Geographic tongue

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Geographic tongue

Geographic tongue describes a map-like appearance of your tongue. This results from irregular, denuded patches on its surface.

The specific cause of geographic tongue is unknown, although allergies may be involved. Other causes may include irritation from hot or spicy foods, alcohol, or tobacco.

The pattern on the surface of your tongue may change very rapidly. The pattern results from the loss of papillae (tiny finger-like projections on the surface of the tongue). This gives areas of the tongue flat spots, and thus a geographic appearance. These areas of papillae loss are said to be "denuded." Denuded areas may persist for more than a month.

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