Cracks in the tongue: causes, symptoms and treatment

Changing the shape and color of the tongue, the appearance of signs of its defeat serves as the basis for seeking medical help. Especially complicating a person’s life is the formation of long non-healing cracks, which indicates the presence of a serious problem. For effective treatment of cracks in the tongue, it is necessary to identify the causes of the disease.

Main symptoms

Sometimes the presence of cracks and grooves in the tongue is not accompanied by unnatural or painful sensations and can be detected only when examined by a dentist, ENT or therapist. But this does not always happen. Often there are patients complaining of such concomitant problems:

• pain
• burning sensation;
• feeling that the tongue is loose;
• there is blood and anemia;
• fever;
• swelling and itching appeared;
• it becomes painful to chew;
• there was a problem with the speech;
• increased salivation;
• change in natural color;
• taste violation;
• the appearance of an unpleasant odor.

If cracks appeared on the tongue, and the phenomenon is accompanied by one of the listed symptoms, then they speak of a progressive disease. Such an inflammatory process is referred to as glossitis, the prognosis for a cure for it is usually favorable. The appearance of erosion, grooves and ulcers indicates damage to the deep parts of the tongue. In this case, be sure to contact the specialists.

Sometimes the tongue crack and ulcerate due to a general lesion of the ENT organs. So, tonsillitis or pharyngitis of the fungal type can serve as a prerequisite for swelling and the appearance of white grooves. This condition is not isolated into an independent disease. Treatment in such cases begins with the elimination of the underlying problem.

Types of glossitis

Total There are more than ten types of glossitis, three of which are accompanied by the appearance of cracks in the tongue. They have quite pronounced visible differences. For self-diagnosis of the species, you can compare the current state of the language with photos of the classic manifestations of the disease.

Folded glossitis takes its name from the main external manifestation - the presence of folds. Sometimes with this type of disease, a tongue with cracks is present from birth. If it does not hurt, not loose and there are no other unpleasant sensations, then the condition is considered normal. However, with deep cracks in the tongue, treatment is still necessary.

The problem of the folded tongue is often only aesthetic in nature, although people with this feature are recommended constant monitoring by the dentist.

Desquamative glossitis is characterized by focal lesion of the surface with almost imperceptible shallow cracks. There is desquamation of the papillae and the formation of a whitish heterogeneous layer. Affected areas are quickly restored, acquiring a natural color, and neighboring ones become inflamed. The geometry of the white areas (plaque) on the surface often changes. In advanced cases, due to the large number of cracks, a person feels the tongue is loose.

Rhomboid glossitis is characterized by the presence of a site of a rhombic or oval shape in red-blue color. It is located in the middle of the tongue, in the region of the posterior third. The tongue is cracked in the center, so that the entire affected area is as if divided into two parts. This type may be chronic, and with exacerbations, pain and burning begin.

Crack localization

The position of the cracks is not chaotic. Localization is divided into three types, each of which is caused by certain problems. You can independently identify the type of localization by evaluating the position of the cracks in the tongue: in the center, from the sides or at the tip.

The presence of cracks only at the tip of the tongue indicates the following causes of the problem:

• Thermal damage. Hot food first of all comes into contact with the tip of the tongue and causes major damage to it. Often the problem is contact with a hot metal spoon.
• Chemical damage. Occurs from contact with spicy, acidic foods or corrosive substances.
• Physical impact. The tip may crack if the bite or cut is incorrect, against sharp protruding parts of the incisors and fangs.

Photo: cracks on the sides of the tongue

The formation of cracks in the tongue in the middle has a different reason, since it is almost impossible to injure this area without touching the periphery. This means that inflammation is an indicator of the pathology or disease of the internal organs. In addition, the formation of cracks in the center is possible when the middle region dries, a local circulatory disturbance or a weakening of the immune system. There can be only one crack; upon examination, a feeling is created that the tongue has split into two parts.

The presence of cracks on the sides of the tongue can be caused by various reasons. If the inflammatory process is present on the side on one side, then this means physical damage to the sharp edges of the small and large molars or dentures. If the tongue is cracked on both sides, then there are serious malfunctions in the bodywhere glossitis acts only as an indicator of pathology.

Causes of Cracks

Folded glossitis can be detected immediately after birth. The reason most often is a hereditary predisposition, and not a sign of any disease. Therefore, if the child has a tongue in the cracks - this is not a reason to begin emergency treatment. Only if the grooves are bleeding, or other problems are present, it is necessary to seek medical help.

The causes of cracks in the tongue can be very different, but all of them require diagnosis and elimination. The first type of prerequisites is of a dental nature, the problem arises from the following phenomena:

• cuts of the organ with sharp edges of the teeth or improperly selected prosthesis;
• if you do not treat diseases of the oral cavity or ENT organs for a long time;
• irritation from eating excessively hot, spicy, salty or sour foods;
• an allergic reaction to the drugs or toothpaste taken.

