TONGUE, GEOGRAPHIC

TONGUE, GEOGRAPHIC

The human tongue is normally covered with small, pinkish-white colored bumps called papillae, which are short, fine, and hairlike in appearance. Geographic tongue is known as a harmless condition affecting the surface of the tongue.  These kinds of patches give your tongue a map-like, or geographic view. The normally-healed lesion in one area afterward moves to different parts of the tongue. It is sometimes called benign migratory glossitis.

Having this kind of condition may seem disturbing, but it doesn’t cause health issues and is not related to disease or malignancy. However, it can become troublesome due to tongue discomfort and sensitivity to substances, like salt, spices, and even desserts.

SYMPTOMS

Signs and symptoms of a tongue (geographic) are the following:

  • Smooth,irregularly-shaped patches which are red and appear on the top or side of your tongue
  • Repetitivechanges in the location, shape, and  size of lesions
  • A feeling of discomfort, pain or hot sensation in some cases, which is often linkedto eating spicy or acidic foods

Many individuals with geographic tongue have no symptoms. It may be present for days, months or worse, even years. The condition will normally be resolved on its own but can recur again.

DIAGNOSIS

Your physician or dentist usually makes a diagnosis of the geographic tongue by performing a physical examination of your tongue, along with observing your signs and symptoms.

During a physical examination, your health specialist or dentist will:

  • Use an illuminating deviceto check the surface of your mouth and tongue
  • Ask you to move your tongue around in differentpositions
  • Gently touch your tongue to check for its tenderness or unusual changes in the tongue’s texture or consistency
  • He or she may checkfor signs of infection, like fever or swollen lymph nodes in the neck

 

 TREATMENT

The geographic tongue usually doesn’t need any medical treatment. Although geographic tongue can sometimes be a bother, it is a harmless condition.

To help ease discomfort and sensitivity, your doctor may suggest treatments like:

  • Antihistamine mouth rinses
  • Corticosteroid ointments
  • Vitamin B supplements
  • Mouth rinses with an anesthetic
  • Over-the-counter pain relievers

However the said treatments haven’t been studied thoroughly, their benefit is also uncertain.

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