Can you see cracks in tongue or just found out that you have a fissured tongue?
While it is not normal, it isn’t a cause to worry either.
According to studies, around 5% of American population face the issue of fissured tongue. Most people are born with it, while some develop it during growing years.
For some people, the shape of the tongue reflects grooves and cracks. For them, that is how it is supposed to look like. Just the way we all have different facial features, our tongue can also look distinct from one another.
Fissured tongue, as a condition, can be scrotal or plicated. But the condition does not cause harm. To free yourself from worries, it is best to go through a diagnosis.
Before you do that, let me guide you to understand what this is and why it happens.
Table of Contents
Cracks in tongue meaning
The literal cracks in tongue meaning represent lines within the sensory organ. The medical term for this is fissured tongue. We will discuss what fissured tongues are and why they occur throughout this article.
Unfortunately, many of us ignore our oral health until irreversible changes. While we mostly stress our teeth when it comes to oral hygiene, our tongue also needs care.
Signs of a healthy tongue
To understand if you have a cracked tongue, you need to know how a healthy tongue looks like. The primary sign of a healthy tongue is a pink one. It will be full of papillae.
Most papillae are known as filiform papillae, which can be seen in the tip area of the tongue.
There are several kinds of papillae like fungiform, foliate, and circumvallate.
As we grow old, papillae keep changing, and so does the structure of our tongue.
Fissured tongue causes
Studies have proven that our tongue is prone to constant transformation. However, it does not happen to everyone or not the same way. The position of our tongue is not the same for all.
The reason why cracks in tongue for kids are more common is that is when our bodies are developing. So, our tongue goes through changes. The cracks in tongue get concentrated as we grow older.
It is not unusual for people to worry when they find their tongue look unusual. But it doesn’t mean there is something serious.
What is fissured tongue?
We understand that you might be having a hard time processing that this is a perfectly fine occurrence. So you need to dig a little deeper at this point.
It is unlikely to feel pain due to cracks in tongue. But if you do, you must consult an ENT specialist. You can also consult with your general physician or dentist as they will also give you reasons and remedies for cure.
How to get rid of fissured tongue?
We, humans, use our tongues to talk, taste and eat. Thus, it is imperative to clean it every day and keep it hygienic. It also cuts away the chances of bad odor.
Cleaning tongue regularly will ensure no fungus attacks the tongue. You can follow this routine when you are brushing your teeth. Remember to do it twice a day, once when you wake up and once when going to bed.
Geographic fissured tongue
It is also important to know what a geographic tongue is if you learn about fissured tongues. That’s because those who have cracked tongues also suffer from Geographic fissured tongue.
Geographic tongue is a disease that doesn’t usually cause any inconvenience, and it attacks the tip of the tongue.
As we told you earlier in the article, a tongue is generally filled with papillae. But the problem begins whenever those papillae are no longer there. Their places get occupied by some reddish and fine fragments.
We assure you that if you have a geographic tongue, it does not mean you have a serious health problem.
Cracked tongue causes
A cracked tongue means fissured tongue. There could be several cracks in the surface of the tongue, not just one.
It has a profound connection with the term known as geographic tongue. It is often linked with a more serious disease like diabetes.
In some cases, the cracks in the tongue are hereditary. But for some, the reason could be foul breathing or stomach problems.
What you can do is to use a good quality tongue cleaner to get rid of the impurities.
You should know that cracks in tongue do not always mean danger. Sometimes it is just a normal condition. It doesn’t always mean that something is seriously wrong.
You are reading about cracks in tongue and now comes the most important topic. What are the reasons behind a cracked tongue?
So now, in this particular section, we will talk about exactly why this happens. Read till the end and get a chance to know about the cracked tongue causes in detail.
Until now, nothing has been proven about the main reasons behind a cracked tongue. Some may think that genes might be responsible for a cracked tongue. If we believe this theory, it is clear that many persons are at risk.
So let’s see which factors cause cracks in tongue.
1. Heredity
A famous journal once published that cracked tongue symptoms are minimum among the South African people. But in Israel, many people have this cracked tongue disease, which is pretty astonishing. This convinced the scientists that maybe it’s the genes to blame.
Though this research was primarily based on the little ones in South Africa, it is unclear if the results are the same for adults and the elderly. But still, we cannot rule out the likelihood of a gene’s involvement.
This type of tongue disease is more prone to attack children. The condition becomes serious as time progresses.