The second type of reason explaining why cracks appear on the tongue can be described as indicative. It indicates the presence of diseases of the organs or circulatory system.

Another reason for the appearance of cracks in the tongue in adults can be a banal vitamin deficiency, leading to a decrease in immunity. It is usually observed in the following cases:

• the onset of the period from February to April, when for a long time there is no intake of vitamins from fresh vegetables and fruits;
• the period of growing up with a change in the hormonal background;
• lactation period.

Medical assistance

If the tongue is cracked and sore, swollen on the sides, or there are other signs of the progressive development of the disease, then treatment should be started immediately. A protracted process can go into a more complex stage, up to necrosis or oncology.

Constant inflammation causes intoxication of the body and is fraught with the ingress of pus into the gastrointestinal tract.

Only a doctor can adequately answer the question of why the language is cracking. Due to the variety of possible causes of cracks in the tongue, a problem arises which doctor should be consulted in order to establish the correct diagnosis and prescribe adequate treatment. First of all, you need to be examined by a dentist.This is necessary to identify the prerequisites associated with problems in the oral cavity, or to exclude such a scenario.

If, as a result of a dental examination, the cause of the cracks in the tongue was not identified, then this means that the problem can be caused by diseases of the internal organs. Usually the patient knows or guesses from his well-being about his existence. Depending on the type of possible pathology, you need to contact a specialized narrow specialist.

In the event that there are no obvious signs of the disease, you need to contact a therapist or pediatrician. Previously, you can take a general blood test and do an ultrasound of the internal organs.

Therapeutic treatment

First of all, to get rid of glossitis, it is necessary to diagnose and determine the nature of its occurrence, since it is impossible to cure cracks in the tongue without eliminating the provoking factor. The treatment should be developed by a specialist in the underlying disease. Additionally, symptomatic treatment of the entire oral cavity is used, depending on the type of lesion. To do this, use the following methods:

• drug therapy aimed at improving local blood circulation in the tissues of the oral cavity;
• the appointment of physiotherapeutic procedures, such as electrophoresis;
• the use of antiviral ointments;
• the use of drugs that stimulate the restoration of the epithelium;
• taking antibiotics for fungal complications;
• the introduction of local anesthetics for severe pain.

The use of traditional medicine

At home, you can use well-known methods that help heal wounds in the mouth, eliminate pain, relieve swelling and other symptoms. However, before treating cracks in the tongue with folk remedies, it is necessary to make sure that they are compatible with the prescribed medications.

The most effective are the following recipes:

• Herbal infusion on chamomile, celandine, sage and calendula. For adults, you can add St. John's wort. Take after meals in the form of baths or lotions. Helps to heal wounds and relieve swelling.
• Fermented milk compresses. Soften scars and scabs. The procedure should be done in the morning for 15 minutes.
• Sea buckthorn or olive oil. In the morning you need to drip a few drops on the mucous membrane and in the middle of the tongue, after which do not drink or eat food for 15 minutes. Softens dry formations on the tongue and mucous membrane.
• Honey. It has a wound healing and antimicrobial effect. A piece of product can be put in the middle of the tongue and absorbed. It gives a good effect if the cracks bleed.
• Propolis tincture (for adults only). The strongest disinfectant: it has antimicrobial, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects. Since in its pure form, alcohol tincture, provided there are open wounds, can not be used, then you need to dilute 1 teaspoon in 100 grams of warm tea. Drink after a meal.

Lifestyle change

If a person’s tongue is covered with cracks, it means that it is necessary to exclude irritating factors when eating. This means that you need to remove hot, spicy and spicy foods from the diet. It is necessary to limit the intake of purchased and homemade marinades, sauces, as well as fried foods.

A balanced intake of vitamins of groups A and B will help to improve the general condition, which will favorably affect the speed of the process of getting rid of cracks. To provide the body with B vitamins and carotenes, plant foods should be consumed. Vitamin A and B₁₂ in high concentration found in the liver of animals, dairy products and fish oil. In winter, with a deficiency of vegetables and fruits that have not undergone deep heat treatment, it is necessary to take multivitamins.

Careful oral hygiene is required. It is better to brush your teeth from plaque using a soft brush to avoid physical impact on the injured surface of the tongue, especially if it hurts.

Smoking is a significant problem for the reason that nicotine promotes the development of stomatitis and gingivitis - diseases that often accompany glossitis. If the tongue is cracked, then you can not take strong alcohol, since it will cause a burn of open wounds, which will make their healing long.

If a patient has cracks in the tongue, doctors talk about a serious stage of glossitis, which must be urgently treated. In most cases, the prognosis of treatment is favorable, and the technique depends on the causes of the disease, the neglect of the process and the presence of concomitant pathologies. The speed and effectiveness of therapeutic measures is directly related to how the patient complies with the recommendations of doctors.