Glossitis

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Tongue

Overview

Symptoms

Treatment

Prevention

Glossitis

Alternative Names:

Tongue inflammation; Tongue infection

Symptoms:

Tongue swelling
Smooth appearance to the tongue
Tongue color usually dark "beefy" red
- Pale, if caused by pernicious anemia
- Fiery red, if caused by deficiency of B vitamins
Sore and tender tongue
Difficulty with chewing, swallowing, or speaking

Signs and tests:

An examination by a dentist or health care provider shows a swollen tongue (or patches of swelling). The nodules on the surface of the tongue (papillae) may be absent. Detailed questions may be asked to determine the possible source of tongue inflammation, if injury or other local cause is not readily apparent. Blood tests may confirm systemic causes of the disorder.

Review Date: 1/23/2005
Reviewed By: Kevin Fung, M.D., FRCS(C), Department of Otolaryngology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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