About a year ago, Aaron was complaining about a lot of the food I made for dinner. To be honest, it was getting a little annoying. He said his tongue was burning, even though there was absolutely nothing spicy in the food. He finally took a look at his tongue. There were a lot of fissures in it. Deep fissures. Glossitis!
This deeply fissured tongue is a symptom of one type of glossitis. In this case, the glossitis was due to a vitamin B12 deficiency, an unsurprising diagnosis given his usage of proton pump inhibitors and his age. What was a little surprising was that he believed me and didn’t schedule an appointment with his doctor. He just started taking B12. And the issue resolved rather quickly. Well, the pain resolved. It took a little longer for the fissures to completely heal.
SYMPTOMS
Glossitis is a type of inflammation that changes the appearance of the tongue, depending on the cause. It usually involves swelling, pain, a change in the color of the tongue, and loss of the papillae on the tongue’s surface, making it look smooth and shiny. It may be acute (sudden onset, short-term) or chronic (long-lasting) and may recur if the cause isn’t resolved.
Glossitis itself isn’t a disease; it is a symptom of an illness or condition. Glossitis can make the tongue hurt, swell, or turn red. It can make it difficult to eat, talk, or even breathe.[1] If caused by nutritional deficiencies, the patient may feel a burning sensation when eating. And if the papillae (taste buds) are affected, the sense of taste may be altered.[2]
CAUSES
Glossitis has numerous causes. The appearance of the tongue can help diagnose the condition. Numerous illnesses or other conditions may cause glossitis, including the following:
- Allergic reactions to medicine, food, or oral hygiene products
- Dry mouth, either from Sjogren’s or from chronic dehydration, both of which dry out the mucous membranes, including those on the tongue, and make them more vulnerable to infection
- Spicy foods
- Hormonal changes
- Infections (bacterial, fungal, or viral)
- Mouth injury
- Nutritional deficiencies, including vitamin B12, iron, and folate
- Autoimmune diseases like Sjogren’s, lupus, and pemphigus vulgaris
- Alcohol or tobacco use
- Dentures or other oral appliances
As you see, some of these are related to foreign objects or injury—dentures, oral hygiene products, spicy food, alcohol and tobacco. Hopefully, the patient will figure this out and make changes or let time heal the wounds. We’re more concerned here about the glossitis issues that arise from illness.
Note that none of the off-grid references I consulted mention this issue.
Acute glossitis develops suddenly, often in response to allergic reactions, infections, or trauma to the tongue. Usually temporary.[3]
Chronic glossitis develops slowly and may last a long time. It is often the result of nutritional deficiencies or auto-immune conditions.
TREATMENT
Of course, it depends on the cause. A physician will examine the tongue to see if it fits any of the profiles for a given illness. Basically, he’ll try to match the appearance to a picture. Of course, we have no pictures in here. Maybe if thousands of people start buying my books, I’ll be able to buy images from Shutterstock or some other agency. Canva doesn’t have much in the way of sick-looking tongues. However, here’s a link to a few images. You might want to print a copy.
So let’s take a look at a few of the more common forms of glossitis and how they are managed.
- Atrophic glossitis (Hunter’s glossitis) manifests with the papillae on the tongue shrinking, giving it a smooth, glossy appearance. It is most often due to nutritional deficiencies, especially vitamin B12, iron, and folic acid.[4]
- Candida glossitis. The tongue may appear red or raw and develop white patches that are difficult to scrape off.[5]
- Median rhomboid glossitis is characterized by the smooth, flat, red lesion in the middle of the tongue. Often, there are no other symptoms. It is most frequently associated with a Candida infection.
- Geographic Tongue (Benign migratory glossitis) is not inflammatory. Only some areas of the tongue lose papillae, giving the tongue a map-like appearance. It’s usually harmless.
Links to related posts:
[1] https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/23987-glossitis
[2] https://denpedia.com/glossitis-causes-symptoms-diagnosis-and-treatment/
[3] https://denpedia.com/glossitis-causes-symptoms-diagnosis-and-treatment/
[4] https://denpedia.com/glossitis-causes-symptoms-diagnosis-and-treatment/
[5] https://denpedia.com/glossitis-causes-symptoms-diagnosis-and-treatment/
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