If you have a tongue that’s considered bigger than what it normally is, that’s called macroglossia. Here, we’ll go over the causes of this, the symptoms, diagnosis, and other treatment from his too.
The causes
Usually, macroglossia is not common and is congenital or it can be acquired. Some of the causes include:
Down syndrome
Beckwith Wideman syndrome, which causes weird growths on children’s bodies.
Mucopolysaccharidosis which cause a condition where the body is unable to break down molecules of sugar.
Hemangioma which is where there’s an abnormal blood vessel growth that creates a birthmark that’ll fade over time. Sometimes, it can make the areas larger, such as the tongue
Congenital hypothyroidism
Neurofibrosis which causes tumors to appear on nerve tissue
Amyloidosis which causes a problem with the buildup of this protein and reduces function of this
Acromegaly which is a problem with the pituitary gland that causes overgrowths of hands, face and feet
Pemphigus vulgaris which is a disease that cause s blistering and swelling of the tongue
Diphtheria which is an infection that is spread through coughing and sneezing
Tuberculosis
Sarcoidosis which causes abnormal growths in the eyes, lungs and tongue
These are the main causes, and it can sometimes be seen through the size of the tongue.
Symptoms of this
If the tongue is way too big for the mouth, it does cause symptoms in the mouth, including but not limited to the following:
Teeth that are misaligned
Problems eating
Snoring
Protruding teeth
Problems speaking
Breathing which is high-pitched
Diagnosis
If you have macroglossia you usually get diagnosed through a physical exam. To fully figure out the underlying cause of such, they usually do medical testing, however, with the many different causes, the reasons will vary. The doctor usually can have a proper diagnosis after running these tests though, which is why some people will definitely like this for what it is.
Treatment
The treatment does vary based on how large the tongue is. If it’s treatable, they will use different therapies. For example, with hypothyroidism, treatment does help with this, and if you treat the underlying thyroid issue, it’ll help. But if the cause is not clear, you may not be able to get much help. In some cases, speech therapy may be recommended, and in more serious situations, the professional may offer surgery to help with this, and some of these can also help with problems involving chewing, feeding, and even speech issues.
If you’re worried about your tongue, or may think that you have an enlarged tongue, it may be best to talk to a doctor to find out for sure. the best way to know however, is usually through different testing, where the professional will offer recommendations based on needs. The different circumstances with this condition do make treatment a variable thing, which is why in most cases, people will definitely take to a doctor to get help for this.
Although it is a bit of a rare condition, for many people, this can be debilitating in some cases, and it might be due to how the person’s body is. In a lot of cases, even just a minor treatment of this especially for those with hypothyroidism will offer great benefits. It’s definitely something that you’ll want to look at, and something that, with the right tools and such, will offer a lot of benefits, and in turn, you’ll be able to take care of the problem in its tracks, and get the help you need.
