andyp Posted October 22, 2006 Share Posted October 22, 2006 I am interested to know if anyone else suffers from Geographic tongue (random patchy moving bare areas on the tongue-red and sore sometimes..or just large swirls that can be painful) It is a strange question but I noticed it after my SAH-I have recently discovered another person who had an SAH then got this too. I think it could be stress related..any info would be appreciated. thanks Andy P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skippy Posted October 23, 2006 Share Posted October 23, 2006 Hi Andy I typed Geographic Tongue into a search engine and the following is from one of the resulting sites - hope it helps. Love Sami xx Geographic tongue What is a geographic tongue? Geographic tongue (Erythema Migrans) is a common condition that causes a characteristic appearance, which experts recognise instantly. The tops of the tongue, sides and occasionally, undersurface of the tongue develop irregular, smooth red areas, which may look like the outline of a map. There are usually wavy white lines next to the red patches. You may notice that after a few weeks or months the position of these lines and red patches change. This is why the condition is called erythema migrans in Latin, as its position changes and moves. Back to top The tongue develops irregular red areas like a road map Why does geographic tongue happen? For reasons as yet not understood the normal top layer of the ‘skin’ of the tongue is not shed evenly. In some parts the ‘skin’ is shed too early and so leaves a red, sore area like a scratch on the skin. Whereas in other areas the skin stays on too long and has a white appearance. The red areas, because they are thin, can sometimes become infected with thrush (candida) and so feel sore. Thrush is very common in mouths. Back to top Who does geographic tongue affect? It affects all age groups and you may have first noticed it as a child. It is not something that you can pass on to others but it can run in families. It is not an infection. Back to top What makes geographic tongue worse? As the red patches are thin and raw, they tend to be painful when eating acidic things like citrus fruit or spicy foods; especially chillies. However these do not make the condition worse and you will soon come to notice which particular foods make things worse. Back to top Do I need any special tests for geographic tongue? No. Your doctor or dentist can make the diagnosis just from the appearance. Back to top How is geographic tongue treated? Unfortunately, there is no treatment. Sometimes treatments for thrush can ease the discomfort. You can buy these at the chemist, eg miconazole gel. It will never become cancerous, but you will have to learn to live with it. You will need to work out for yourself which foods make it worse and avoid them. Back to top What should I do if geographic tongue gets worse in any way? Ask your doctor or dentist to refer you to the hospital. Back to top Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyp Posted October 23, 2006 Author Share Posted October 23, 2006 Thanks Sami..I think that confirms it..I am a freak!!!!! No seriously thanks..I would be really interested to hear from any others..it is just so odd that it all happened around the SAH! Take care Andy P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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