Geographic Tongue Treatment

The presence of irregular, map-like, swollen, beefy red patches that changes location frequently on the tongue is known as geographic tongue. In some cases, the patches are bordered by a white lining. Since the placement of red patches on the tongue continuously changes, they are also called benign migratory glossitis. Anyone, irrespective of age and sex, can become a victim of geographic tongue. This condition is commonly observed to run in families. According to studies, about 3% of the human population suffer from geographic tongue.

What Causes Geographic Tongue?

The exact underlying factor that leads to geographic tongue is not known yet. However, it is believed that it occurs due to the loss of the layer of small bumps called papillae from some parts of the tongue. The reason behind papillae loss is also not known. Since it is mostly seen to occur in a family, it is believed to be caused by some genetic factor. Research is still on to prove the association of genetic makeup and the loss of papillae from the tongue. Geographic tongue is many-a-times seen to occur in patients suffering from psoriasis, diabetes, eczema, anemia and stress. Many people tend to develop it on eating cheese and other dairy products.

Symptoms of Geographic Tongue

Geographic tongue may look alarming but it is benign in nature. However, it may cause some discomfort as you may have to experience some pain in the tongue, and burning or tingling sensation on eating spicy foods. You may feel an increase in the sensitivity of your tongue for certain substances, especially fruits, such as strawberry, pineapple, tomatoes, etc. Some female sufferers of geographic tongue experience worsening of the symptoms during menstruation.

There have been many cases of geographic tongue in which the lesions spread to other parts of the mouth like lips. It may persist for as long as 7-9 months, even more in some cases. Its presence makes the tongue look unhealthy and appalling. This is the reason why many people prefer to seek medical assistance to remove it.

How to Treat a Geographic Tongue?

Now that you have understood what is geographic tongue and the causes and symptoms of geographic tongue, let's learn about the geographic tongue treatment. As is mentioned earlier, geographic tongue is harmless and gets resolved on its own over a period of time. Moreover, there are no particular medical treatments for geographic tongue. In case of an associated medical complication, cure of the disease involves removing the patches from the tongue.

You can treat the discomfort by rinsing the mouth with over-the-counter anesthetic and antiseptic agents. Topical usage of corticosteroid based creams may prove to be of some help. You can get relief from the discomfort caused by geographic tongue by avoiding the foods that you feel may exacerbate the problem. It is said that chewing mint leaves and taking vitamin E supplements temporarily can treat the condition of geographic tongue. Try them out. You can also take non-prescription anti-histamines to get some relief.

Alcohol intake and smoking is often found to delay the natural healing process of geographic tongue. Therefore, try to stay away from it as much as possible if you are undergoing geographic tongue treatment. If you experience breathing trouble, severe swelling of the red patches, and problems with speaking, swallowing and chewing, seek medical advice immediately.