Glossitis - symptoms, causes, types of disease, treatment

The tongue is quite often injured. Sometimes these damages are so minimal that we pay due attention to them; however, minor defects in the mucosa are entry points for infection. Glossitis is an inflammation of the tongue caused by various bacteria and viruses. The disease is accompanied by a number of unpleasant symptoms that interfere with normal food intake, and sometimes even interfere with talking. If measures are not taken in time, diffuse purulent inflammation may occur, spreading far beyond the oral cavity. Most often, glossitis occurs in people with reduced immunity, smokers and people who are negligent about oral hygiene.

Symptoms of glossitis

The first thing those suffering from glossitis encounter is pain, burning, and severe discomfort in the oral cavity. Over time, the intensity of these manifestations increases, making it difficult to eat food. Taste sensations are dulled and may be completely absent. Some patients develop a perverted taste. The tongue begins to swell, which causes severe discomfort. The patient's speech is impaired, any movements of the tongue bring pain. Hyperthermia and deterioration in general health are possible. Upon examination, you can reveal an enlargement of the tongue, a change in its color to a brighter one, up to crimson. Ulcers, blisters, spots, erosions, plaque, and lesions with altered epithelial structure may appear on the mucous membrane.

The most dangerous complication of glossitis is phlegmon. A focus of purulent inflammation is formed, which rapidly spreads to the chin and neck and destruction of soft tissues. Such patients require emergency medical care.

Villous

Keratinization and darkening of the filiform papillae located in the center and in the back of the back, creating the effect of a black tongue, is a clear sign of villous glossitis, which is difficult to confuse with anything else. The papillae themselves not only become colored in an unnatural and completely unaesthetic color, but also grow, sometimes reaching one or two centimeters in length, which causes the patient constant soreness, dryness, vomiting and a cotton wool sensation on the tongue. The exact cause of the development of this lesion has not been established, therefore, to prescribe current treatment for villous glossitis, the doctor must conduct a thorough visual examination, identify a complete history, and also refer the patient for all the necessary tests and tests.

Types of glossitis

Taking into account the main symptoms, glossitis is divided into the following types:

Geographical. This type of pathology is more common in females and begins with the appearance of a light spot on the tongue with a diameter of several millimeters. Gradually, the affected area can gradually increase. Over time, the shade of the spot changes to pink and begins to stand out strongly against the background of surrounding tissues. If medical care is not provided in a timely manner, the affected area can expand to cover the entire volume of the tongue and cause a lot of problems for the patient.
Candida. The most dangerous type of glossitis. It is caused by fungi of the genus Candida. They are always present on a person’s tongue, but do not manifest themselves; however, with the slightest weakening of the immune system, candidal inflammation of the tongue appears. Symptoms of the disease include swelling of the organ and the appearance of a brown coating on its surface. The patient suffers from a burning sensation, impaired diction, excessive salivation, and an unpleasant odor from the mouth.
Folded glossitis. This is a congenital pathology of the tongue, leading to the formation of deep folds on its surface, which have a transverse direction. It is noteworthy that folded glossitis does not cause discomfort to a person.
Diamond-shaped. This type of disease is characterized by the appearance of a diamond-shaped area of inflamed mucous membrane on the upper surface of the tongue, closer to the root. Doctors consider this pathology as chronic. There are no complaints from patients. Diamond-shaped glossitis can be smooth or lumpy. Most often, this disease is detected in adults.
Gunter's glossitis. The main cause is hypovitaminosis. The main symptoms of the pathology are: atrophy of the papillae of the tongue and significant redness.
Catarrhal. The initial stage of the inflammatory process. Most often it develops due to insufficient oral care. It can also appear if the patient has fillings or dentures made of low-quality materials in the mouth. Sometimes this type of tongue pathology appears during teething in children. The disease is always accompanied by characteristic discomfort and slight swelling of the organ.
Atrophic glossitis. The cause is an infection that causes the death of the muscle of the organ and the papillae of the tongue. As a result, it becomes thinner. It is very difficult for patients with such glossitis to eat normally.

