My wife has swelling, a white patch on the side of the tongue and pain. what can i do?

Oral Herpes: Good morning: without seeing this I have two thoughts. The most common lesion with a white border, swelling and pain may actually be a cold sore, which is usually the herpes simplex. Other than that it may also be a bite injury but usually the patient will remember the bite.

Emergency room: If you want an immediate answer go to the emergency room. They can at least help with pain management. If they feel it is trauma related ( she bit her tongue) they may ask her to contact her dentist for follow up care. If they feel she needs more testing they will let you know.

Dental consult: Have your wife see a dentist (or physician) for an evaluation, diagnosis and appropriate treatment if indicated. This needs to be diagnosed in person. It would not be prudent to make guesses, even educated ones over the internet with no medical history and sight unseen.

Oral Surgeon ASAP: Without examination, hard to say, but get her in ASAP. You have described the very things we look for in diagnosing oral cancer. Can also be red/white.Please take this seriously and get her in to the Oral Surgeon -- tell them how it looks and that she needs to be seen right away. Do not want to scare you , but better to get checked and find out, as oral cancer can be successfully treated.Good Luck

See your dentist: Though most sore tongues and white patches are nothing to worry about, you should consult a dentist if you have a lump or sore on your tongue that doesn't go away within a week or two. Take care.