2. Unhealthy diet chart
Research suggests that unhealthy diet charts have an important part to play regarding fissured tongues. If there is a lack of vitamin B in your system, you are more likely to have the chances of a fissured tongue.
But not just vitamin B, which has a crucial part to play. Iron, zinc, and vitamin B12 are also immensely important. If you don’t follow a healthy diet chart regularly, you might have to deal with the situation.
3. Geographic fissured tongue
We talked about this earlier in the article that those who have a geographic tongue are also more prone to develop fissured tongue. Geographic tongue is often called benign migratory glossitis. Though there is not much to worry about, certain foods you may have problems consuming.
4. Pustular Psoriasis
This is a kind of inflammatory disease that normally occurs due to problems in immunity response. The main joints and the skin are the most likely to get affected by Pustular Psoriasis.
Your tongue might get covered with yellow or white pimples. If you have cracks in the tongue, you are at risk of developing this inflammatory disease.
5. Normal discomfort in the stomach
If you have chronic stomach discomfort, that could create problems. You need to go to a doctor and try to cure it so that it doesn’t cause further problems.
6. Uncleaned mouth
We all know how important it is to maintain a clean mouth. But sometimes, we forget to brush our teeth or properly clean up our tongue. A fissured tongue is always in the picture if this goes on for a long time.
Scientists have also found drug abuse responsible for a cracked tongue.
Home remedies for fissured tongue
The reason why food is the most important part of our lifestyle is that it determines our wellness. Everything we put inside our body reflects our fitness both mentally and physically.
Ayurveda categorizes food by using biocharacteristics. These are qualities that determine our hot or cold a particular food item is and how it impacts us.
For example, if you eat cooling food like cucumber, your metabolism will decrease. Heating food items like chili increases our metabolism and stimulates our body.
You need to consume cooling food items to repair cracks on tongue. You also need to have a balanced diet to ensure your body is healthy and fit.
Tongue scraping while oral hygiene maintenance is also a great way to make your tongue normal again.
Try to avoid spicy food as it could be the foremost reason why you have cracks in tongue as an adult.
Cracks in tongue vitamin deficiency
You might have had your ENT doctor or dentist ask you to show your tongue. Have you ever wondered why? That’s because the tongue’s appearance is a real indicator of what’s wrong with your system.
Sometimes, something weird happens inside your body, and you might not know it. In that case, you should regularly check your tongue to get some signs.
Previously we wrote that a fissured tongue could happen because of vitamin deficiency. So in this section, we will talk about cracks in tongue vitamin deficiency.
If you feel a kind of painful burning sensation in your tongue, that could signify that there are not enough vitamins and minerals in your body. So you have to change your regular diet chart. Eat fruits and vegetables to maintain proper food habits.
You might be seeing white fragments on your tongue along with the painful burning sensation. This situation is known as Lichen planus, which can also affect the other parts of the body.
Drink enough fluid and avoid soft drinks. Go to a physician if necessary.
If you see that your tongue is already cracked and red, that means you need iron and vitamin B12. You might also be facing problems eating certain foods. If you are a vegetarian, you are very likely to have this vitamin B12 deficiency.
Treatment for small cracks in tongue
Now comes the most useful section in the whole article. Let’s say that you somehow have this fissured tongue condition. But you can’t figure out what to do in this situation.
While we mentioned that there should not be any reason to worry, you could consult a doctor if you suddenly notice any changes in your tongue. So now, we will discuss cracked tongue treatment in this particular section.
Having a fissured tongue is a somewhat normal condition for a person. But if this condition continues for a long time, there could be some complexities. You need to know its origin of it to cure it.
If somehow you don’t properly clean up your tongue regularly, the remaining pieces of food get stuck in the tongue. Then the cracks start to appear, and fungal infections begin to occur quite badly. For obvious reasons, you need to get rid of it.
As soon as you feel something wrong with your tongue and it hurts whenever you are consuming food, you go to a physician. They will tell you what to do next. Normally the physician would try to find why this is happening and start the treatment afterward.
The physician would recommend some medicines to cure bacterial infections and the fungal buildup.
We have said this before, and we are saying it again. Don’t panic if you suddenly see your tongue cracked. This is generally not a sign of anything serious.
We hope that this article about cracks in tongue will be of much help to you. If you want to add something, let us know. We love to read your valuable feedback.