Villous. Pathological increase in the size of the organ papillae. They become like villi. Villous glossitis most often appears as a result of injury to the tongue or due to bad habits.
Ulcerative. The appearance of numerous ulcers and areas of tissue erosion on the surface of the organ. Patients complain of pain and bleeding. Often the surface of the tongue becomes yellow. There is always a putrid smell coming from the mouth. Since the tongue swells, patients have problems with diction.
Mycotic . Caused by a fungal infection. As a rule, it develops as a complication of tonsillitis or pharyngitis. The main symptoms of the pathology are swelling of the tongue and pain. Also, characteristic spots may appear on its surface.
Herpetic glossitis . A type of pathology provoked by the herpes virus. The main symptom of the disease is the appearance on the surface of the tongue of a large number of small bubbles containing sulfur. With herpetic glossitis, the patient complains of pain in the mouth when eating. This pathology is very contagious.
Hypertrophic. This type of glossitis occurs when there is a lack of vitamins in the body such as: B 2, B 6 and PP. The main feature of this pathology is the appearance of gray and yellow plaque on the sides of the tongue, on which the teeth are clearly imprinted. The organ itself swells significantly.
Allergic glossitis. This type of disease occurs due to allergic reactions. The pathology is manifested by a burning sensation, swelling of the organ and redness of the mucous membranes.
Interstitial glossitis. This organ damage occurs with syphilis. The tongue becomes very dense, making it difficult for them to move. As a result, it is very difficult for a person to express himself. If you do not resort to treatment, the tongue may remain in this position forever.
Viral. This pathology is characterized by the appearance of ulcers and areas of erosion on the surface of the organ. The latter look like gray or brown spots. Effective treatment of this type of pathology is possible only with the use of antiviral drugs.

It is very difficult to independently diagnose one or another glossitis, since their symptoms are largely similar. This is especially true for the initial symptoms. Therefore, when the first signs of the disease appear, you should consult a dentist.

History of the name of the disease

If the smallest filiform papillae on the tongue gradually atrophy and smooth out, due to which the surface of the muscular organ becomes as if polished, then glossitis can be suspected from this symptom. In general, the pathology is an inflammatory disease of the tongue. However, depending on the reasons for its appearance and the main symptoms, glossitis varies. For example, desquamative, rhomboid, folded. You will find what its most common varieties look like in the feature article on the website.

With non-infectious Gunther-Miller glossitis, the tongue becomes smooth

If the tongue becomes smooth, then, as a rule, we are talking about non-infectious glossitis Gunter-Miller or Gunter-Möller (in some descriptions of the scientific literature1). The pathology received its name in honor of the British physician William Hunter (in outdated pronunciation - Gunther) and the German surgeon Julius Otto Ludwig Möller, who were the first to describe the characteristic symptoms of the disease in their works. The first mentions of the syndrome are found in the literature of the distant 1851 and 1909.

In various sources you can find the following names and definitions of Gunter-Miller syndrome: Gunter's, Hunter's, hot, atrophic glossitis, crimson, smooth, polished or glossy tongue.

Causes of glossitis

All forms of glossitis have common properties. Any glossitis can occur due to a viral or bacterial infection. Glossitis often occurs due to mechanical trauma to the tongue, chemical and thermal damage. Glossitis may also indicate the presence of a concomitant disease or allergy in the patient’s body. Glossitis can also develop against the background of another oral disease.

The following are the most common causes of glossitis:

damage to the tongue from sharp pieces of food or dentures;
negative effects of hot water and food, thermal burns;
insufficient oral care;
smoking, alcohol abuse, poisoning with heavy metal salts;
allergic reaction to toothpaste, mouthwash elements, orthopedic materials;
the presence of herpes viruses, staphylococci, and yeast-like fungi in the body.

Glossitis can be a symptom of a general disease in the body. The most common cases of glossitis as a symptom of a concomitant disease are observed in the following diseases:

infectious diseases (scarlet fever, measles and others);
diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
blood diseases;
hypervitaminosis;
diseases of the oral cavity (especially stomatitis).

