(NEXSTAR) – Do you have a “geographic tongue”?
No, it’s not a nickname for a person who speaks multiple languages, or even a glutton who enjoys a diverse range of worldly cuisines. It’s actually a physical condition that affects the papillae of the tongue.
Kate McKinnon, formerly of “Saturday Night Live,” brought awareness to the condition after revealing her own “geographic tongue” diagnosis in People magazine last month.
“I took a photo of my tongue and sent it to an actor friend of mine,” she told People. “We both have the same medical condition. It’s called geographic tongue. Your tongue sheds in patches and looks like an atlas, hence the name ‘geographic tongue.’”
“It’s gross,” she added.
Despite her feeling “gross” about it, McKinnon’s condition isn’t a serious one. People who have geographic tongue often have no adverse symptoms, aside from maybe an occasional “tingling or burning sensation” when eating spicy or acidic foods, according to Cleveland Clinic. (McKinnon illustrated this point during a recent appearance on “Hot Ones,” at one point icing down her tongue while explaining her diagnosis.)
The appearance of a “geographic tongue,” therefore, is usually the biggest indicator of the condition: Portions of the papillae (the small protrusions that usually cover the entire surface of the tongue) are missing, leaving bald patches that may appear redder or inflamed. These patches often have “an irregular white border” distinguishing the redder areas from other, papillae-covered portions of the tongue, the American Academy of Oral Medicine (AAOM) says.
“Occasionally, similar appearing lesions occur on other oral sites, such as the palate, cheeks, under the tongue, or on the gums. Such lesions are known as geographic stomatitis or erythema migrans,” the AAOM adds.
An exact cause for geographic tongue has not been identified, but researchers have linked the inflammatory condition to stress, allergies, hormonal imbalances or even previous COVID-19 infection, among other possible causes. It also appears to be more common among people with psoriasis, people with vitamin deficiencies, people with Type 1 diabetes, or people with a condition known as “fissured tongue,” which causes grooves on the surface of the tongue, Cleveland Clinic writes.
Medical experts also say geographic tongue is not a sign or symptom of cancer.
There is no treatment or cure for geographic tongue, but those with the condition can use topical anesthetics to help with any discomfort caused by inflammatory foods. Geographic tongue may also go away on its own, though it can “appear again later,” according to the Mayo Clinic.
Geographic tongue isn’t all that rare, either. The AAOM estimates that between 1% and 2.5% of the population has the condition, while Cleveland Clinic puts the number closer to 3% or even more, considering many people may not ever get diagnosed. In addition to McKinnon, another celebrity who publicly revealed her diagnosis is Sadie Robertson of “Duck Dynasty” fame, who said in 2020 that the condition was the reason for her tongue’s “weird” appearance in an Instagram photo.
“I am a dental hygienist and we see it all the time,” one of Robertson’s followers said in response to the Instagram post. “Totally normal.”
McKinnon, too, said she and her unnamed “actor friend” often discuss and even celebrate their diagnoses — to a point.
“We brag about how geographic we are on any given day,” McKinnon told People. “Maybe I shouldn’t be saying this in a magazine.”
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