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Family Medicine (Expert Forum)
Geographical Tongue
Questions in the Family Medicine forum are answered by Dr. J.M. Keyes. Topics covered include general health issues, adolescence, babies, child health, eating disorders, fitness, immunizations and vaccines, infectious diseases, medical tests and procedures, and senior health.
Doctor's Answer
by Forum-M.D.-DT, Jul 08, 2002 12:00AM
Thank you for visiting the Family Practice Forum.
Geographic Tongue may bleed on occasion. Geographic tongue is a relatively common tongue problem that normally responds to topical steroids. We do not know the cause of geographic tongue and treatment does not permanently cure it. It does however, provide significant improvement of symptoms.
The safest treatment is topical Lidex gel applied about 4 times daily, just after meals and at bedtime. Your dentist or doctor should be able to prescribe it for you. There are stronger steroids available but they have side effects. Some patients with geographic tongue have Zinc deficiency and your doctor could run zinc blood levels for you. If you are deficient, zinc supplementation really helps.
Geographic Tongue may bleed on occasion. Geographic tongue is a relatively common tongue problem that normally responds to topical steroids. We do not know the cause of geographic tongue and treatment does not permanently cure it. It does however, provide significant improvement of symptoms.
The safest treatment is topical Lidex gel applied about 4 times daily, just after meals and at bedtime. Your dentist or doctor should be able to prescribe it for you. There are stronger steroids available but they have side effects. Some patients with geographic tongue have Zinc deficiency and your doctor could run zinc blood levels for you. If you are deficient, zinc supplementation really helps.
Member Comments
by Merritt, Nov 05, 2002 12:00AM
I have recently been diagnosed with Pemphigus Vulgaris ( an autoimmune blistering disease) and have been discussing my disease with other PV patients. Several of us have geographic tounge or have children with geographic tounge. Is there a connection?
by Jully, Nov 11, 2002 12:00AM
My one year old son is always getting painful sores in the mouth. There was a time (when he was about five months) he really took a lot of antibiotics and since then, he always gets sores in the mouth. We have seen several paediatricians who give him oral gels to apply for a week or two. This help a lot but as soon as we stop applying them, the condition comes back. We have been informed that he has a geographical tongue. He gets a fever every time this conditions recurs. Our query is, does a child get a fever (especially at night) when he has a geographical tongue? Could he be suffering from something else and how can we help him as this condition really affects his feeding habits.
by DSAN, Mar 04, 2008 10:44PM
A related discussion, im frustrated was started.
