cause of your pain and the right kind of treatment for you.  A sore tongue can have many causes including fungal, viral, or bacterial infections of the mouth, nutritional deficiencies, ill-fitting dentures, teeth grinding or over brushing your tongue, allergies, stress, or anxiety. A sore tongue may also be the result of burning mouth syndrome.  You may not notice any physical changes to your tongue or mouth with a medical condition. Or, you may experience common signs of irritation or infection, such as the white plaque coating the tongue in oral thrush, bumps, ulcers, or a burning sensation. If you’re experiencing a sore tongue or the symptoms of burning tongue syndrome, your doctor may order tests to determine the cause of your pain. Tests often can’t determine the cause of a sore tongue, but your doctor will help develop the best treatment plan for you.  Your doctor may use different diagnostic tools to determine the cause of your sore tongue. These include blood tests, oral cultures, a biopsy, allergy tests, and stomach acid tests. She may also give you a psychological questionnaire to rule out whether your sore tongue is related to anxiety, depression or stress.  Your doctor may also tell you to discontinue certain medications to rule them out as a cause of your sore tongue. Depending on the outcome of your tests, your doctor may prescribe medication to help alleviate the condition causing your sore tongue. If the tests can’t find a cause, she may also prescribe medication or home treatments to relieve the pain and discomfort.  Three medications commonly prescribed for a sore tongue are amitriptyline, amisulpride, and olanzapine. These drugs work by blocking the action of gamma-butyric acid, which may be responsible for the pain or burning sensation in the tongue.  Your doctor may also advise that you take an over the counter pain reliever to help relieve the discomfort of a sore tongue, especially if you are having trouble sleeping. Popular over-the-counter painkillers include acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and aspirin. Follow your doctor’s orders for taking pain relievers or the instructions on the packaging. Throat lozenges or sprays that contain mild analgesics can help soothe a sore tongue. You can purchase throat lozenges and sprays at any drug store or their online sites.  Use throat lozenges or sprays every two to three hours, or according to the package or your doctor’s directions.  Make sure to suck on the throat lozenge until it has completely dissolved. Don't try to chew it or swallow it whole, which may numb your throat and make it difficult to swallow. Capsaicin cream is a topical analgesic that can help relieve pain. You can apply capsaicin cream to your tongue three or four times a day.  The cream will initially increase the pain sensations on the tongue, but these will subside quickly.  Be aware that the prolonged use of capsaicin cream can damage fibers in the tongue tissue, leading to a permanent loss of sensation. Use an antiseptic mouthwash such as benzydamine or chlorhexidine to treat infections of your tongue or mouth. They may also help relieve pain and swelling on the tongue.  Benzydamine relieves pain by blocking prostaglandins. Prostaglandins are chemicals that are produced when there is pain from inflammation.  Pour 15 ml of benzydamine into a cup and then swish it around your mouth for 15 to 20 seconds before spitting it out.
A: See your doctor. Get tests and a diagnosis. Take medication for your sore tongue. Use throat lozenges or sprays. Apply capsaicin cream to soothe the tongue. Use an antiseptic mouthwash.

Q: This method will work best on shoes that are made completely out of canvas, such as Vans and Toms. If you have a pair of shoes that lace up or have a rubber toe cap, try this method instead. Here's a list of what you'll need:  Canvas sneakers Bleach Water Plastic tub Rubber gloves If your sneakers have inserts inside, you can pull those out and set them aside. This way, they will be their original color when you put them back in. This can create a nice contrast. You want to protect your hands from the bleach solution. For a stronger solution, use one part bleach and one part water. For a weaker solution, use one part bleach and two parts water.  The water-bleach solution needs to be deep enough so that you can submerge the shoes completely. The plastic tub needs to be long enough so that you can sit your shoes inside. Try to set them upside down in the tub. This way, more of the fabric gets covered with bleach. This will take one to five hours, depending on how dark the shoes are to begin with, and how light you want them to become. Keep in mind that some of the darker colors will never fully turn white. Some colors, such as black, will turn orange or brown. Be sure to check back on the shoes every 10 to 60 minutes. This will stop the bleach from acting. It will also get rid of the smell. It will take about three hours for them to fully dry.
A:
Gather your supplies. Consider removing the inserts. Put on a pair of rubber gloves. Fill a plastic tub with bleach and water. Place your sneakers in the plastic tub. Leave the sneakers in the tub until you get the desired effect. Take the shoes out of the bleach solution and wash them using soap and water. Let the shoes dry before lacing them back up.