Effect of Tobacco on Tounge

[Fight'n Hampsters]

I am relatively new to pipe smoking and for the past several months I have been smoking my pipe about twice a week and have had little or no effect on my tounge.

In the past week I have started smoking more often (once or twice a day) and have noticed that my tounge has more of a sandpapery feel.

I'm pretty sure it is not the result of tounge-bite as I do not puff hard or steadily enough to cause burning while smoking. So here are my questions:

1) Is this normal?

2) Does our hobby when done daily effect our ability to taste? Do we as pipe smokers develop a reduced sense of taste over time?

 

[Josjor]

I can't speak for the sandpaper thing as that is something I've never experienced.

But taste? Well, yes, any smoking of any kind (pipe, ciggy's, cigar) done with any regularity will have an effect on your taste buds as well as your olfactory senses as well.

I quit for a while a few years ago and was surprised at the number of foods I used to like that gradually became less appealing and the foods that I didn't care for suddenly becoming very tasty.

 

[Guy]

Although I never smoke more than 2 bowls a day it is my understanding from an oral surgeon that constant pipe smoking can negatively impact taste and olfaction. Also, hobby to me is more of the act of collecting pipes than smoking them, if you enjoy a glass of wine a day is considered a hobby or practice.

 

[NeroWolfe]

Try a different tobacco !! Some result in tongue bite, others do not; every person seems a bit different.

 

[Milan]

The more I smoke the more my tongue hates me. I can handle one or two bowls a day, but when I smoke three or four a day my tongue gets rough and gritty feeling. I haven't had any loss of taste due to smoking a pipe, but imagine it could alter a person's taste buds if they smoke a lot? The tobacco you smoke and the rate at which you smoke it will affect your tongue in most cases. It's a person to person thing. I can handle cased tobaccos on a more regular basis, whereas many pipe smokers can't smoke anything but natural tobacco because casings negatively impact their experience. It all depends on the person.

To answer your question... yes it is normal. Take a couple days off when your tongue tells you to. As for the taste question... I see no difference in the way pipe smoking alters my taste than anything else. It's all in what you combine with it. I like sweeter tobaccos after a savory meal and an english tobacco after sweet tasting food. IMHO... all tobacco goes well with alcohol and coffee. I don't believe pipe smoking has any permanant detrimental effects on a person's taste buds though.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

I hear what you're saying, too. Too much pipe smoking, too fast of pipe smoking, or the wrong kind of tobacco (which could mean blend, varietal or quality), can leave a dry, leathery feel on the top of the tongue and roof of the mouth. As if you were drinking a shot of vermouth. Sometimes it can last a day or more, depending on how much you indulge.

Yeah, it will change your senses, but not always for the worse.

I'm with the idea of constant experimentation/exploration...there's a chance for you to acquire a tolerance for this phenomenon, or it may go away with a change of product, or method, etc. I know plenty of people that tell me, "Geez, Kyle, I tried smoking a pipe and it just didn't work for me, it was awful!" *shrug* All I know is, I've always been drawn to pipes, as I've been drawn to things like scotch and rye whiskey--and people often don't know how I drink that stuff either.

Hope you find a solution! 8)

 

[Fight'n Hampsters]

when I smoke three or four a day my tongue gets rough and gritty feeling.

Good choice of words. Thats what I mean by "sandpaper feel"

What you say makes alot of sense. I guess my concern is that I will enjoy food less than usual, be unable to discern subtle tastes in food because of puffing. That would be a hard trade off.

I guess if it is something that happens very gradually and unnoticably then it wouldn't be a problem.

 

[MisterE]

1) Is this normal?

2) Does our hobby when done daily effect our ability to taste? Do we as pipe smokers develop a reduced sense of taste over time?

Yes, as a new pipe smoker your senses are still very sharp so the irritants will be much more noticeable. It's just your body's way of saying "hey dude, this irritates me!"

My opinion is this:

That yes, the senses of taste and smell as a whole do diminish over time with pipe smoking. As the the sense of taste gets changed, the flavors which are bothersome at first tend to be less noticeable and the broader flavors of tobacco become more dominant. I remember trying different blends years ago and a sweet tobacco flavor was the rare accident, not the norm. Over time, the burning, irritating effects went away giving way to a whole world of new flavors.

Now, whether this has to do with improved technique, or that my senses have been sufficiently altered (or deadened) to not percieve it is a good question. I tend to think it's a little of both. What I can say Is that I virtually never get the dreaded tounge bite now as I did when I was starting out. Honestly, however, my sense of taste and smell away from the pipe are not what they were as a kid. Just a fact.

The greater question would probably be whether that is something one would want to aspire to, lol! I come from a family of physicians so I've forever lived with the tacit and often overt disapproval of smoking in general. At some level I do worry what I'm doing to myself and to what consequence I'm heading. I also think those are natural concerns and ones you won't see getting a lot of press on the boards. In the end it's just a decision over what level of risk is acceptable.

