Geographic Tongue

Geographic tongue is a noncancerous condition that creates patches of smooth, reddish skin on your tongue. Geographic tongue is benign, meaning it doesn’t spread. It’s called geographic tongue because the patch patterns resemble how land masses and oceans are shown on maps.

Geographic tongue isn’t painful and it’s not serious. But you should talk to a healthcare provider if you notice patches or other changes on your tongue.

Is it common?

That’s hard to say. Experts estimate about 3% of all people worldwide have geographic tongue. People with this condition may not have symptoms and may not seek medical care, so it’s possible that more people than estimated have geographic tongue.

Who has geographic tongue?

Anyone can develop geographic tongue, from babies to children to adults. The condition is slightly more common in young adults than in older adults. It may occur in:

• People with eczema and psoriasis.
• People with airborne allergies.
• People with diabetes, particularly Type 1 diabetes.
• People with reactive arthritis.
• Women and people assigned female at birth (AFAB) who use oral contraceptives.
• People with vitamin deficiencies, including zinc, iron, folic acid and vitamins B6 and B12.
• People with fissured tongue, a condition that causes deep grooves or wrinkles on your tongue.
• People dealing with emotional stress.