14 DAY TRIAL // Just like the exploding head syndrome, the so-called geographic tongue is an actual medical condition. Seriously. Today might be April Fools' Day, but this piece of news is not here to trick you.
As you've probably figured out on your own, people diagnosed with this condition display odd patterns resembling the continents on their tongue. Check out the photo below to get a better idea of what these patterns look like.
Although the condition is dubbed geographic tongue, such bizarre patterns can form in other areas of the mouth as well. The shapes all have white or light-colored borders and constantly come and go.
Geographic tongue, otherwise referred to as benign migratory glossitis and erythema migrans - you know, because the patches form and disappear to their own liking - is believed to affect 1% to 3% of the world's population.
Some patients experience discomfort or a burning or painful sensation, especially after eating spicy foods or using super minty toothpaste to brush their chompers, but the majority live with it just fine.
Studies have shown that the condition occurs when a person's tongue loses layers of small bumps called papillae, Live Science informs. Still, the exact mechanisms behind geographic tongue are yet to be discovered.
Since scientists don't yet know all that much about this peculiar medical condition, there is no cure for it. Patients who feel discomfort are treated with anti-inflammatory drugs or pain relievers.
