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Fissured Tongue, Hairy Tongue And Geographic Tongue

by — Last updated: 2016-04-05 in Ear, Nose, Throat, and Dental problems

Table of Contents

We never even notice all the work our tongue does as long as it functions without trouble, however, a surprising number of people are actually born with a tongue malformation. Here are the most common ones people come across.

Fissured Tongue

Even though the surface of the tongue appears smooth from afar, it is actually extremely rough and full of undulations. It is also formed by the confluence of three different structures which combine without leaving behind any signs, although a large percentage of the population have the presence of a few fissures. This is not problematic.

In a rarer cases, however, there are extremely deep fissures which run across the tongue. This allows bacteria, fungi and other micro-organisms to lodge deeply inside these fissures and multiply pretty much unencumbered.

Even though there is no other functional problem associated with a fissured tongue, it does make keeping good oral hygiene very difficult. People may complain of bad breath, whitish discoloration on the tongue and sometimes a burning sensation which makes eating spicy food quite difficult.

People often worry about the extent of fissuring actually increasing, which is completely unfounded and does not happen.

A fissured tongue is not treatable and can easily be managed by strict oral hygiene methods as well as certain topical ointments that will help in controlling the burning sensation.

Hairy Tongue  

The topmost surface of the tongue is covered by papillae which play an important function in the taste sensation. There are different kinds of papillae with the most frequent being structures called filiform papillae. These filiform papillae are actually quite dark in color, however under normal conditions, they do not become apparent on casual observation.

For reasons that are still unknown, these filiform papillae start to proliferate and give the appearance of a hairy tongue. This actually freaks most people out and they worry that this is a sign of something much more sinister.

The good part is that there is nothing to worry about. A hairy tongue is considered as a benign condition which does not affect any other part of the body. Certain studies have found that people with immune deficiencies are more prone to developing a hairy tongue than others.

Geographic Tongue                                            

This exotic-sounding tongue condition is also benign in nature. It involves a patch of whitish or reddish discoloration that appears on the tongue. The patch may disappear on its own after a certain period of time and may appear on a different part of the tongue later.

The exact reason for why this occurs is unknown. Some of the symptoms that have been associated with geographic tongue include an alteration in taste, reduction in the number of taste buds and a burning sensation on the tongue in response to spices.

The treatment only includes the use of topical agents that help reduce the symptoms as and when they appear. Observations have shown that a lot of people find that the geographic tongue heals on its own in the latter decades of life.

READ Pros and Cons of Tongue Piercing

Conclusion

The tongue is integral to so many functions that we take for granted in everyday life that whenever something goes wrong a whole cascade of events follows. Luckily, though, as has been mentioned above, a lot of the inherited conditions are quite easily managed or treated.