Also, different forms of glossitis can manifest themselves differently in different conditions of the body.

Diagnostic features

Most often, patients turn to the dentist to solve the problem. It will not be difficult for a professional doctor to recognize Gunter-Miller glossitis only by visual manifestations and complaints. However, it is important for a specialist to make a differential diagnosis from allergic stomatitis and acute atrophic candidiasis, with which the pathology has similar symptoms. The doctor also needs to identify why the atrophy of the papillae began and the tongue became smooth, and for this it is necessary to establish the reasons, that is, to determine the key disease.

If the diagnosis is correct, you will need to undergo tests

To confirm the diagnosis, blood and urine tests, culture and scraping may be required. Also, in some cases, it is necessary to visit specialized specialists (for example, gastroenterologist, infectious disease specialist, endocrinologist, cardiologist) and consult with them.

How is tongue inflammation treated?

The nature of treatment largely depends on the form and type of pathology. Therefore, diagnosing the disease is important when prescribing effective treatment.

In some cases, it is useless to treat glossitis itself until the root cause of the pathology is eliminated - one of the diseases of the internal organs.

Treatment of glossitis has the following general principles:

A doctor prescribes a procedure to improve the health of the entire oral cavity.
Using various antiseptics to rinse the mouth, for example, Miramistin, Chlorhexidine, Furacilin. If the disease manifests itself in a child, then the drug Nystatin can be used for treatment.
When erosive areas and ulcers appear on the surface of the tongue due to glossitis, the patient is prescribed ointments with a healing effect: Kamistad, Malavit, Vinizol.
After removing the main symptoms of the pathology, treatment of glossitis is usually completed by treating problem areas with various oils of plant origin.
The last stage is to carry out activities aimed at increasing general and local immunity.

The methods of treatment of tongue diseases listed above are advisory in nature for all. However, they will be quite effective in most cases.

Please note that folded glossitis does not require treatment.

Surface

Superficial glossitis refers to damage to only the upper layer of the epithelium without further spread of the inflammatory process to other tissues and organs. The main symptoms are inflammation of the mucous membrane of the tongue, redness, swelling, some limitation of mobility, a whitish or grayish coating, moderate pain when irritating foods and medications come into contact with the tongue. Some patients may experience loss of taste, increased salivation, and a constant burning sensation in the tongue. Since the most common cause of the development of superficial glossitis is disruption of the gastrointestinal tract and infection, treatment, first of all, should be aimed at eliminating these problems.

Preventive techniques for glossitis

Most often, the disease is much easier to prevent than to treat.

For this reason, dentists advise following the following preventive techniques:

following the rules of dental and oral hygiene;
systematic preventive examination in the dental office;
reducing the use of hot spices that irritate the mucous membrane of the tongue;
giving up cigarettes and alcoholic beverages.

Timely and high-quality treatment can easily eliminate glossitis, while the complete absence of therapy leads to irreversible and sad consequences.

Prevention

Glossitis is easier to prevent than to treat. In order to avoid this unpleasant disease you need to follow simple rules.

The first is oral hygiene. This principle applies to both children and adults. If you wash your hands before eating, brush your teeth regularly, do not use someone else’s toothbrushes, and regularly sanitize your mouth, then the risk of developing tongue inflammation is minimal.

Try to avoid damaging the mucous membrane. Avoid eating hard foods that can damage your tongue, such as chips. Hot foods also cause epithelial defects. Spicy foods have an irritating effect. Abuse of them significantly worsens the condition of the tongue mucosa and increases the risk of infection.

Nicotine not only irritates the mucous membrane, but also impairs microcirculation, which reduces the resistance of the epithelium to the effects of infectious agents. Inflammatory diseases of the oral cavity are more common in smokers than in patients who are not adherents of this addiction. Strong alcoholic drinks also have a negative effect on the mucous membranes.

If you have symptoms of glossitis, do not self-medicate, contact a dental clinic. A competent specialist will determine the cause of the disease and prescribe treatment that will help quickly get rid of unpleasant symptoms. Remember, if glossitis is not treated, the disease can lead to serious complications and irreversible consequences.