Have you ever noticed a patch on someone’s tongue while you both shared a conversation which really was a push off for you but then, you felt it was just maybe a trauma he or she attained while brushing?
What you saw might be a condition called Geographic Tongue that occasionally occurs in people. Let’s take a closer look at what this means, how it presents, why it does and how to prevent/treat such condition.
INTRODUCTION
Geographic Tongue is an inflammatory but at the same time harmless and sometimes painless condition which presents on the surface of one’s tongue.
SOURCE
Ideally, Your tongue is covered with tiny pinkish white bumps which are called papillaes and are usually short and fine with hairlike projections. But with the presence of Geographic Tongue, these papillaes(especially the filiform papillaes) are absent giving a smooth red islands having a raised borders which are whitish in colour and are hyperkeratotic histologically.
They tend to give the tongue a map-like appearance which looks like raised patches forming raised borders on the tongue surface. The lesions or patches tend to heal on one area of the tongue then moves or migrates to another area to continue.
Interestingly, they look really nasty but they do not cause health problems nor are they associated with oral cancers or infections. The only concern is that they tend to cause sensitivity to spicy and pepperish foods.
Geographic Tongue is clinically known as Benign Migratory Glossitis.
DISTRIBUTION
It affects more than 3% of the world’s population and females are usually the ones at risk of developing it three times as often as their male counterparts. It could be seen in both adults and children but majorly in adults.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
The signs and symptoms vary and may not all present in. Some individuals while others might present with almost all. They include:
Smooth and red usually irregularly shaped patches (lesions) on the top or side of one’s tongue.
constant changes in the location, size, and shape of the lesions.
Discomforting sensitivity, pain or burning sensation in some cases, most often related to eating spicy or acidic foods or sweetened foods.
sometimes feels itchy or like something crawling over one’s tongue.
These signs could occur for days, months or even years with it disappearing and reappearing just that they usually resolve on their own. (self-limiting).
RISK FACTORS
The possible risk factors can be narrowed down to just two. The first being:
Family History: People that tend to have Geographic Tongue are those who one family or the other might have it previously making it a genetic disorder.
Fissure Tongue: this is also a kind of disorder where there are deep grooves or fissures on the surface of the tongue but not as severe as that of Geographic Tongue but in most cases, people that have fissured tongue tend to present with Geographic Tongue.
CAUSES
The cause of Geographic Tongue is unknown and it’s not something that can be prevented and also the presence of it might suggest some connection with some other oral diseases such as psoriasis and lichen planus. But it’s important to note that if lesions have been present for over 10-12 days, it’s time to get expert care by seeing your dentist. Other causes include:
- Stress
- Hormonal Changes
- Dificiency in Vitamins
- Allergies
Source
COMPLICATIONS
There are no known complications of this condition and that’s because it’s just a benign condition that doesn’t pose a health problem either short or long term. It only gives cause for concern due to the embarrassing appearance of the tongue.
Rarely it could become itchy like in a case I saw a few weeks back. A Mother contacted me over social media to get to know if the lesions on her son’s tongue where Geographic Tongue. In the course of asking her some questions (clerking), she told me he said it felt itchy. Now due to what I have always known of this condition, I felt due to how long it had stayed on his tongue it had become infected due to the appearance and the itchiness so I asked her to take him to the hospital but she was reassured that it was Geographic Tongue and will eventually clear off.
TREATMENT
Although, this condition is self-limiting but when present a few tips to minimize the discomfort. They include
- Pain Relievers
- Anti-inflammatories
- Mouth Rinse with Anesthetic
- Topically Applied Steriods
- Zinc Supplements
- Avoidance of food that can trigger pain or sensitivity.
[Reference3] (http://www.slideshare.net/cclarke1230/geographic-tongue-disease-powerpoint?from_m_app=android)