.

Folic acid deficiency can cause a sore, swollen or inflamed tongue. I agree with Rooster, plenty of possibilities but never a diagnosis. Gotta keep after the docs until they get it right.

I'll vouch for the geographic tongue theory IF a MEDICAL DOCTOR and/or dentist has ruled out other causes.

I have a geographic tongue. It appears white and has all sorts of "geography" on it--people often think I have some dreaded oral disease. But it doesn't bother me most of the time. My youngest daughter has this, too, and she almost got kicked out of nursery school when an outbreak of hand foot mouth disease was going around. This is a viral illness common to kids and once you get it, you're immune. She'd already had it as a young infant, but they kept looking suspiciously at her tongue and they thought she was a "carrier". NOT!

When I eat acidic foods,it hurts. What's weird is that it doesn't start hurting immediately, but when the amount of acid crosses some sort of threshold level, then it starts hurting. So I can be enjoying something yummy and all of the sudden, OUCH!. Middle eastern food, which has a lot of lemon juice in it does this to me almost all the time. And sometimes foods that don't seem to be particularly acidic will bother my tongue after a while. Usually, when I research, they are foods that do have a fairly low ph. Eating something salty seems to help--my daughter pours a little salt on her tongue to stop the hurting.

My understanding is that other people with geographic tongue may have triggers other than acid that cause the pain. Some people (my mother, for one) never complain of any discomfort with geographic tongue.

Hope your friend finds out what's going on, but she MUST consult an MD or dentist in case it is something serious.

Eating Spam out of the can starting on the right side and leaving the left side until last causes geographic tongue.

Always eat Spam from left to right.

I am plagued with mouth sores, or canker sores, as they are more commonly called.
They have gotten much worse since I began BIPAP therapy and my already dry mouth has been made drier.
I've seen doctors and dentists...and none really know the cause, although stress is a possibility...along with the dry mouth and the fact that I might be clenching my upper teeth down onto my tongue at night and helping to form these bad boys.
One doc gave me Bendadryl (or diphenhydramine, the generic form) with which to gargle with for one minute and then spit out. It helped but raised my sugar levels dangerously high.
Another doctor gave me prescription mouth rinses.
I've quit using all toothpaste except for any made by *Biotine*, which is a brand aimed at people with dry mouths, but it also helps folks with canker sores. Very gentle and contains no sodium lauryl sulfate, which is believed to even cause the sores.
DO NOT USE LISTERINE. The alcohol only makes them hurt worse...and it doesn't really dry them out or heal them any faster.
Keeping the mouth moist and using gentle toothpaste is the first line of defense.
Your friend might want to see a dentist about getting a mouth guard if she is clenching her teeth.
Actually, it would be a good idea for her to see both a doctor and a dentist...to rule out any underlying conditions.
I hope she can get some relief, soon.

roster wrote:Eating Spam out of the can starting on the right side and leaving the left side until last causes geographic tongue.

Always eat Spam from left to right.

I will try to remember that! Is that only when eating Spam straight from the can? What about fried Spam?



TMJ, an uneven bite, or a high spot on a filling can cause inadvertent clenching that leads to sore spots.



r

Demeter Soul wrote:I am plagued with mouth sores, or canker sores, as they are more commonly called...

Mom's had 'em for years along with an off and on burning tongue sensation, finally disappeared when she corrected her severe vitamin D deficiency. Her blepharitis (sp?) also disappeared. Interesting. Just a thought.