Anyhow, I realize that this is much more than was aked in the OP. Just got to thinking as I was replying. Rant done!!

 

[Fight'n Hampsters]

Well stated MisterE! Your rants are more than welcome.

I think it is wise to think seriously about all of the benefits and consequenses of our pipe use and weigh them accordingly (perhaps over a bowl ). No one is helped by denying that both exist.

 

[R.A.]

Yes leathery,sandpaper, kinda dryish. an altered state but not one of pain just an odd feel,

I haden't had that till I over did it at the pipe show back on Oct 7&8th (Smoked all day), And I haven't gotten over it because I haven't skipped any days, I am back to my 1-2 bowl a day routine as before the show,

And its not the normal tongue bite pain related , its just an "odd feel" And the achohol mouthwash surely isnt a plus,

On one level I wish it were pain so I would back off and give it a rest, I read a few ppl talk about a product Biotene mouthwash sounds like that could be a solution.

As MisterE said

"At some level I do worry what I'm doing to myself and to what consequence I'm heading. I also think those are natural concerns and ones you won't see getting a lot of press on the boards. In the end it's just a decision over what level of risk is acceptable"

Its a chore trying to train myself not to blow smoke out through my nose, I'm sure that cant be good It come so natural its hard to break the habit and just sip and push the smoke out,

Yea taking a few days off is probably a good thing now and then, but hard to do when you are enjoying it.

 

[mike_68]

As a newb I deal with this as well...I've noted it more with certain tobacco(seems like the stuff with heavy cyprian latakia mostly) cause me issue. Not tongue bite but a strange mouth-feel even after I'm done smoking.

It's funny because I already know that a 3 bowl day will bring me some tenderness as well regardless what I smoke. I guess it's all part of the learning process. irat:

 

[Fight'n Hampsters]

Its a chore trying to train myself not to blow smoke out through my nose, I'm sure that cant be good It come so natural its hard to break the habit and just sip and push the smoke out

Does blowing smoke out your nose without inhaling more harmful?

 

[deepbass9]

Its a chore trying to train myself not to blow smoke out through my nose, I'm sure that cant be good It come so natural its hard to break the habit and just sip and push the smoke out

Does blowing smoke out your nose without inhaling more harmful?

Don't know about more or less...it's chance taking all around..like motorcycle riding. I think he means the act involves other body parts, therefore making more area susceptible.

I, for one, find I get considerably more flavor retrohaling.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

I, for one, find I get considerably more flavor retrohaling.

Agreed. I don't do it often, but find taking a drink of some variety of whiskey, then a puff, and then retroexhaling provides some neat sensations. 8)

 

[R.A.]

Well more harmful perhaps, more flavor indeed! that is why its hard to break the habit of doing it.

I know when I do the "Retroexhale" as its been called expecially in excess I can tell is effects my sinus have that back of the throat irritation.

When I manage not to retroexhale I dont have the issue, But as stated it does enhance a flavor even with other things like drinking. cept the bourbon dont have the same day after issue for me

I guess if we want to get all medical yes the smoke is bad in the throat and sinus it paralizes the cillia over time etc etc ( now that just sucks the fun outta it )

Everything in moderation, if I only did it 3-4 time in a hour smoke vs every 3rd or 4th draw it wouldn't be so bad irat:

 

[jlong]

The way I've read it is tounge bite has part to do with "wet steam" coming off the bit and burning the tounge as it condenses. It's the reasoning behind Peterson's P Lip bit. I don't know how effective that is.

 

[williamcharles]

I am relatively new to pipe smoking and for the past several months I have been smoking my pipe about twice a week and have had little or no effect on my tounge.

In the past week I have started smoking more often (once or twice a day) and have noticed that my tounge has more of a sandpapery feel.

I'm pretty sure it is not the result of tounge-bite as I do not puff hard or steadily enough to cause burning while smoking. So here are my questions:

1) Is this normal?

2) Does our hobby when done daily effect our ability to taste? Do we as pipe smokers develop a reduced sense of taste over time?

I call what you describe "tongue fatigue". I think there are three typical conditions that pipe smokers have to deal with. Tongue fatigue, tongue bite and tongue burn. The fatigue comes from smoking many bowls in a given time span, the bite comes from chemicals (or lack of) in the tobacco and the burn comes from excess heat such as encountered when lighting, relighting or smoking to energetically. As usual my opinion and a fiver will buy you a cup o joe in any cheap restaurant so take it for what it's worth.

 

[Briar Boy]

The way I've read it is tounge bite has part to do with "wet steam" coming off the bit and burning the tounge as it condenses. It's the reasoning behind Peterson's P Lip bit. I don't know how effective that is.

I got my first Peterson this week and it has a P-lip stem which I thought might be the end of the tongue bite issue, it definitely helped with the tongue but now I have "palette bite" which for me is worse than the tongue bite, it seems to me like scorching steam doing this more than the tobacco, I am considering grinding the stem to a standard bit shape.