Pictures of Geographic Tongue

Pictures of Geographic Tongue

Benign migratory Glossitis, also known as geographic tongue, is a harmless condition which affects the surface of the tongue. In this condition, some patches on the tongue do not have the papillae, making them appear like smooth and red "islands" with slightly elevated borders. These lesions usually heal in one patch but then more migrate to other areas of the tongue. It leads to the increase of discomfort and sensitivity to certain substances. We will look at the causes, symptoms, treatment and some geographic tongue pictures.

Causes of Geographic Tongue
When you look at geographic tongue pictures, you can make out the missing layer of papillae. It is not known why these papillae are lost in this condition. It could be due to genetics since it is seen in the families. Geographic tongue is common in people who suffer from Psoriasis and Fissured Tongue. The ones who have fissured tongue find cracks and grooves appearing on the side and top of the tongue.

Some contributing factors for geographic tongue include allergies, hormonal disturbance, Diabetes, emotional Stress, psychological factors, habits etc. But there is no conclusive evidence of these factors.

Symptoms of Geographic Tongue
1. The top and side of the tongue will have smooth, red lesions which are irregularly shaped.

2. The lesions change shape, size and location frequently.

3. There can be pain, burning sensation and discomfort while eating spicy, salty, hot and acidic foods.

Some people may remain asymptomatic for years. The condition may remain for months or years, sometimes resolving on its own and reappearing again as well.

When to See a Doctor
Geographic tongue is usually a minor condition. However, since the lesions can be indicative of other serious and underlying diseases affecting the body, they should be checked by the doctor. If they have been persisting for more than 10 days, get a doctor to see them.

Geographic Tongue Pictures
Geographic tongue can affect a person in any age group and it appears among 1 – 3 % of the population. It is more common in middle aged or older adults, especially women as compared to men.

As you can see from the geographic tongue pictures below, it can occur in various shapes, sizes and colors. The appearance gets its characterized shape due to the loss of the papillae which are finger-like and mushroom shaped projections.

Two conditions occur together frequently – geographic tongue and fissured tongue. Fissured tongue is usually a painless condition in which deep grooves appear in the dorsum of the tongue. Both conditions are not contagious conditions and do not pass on to anyone else.

Remedies for Geographic Tongue
Geographic tongue usually gets better on its own and there is no acknowledged cure for it. If, however, there are some other conditions linked to it, treating that condition will improve the look of the tongue.

1. Zinc Supplements
Some zinc supplements have been known to be helpful in this condition. Some doctors believe that people who suffer from geographic tongue have zinc deficiency. Taking supplements may help them by boosting their immunity.

2. Herbal Teas
Some herbal tea preparations have also helped in dealing with geographic tongue. You can try herbs like slippery elm, aloe vera, goldenseal, licorice, chamomile and peppermint. To prepare the tea, boil one teaspoon of the herb for every cup of water and have it twice daily. Twenty to thirty drops of Echinacea herbal tea can help in giving pain relief experienced in this condition.

3. Lifestyle Changes
People suffering from geographic tongue should modify their diet and exclude foods that are hot and spicy. They should avoid fruits which can cause irritation. Avoid the use of tobacco. Tooth pastes with additives, strong flavoring and whitening agents are not recommended. Go for toothpastes made for sensitive teeth.

4. Medications
You can use a mouth wash that contains antiseptic and anesthetic agents to relieve any discomfort caused by geographic tongue. Tooth pastes which contain topical corticosteroids like triamcinolone can be applied on the tongue several times a day.

Doctors can prescribe OTC pain killers, mouth rinse with anti-histamines and anesthetics to relieve any discomfort.

Geographic Tongue

Geographic Tongue






Normally the tongue has an extra layer of covering with fine hair like structures called papillae. But people with geographic tongue will not have these papillae thus exposing the patches on the tongue. These patches will sometime look like small islands with clear defined border resembling a country’s map. For this reason it is called as geographical tongue. In medical terms it is called as erythema migrans or migratory Glossitis.

These irregular patches on the tongue will not remain on the same place. It would heal within weeks just to reappear on the other surface of the tongue. Hence for this reason they are called migratory glossitis. As such geographic tongue do not possess any problem and are benign (harmless) in nature.

Symptoms :

Geographic tongue is not the same for all people since the symptoms differ from one person to the other. The size and shape of the patches vary widely. For some people it would appear on one corner of the tongue which would disappear to re-appear on the other area. The map like appearance on the tongue will have defined border which is white in color. It would create red patches on the tongue with defined borders.

The map like shape on the tongue will disappear within days or weeks for some people but for others it would not go even for months or years. For some people it would cause mild pain and discomfort while eating hot and spicy foods. Smoking can aggravate the pain if an individual is having geographic tongue. It affects about 1-3% of people and it develops on elderly people often. Geographic tongue is harmless and does not require any treatment and in case of any pain it can be managed by over the counter pain killers.

Causes :

The main cause for geographic tongue is the missing layers of papillae on the tongue. They are small bumps found in several layers on the tongue and some people may lack papillae giving rise to geographic tongue. But what exactly accounts for missing layers is not known. It is believed that geographic tongue runs in families. Again this problem is more likely to occur for people with psoriasis and other skin infection. An individual with Fissured Tongue is more prone to develop geographic tongue than others.

Diagnosis :

Geographic tongue can be easily diagnosed by simple examination of the tongue. Your dentist/doctor will use a small lighted torch to illuminate your oral cavity and identify small patches on the tongue. He would ask you to move the tongue in sideways to assess for more number of patches.

Pictures of Geographic Tongue :

Images, Pics, Pictures and Photos of Geographic Tongue

Treatment :

As such geographical tongue needs no treatment if the person has no discomfort. The symptoms will often subside within few weeks but for some it may appear on other surface of the tongue. To get relief from pain/discomfort you can take over the counter pain killers. Your dentist would recommend an anesthetic mouth wash to prevent any infection on the tongue. In case of any inflammation antihistamines can be taken.

In severe cases topical creams that contain corticosteroid is prescribed. You can manage the discomfort by avoiding hot and spicy foods if you have geographic tongue. Quit smoking or taking tobacco in any form. Do not change your toothpaste often and avoid toothpaste with heavy flavor since it may worsen the problem.