Psoriasis Tongue Treatment
Psoriasis is a chronic disease that causes cells to accumulate on your skin, forming plaques and dry, cracked red patches that frequently itch or become uncomfortable. While psoriasis is a skin disease, past studies have found links between psoriasis and oral conditions like geographic tongue and fissured tongue. There are a variety of therapies available for psoriasis, although many suffer from certain limitations; oral conditions like geographic tongue, however, while they may be related, do not typically require treatment.
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Psoriasis
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The cells in the basal layer of your epidermis (the outermost layer of your skin) divide to replace cells lost or shed from the surface. The average lifespan of the skin cells in your epidermis is about 28 days. In psoriasis, however, the T cells of your immune system attack skin cells--much as they would attack invaders in the case of an infection--and thus the skin cells are shed much more rapidly and typically have a lifespan of only four days on average.
Causes of Psoriasis
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Although the precise cause remains unclear, psoriasis is believed to stem partly from genetic and partly from environmental factors. A family history of psoriasis is a leading risk factor. Psoriasis affects about 2 percent of the US population.
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Treatment of Psoriasis
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There is, unfortunately, no permanent cure for psoriasis; there are a number of therapies, however, that treat the symptoms of the disease. Steroid creams are one common countermeasure that help suppress the immune system overreaction that's causing the problem. Physicians sometimes prescribe anthralin--a medication that helps remove scales; coal tar, salicyclic acid and moisturizing creams are other common remedies. Exposing the skin to limited amounts of artificial ultraviolet light can sometimes help, but too much UV will damage the skin and make the problem worse. In severe cases, physicians may prescribe immunosuppresants (drugs that regulate immune system activity).
Tongue Conditions
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Oral lesions caused by psoriasis are fairly uncommon; nonetheless, two conditions that have been linked with psoriasis are geographic tongue and fissured tongue. The first disorder is characterized by small red patches bordered by gray-white regions on the tongue; these are often temporary and can come or go, especially after eating spicy foods. In fissured tongue, on the other hand, deep grooves or crevices run through the surface of the tongue. Both conditions are more common in patients with psoriasis, according to a 2004 study in BMC Dermatology, and thus could be related.
Treatment of Tongue Conditions
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Geographic tongue and fissured tongue are benign conditions that don't typically warrant any treatment. If you have geographic tongue, it's probably best to abstain from spicy foods or any other foods that seem to trigger those symptoms; if you have fissured tongue, on the other hand, gently brushing your tongue at night when you brush your teeth can help to remove debris and mitigate the problem. As always, however, if you have any questions or concerns about your symptoms, it's best to consult a doctor for advice.
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References
- "BMC Dermatology"; Tongue lesions in psoriasis: a controlled study; Daneshpazhooh, Moleshi et al; 2004.
- "Clinical Dermatology"; Oral psoriasis; Bruce, AJ and Rogers, RS; 2003.
- "Professional Guide to Diseases, 8th Edition"; Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins; 2005.
