• The cracks and grooves are only present on the tongue and not other parts of the mouth. • There may be soreness, pain, a burning sensation, or a feeling of “pins and needles.” • The tongue fissures may be shallow or several millimetres deep. • Acidic or spicy food may provoke a burning or painful sensation. • The tongue may appear red. Who Can Get a Cracked Tongue? Many of the causes of a cracked tongue do not discriminate based on age, gender, or ethnicity, so anyone can potentially develop one.

That said, some underlying causes have their own risk factors which can influence who is most susceptible. For instance, oral thrush is more common in anyone with an impaired immune system including those with autoimmune diseases or poorly controlled diabetes.

Sometimes symptoms that show up on your tongue can signal other health conditions, such as diabetes, vitamin deficiencies and scarlet fever. Here's what you need to. The ideal shape of the healthy tongue is full, yet not so full as to press on the teeth and leave a serrated edge. There should be no cracks in the tongue body. A tongue that is thin and pale indicates a deficiency of blood or fluids. Anemia, fatigue, dry skin and lips are often seen here.

Top 10 Hip Hop Songs Of 2010. Aging can also cause the tongue’s natural wrinkles to be more pronounced. What Does a Cracked Tongue Reveal about Your Health?

If you’re looking solely at a cracked tongue for health answers, you’ll have a hard time finding them. A cracked tongue diagnosis usually requires looking at more than just the grooves and fissures and often involves inspecting your body and/or mouth for other symptoms. That said, there are two specific conditions that can be assessed by looking at just the tongue cracks. [textlink report=qc] Geographic Tongue The tongue is normally coated in a series of tiny, pinkish-white bumps called papillae. Geographic tongue is a condition where patches of the tongue are missing these papillae and appear as smooth “islands” that give a map-like (“geographic”) appearance.

As the papillae in one area recover and then fade in another, it can give the illusion that the patch is moving over time. The absence of the papillae can make the natural grooves in the tongue more pronounced and the patches may hurt if you eat salty, spicy, or acidic foods.

Vitamin Deficiency Cracked tongue from a vitamin deficiency takes two main forms: iron or a vitamin B12 (biotin). Both substances are used to mature the tongue’s papillae and lacking in one or both can result in large, smooth patches developing on the tongue. As with geographic tongue, the smooth patches will make the natural fissures in the tongue more noticeable. Is a Cracked Tongue Linked to Other Diseases? Most causes of a cracked tongue are not linked to actual disease or infections, but there are a few outliers that bear mentioning. Oral Thrush As mentioned initially, a cracked tongue can be a symptom of a thrush infection, which is brought about by an, which is naturally found on the tongue. The lumpy, white lesions can spread to the gums or elsewhere in the oral cavity and can cause pain or throw off your sense of taste.