Leukoplakia language: causes, symptoms, treatment

Leukoplakia of the language is called a pathology, characterized by the appearance of keratinization of the surface of the tongue. In the oral cavity there is a feeling of tightness and dryness, burning, irritation. At the beginning of its development the disease appears as the formation of small uneven thickenings of white color. Forming them takes several months, but you can notice them in two weeks. After a while, such foci become a little rougher, covered with ulcers and roughness. Timely treatment allows you to completely get rid of this pathology.

Risk groups

Most often, the leukoplakia of the tongue develops in men after 50 years, women suffer from this 2 times less often. In addition, people at risk enter the risk group, whose mouth mucosa is constantly exposed to harmful chemicals, as well as smokers and lovers of spicy and salty foods. In HIV-infected people, mainly the hairy leukoplakia of the tongue is diagnosed. A complete cure in this case is impossible, therefore, only supportive therapy is carried out.

Causes

If a leukoplakia of the tongue has arisen, the reasons leading to this may be different. In general, this pathology is formed as a response to frequent external stimuli and is considered an optional precancer.

The most common causes are:

• Smoking. Contained in cigarettes nicotine, tar, aromatic additives, as well as the tobacco smoke itself, contribute to irritation of the mucous membrane of the tongue.
• Distressed teeth. Rotten and dysfunctional teeth are foci of infection and inflammation leading to leukoplakia of the tongue. In addition, the pathology can develop due to an unsuccessfully delivered seal, bridge or crowns.
• Drinking alcohol in large quantities.
• Inflammatory processes of the oral cavity.
• Lack of vitamins A and B.
• Harmful working conditions or trauma to the tongue.
• Weakened immunity.

Stages of the disease development

The leukoplakia of the tongue develops rather slowly, in several stages. The danger of this pathology is that at the beginning of the disease a person does not experience any unpleasant sensations. And since inflammation occurs at the base of the tongue, it is absolutely impossible to see.

The pathology develops in several stages:

• First, small foci of inflammation appear.
• After this, a cornification of the epithelial layer occurs, accompanied by the formation of white spots.
• Then the state of health begins to worsen and the development of the verruxous form of pathology occurs, in which the spots begin to become covered with warts. In this case, the touch becomes more dense and touch the surface of the oral mucosa.
• If you do not start treatment in a timely manner, the inflamed area begins to crack, the disease becomes ulcerative, and this is already an advanced stage of the disease, which can go to cancer.

Symptoms

As is already known, if leukoplakia of the tongue was formed, its symptoms do not manifest themselves at an early stage. The disease can develop over the years, leading subsequently to serious complications.

The late form of leukoplakia is characterized by the appearance in the focus of lesions of erosion and cracks, accompanied by the appearance of pain sensations. In this case, any wound in the tongue or crack causes painful pain during meals or during a conversation. In addition, the damaged area becomes a source of infection of healthy tissues.

Diagnosis of the disease

To successfully get rid of the disease, it is necessary to properly diagnose it. It includes the following studies:

• Inspection of the tongue and the entire oral cavity.
• Cytological analysis of biological material. It is this kind of research that allows you to make an accurate diagnosis. For the analysis take a small piece of tissue from the affected area, and this is completely painless.
• Histological analysis of the material, allowing to determine the duration of the disease, at what stage it is, as well as the nature of its development.

Treatment

At whatever stage of development there is such a disease as leukoplakia of the tongue, the treatment should correspond to the current state. The doctor should find out the reasons that contributed to the development of inflammation, in order to completely eliminate it. He also must develop an individual treatment regimen, consisting in removing the lesion and performing complex therapy.

First of all, remove all the irritating factors: replace dentures, treat neglected teeth, perform full sanation of the oral cavity. If the pathology has arisen because of internal ailments, then first of all it is necessary to cure the provoked leukoplakia disease.

The initial stage is well cured with preparations containing vitamins A, B2 and E, which can strengthen immunity.

The main ways to remove the pathological area are:

1. Cryosurgery is the effect of low temperatures on the inflammatory focus.
2. Laser excision and coagulation - in this case use CO ₂ laser, which does not leave scars, scars and cuts. The pathological focus is destroyed by the evaporation of biological tissues.
3. Photodynamic therapy is the safest way to treat a disease such as leukoplakia of the tongue, as well as cancers. In this case, not only the lesion is removed, but the immunity of the patient also increases. This is very important, since leukoplakia often contributes to the development of language cancer. Photodynamic therapy is performed with the use of chlorine series drugs and laser equipment.

Treatment with folk remedies

If the diagnosis of leukoplakia language, treatment with folk remedies will be quite effective. Such homemade recipes do not require much effort, time and money, and in their effectiveness they are not inferior to medical drugs. The following are the most popular methods.

Leukoplakia of the tongue is well treated with a decoction of chamomile. For this 2 tbsp. L. Dry flowers are brewed in 300 ml of boiling water, insisted for several minutes, filtered and cooled, after which they begin to rinse the oral cavity. The course of treatment lasts until the condition improves. Such a remedy heals wounds and prevents the emergence of new ones.

For the manufacture of another product, yellow petals of sunflower will be required, which must be dried. After that 1 tsp. Petals and 2 tbsp. L. Roots of the garden peony pour 300 ml of hot water and boil for 10 minutes over a small fire. Insist 12 hours, filter and drink during the day in 3-4 hours. The course of treatment is 10 days. During this period you can not eat sweet and smoked.

It helps to remove irritation and inflammation of the oral mucosa refined olive or sunflower oil. They should impregnate the gauze swab and lubricate the affected area several times a day. Also, the tampon can be left in the mouth for a few minutes or simply hold the oil in the mouth, then spit it. This method is used until complete recovery.

Forecast

It is very difficult to predict how the disease will proceed in the future, such as leukoplakia. In some, it can last for years without changing its benign course, while others have a rapid degeneration into a malignant neoplasm. Treatment performed in a timely manner guarantees a positive result, but the likelihood of relapses is high.

To prevent the appearance of leukoplakia of the tongue, it is necessary to avoid provoking factors that adversely affect the oral mucosa.

Conclusion

Thus, we found out what is the leukoplakia of the language, the photo of which is presented in the article. To treat this pathology is necessary, otherwise it can cause various complications, and sometimes even is able to develop into a cancerous tumor.