Geographic tongue is an oral condition that is characterized by a peculiar appearance of the tongue. This condition can affect everyone irrespective of the age group. However, the problem may be first noticed as a child. A person suffering from this oral condition has irregular red areas on the tongue. These patches look like the outline of a map, which gives the condition it's name.
Quite contrary to what many people believe, geographic tongue is not an infection. It cannot be transmitted from one person to other. Geographic tongue is more of a genetic condition that runs in families.
Causes
The root cause of this oral condition is unknown. However, it is caused as a result of uneven shedding of the skin of the tongue. While some areas of the tongue shed the old skin too early, there are others that do not shed any skin. The early shedding of the skin causes a red and sore spot on the skin. These red areas may eventually be affected by candida which makes them sore. However, the areas that do not shed any skin tend to retain the old skin for too long. This makes the skin look white.
Symptoms
Irregular shaped and uneven red patches on the tongue are the primary symptoms of geographic tongue. These patches occur on the top, sides and undersurface of the tongue. Wavy white lines may also be present next to the patches. These lines and patches keep on changing their position after every few weeks. It is the changing position of these patches and waves that gives geographic tongue it's Latin name of erythema migrans, which refers to movement.
Diagnosis
No diagnostic tests are required for diagnosing this oral condition. A doctor or a dentist can diagnose this condition simply by looking at the appearance of your tongue.
Treatment
There is no specific treatment for a geographic tongue. People suffering from this condition have to often learn to live with the problem. The discomfort and the pain, if any, accompanied with the problem reduces on it's own over a period of time.
However, you may use oral thrush medications like miconazole gel to ease out the discomfort. Besides, you also need to be careful about what you eat. There are certain foods that can worsen the problem. Amidst various other foods, it is foods like citrus fruits, acidic food and spicy foods that are the most prominent culprits. Chilies can also make the problem worse. It is in your best interest to avoid these foods to prevent the problem from becoming worse.
If at all, the problem aggravates or the symptoms worsen, make sure that you consult a dentist at the earliest.
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