What causes an enlarged tongue in children?
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What causes an enlarged tongue in children?
Hypothyroidism is a common cause of macroglossia in children. Acromegaly: This is a rare condition that causes your body to release too much growth hormone. People with acromegaly often have oversized tongues, jaws, hands and feet. Diphtheria: This is an infectious disease that may cause your tongue to swell.
Is macroglossia serious?
If left untreated, it can cause an airway obstruction and prevent oxygen from getting to your brain. Contact a doctor if your tongue changes in any way. Depending on your symptoms, you might need speech therapy, dental treatment, or medication to treat the underlying cause. Severe macroglossia may require surgery.
How do you treat macroglossia?
In mild cases of macroglossia, speech therapy may improve issues with speaking. In more severe cases, your healthcare professional may recommend surgery to reduce the size of your tongue. Surgical procedures can help reduce problems with speech, chewing, and feeding.
Does macroglossia affect speech?
Surprisingly, macroglossia has little impact on the development of speech unless it is extremely large. However, it does effect the way the child looks when he/she talks.
What does macroglossia look like?
Disease at a Glance Symptoms associated with Macroglossia may include drooling; speech impairment; difficulty eating; stridor; snoring; airway obstruction; abnormal growth of the jaw and teeth; ulceration; and/or dying tissue on the tip of the tongue. The tongue may protrude from the mouth.
How do I know if my baby has macroglossia?
Symptoms and physical findings associated with macroglossia may include noisy, high-pitched breathing (stridor), snoring, and/or feeding difficulties. In some cases, the tongue may protrude from the mouth. When inherited, macroglossia is transmitted as an autosomal dominant genetic trait.
Who gets macroglossia?
Macroglossia may be found in individuals affected by certain inherited or congenital disorders including Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome, acromegaly, primary amyloidosis, congenital hypothyroidism, Down syndrome, Apert syndrome, and many others.
