What Is Macroglossia and How Can You Treat It?

Macroglossia is a rare condition that makes your tongue larger compared to the mouth and teeth. It can be acquired or congenital, and it can cause various severe complications. Apart from being potentially dangerous for your health, this condition can also decrease your confidence and impede your normal life.

The treatment for an enlarged tongue varies based on the cause of the disease. Speech therapy, surgical reduction, and orthodontic procedures (such as invisalign) have all proven to be successful options. When it comes to dental problems that this condition causes, the invisalign cost and success rate make it the best treatment option available. 

Read on to find out more about macroglossia and its causes and what the best way to fight this condition is. 

An Enlarged Tongue: A Crash Course

Put simply, having macroglossia means that your tongue is enlarged. Different patients present with distinct symptoms and tongue sizes. However, all of them confirm that the condition can be highly uncomfortable.

The most common symptoms include misaligned or protruding teeth. It can also cause difficulties with speaking, eating, and breathing, and excessive snoring. More severe cases can lead to the complete inability to eat and breathe, both of which could have devastating consequences.

If you have dental issues due to macroglossia, you'll need to visit dental experts so they can suggest treatments that can fix them. You can check out this dentist who offers bridges, veneers, and the best dental implants in Newmarket.

What Are the Causes of Macroglossia?

An enlarged tongue can either be a side effect of a congenital condition (something you are born with) or a disease you can acquire throughout your life. 

Congenital Conditions

Various syndromes can be the cause of macroglossia. These include Down syndrome and other similar rare conditions.

The gravity of the condition mainly depends on how serious the illness it accompanies is. In milder cases, it may not even require treatment and could just cause slight problems with slurring or eating. In others, it could be severe and might require surgical reduction of the tongue. 

Acquired Macroglossia

As opposed to being born with an enlarged tongue, this condition can also develop later on in life due to different issues.

Thyroid Problems

In most cases, an acquired enlarged tongue is caused by specific problems with your thyroid gland. If the gland cannot produce enough hormones and the condition is left untreated, your tongue might start getting larger. 

How much the tongue will grow depends on the hormone deficit. Usually, though, it is not too severe.

Growth Hormone Problems

The pituitary gland produces the growth hormone, which helps our bodies develop. However, the gland can sometimes make too much of the hormone, causing certain parts of your body to grow larger than usual. Those most affected are usually your hands, feet, and tongue. 

In these cases, your tongue will stay enlarged until the hormone imbalance is dealt with. As soon as it is, it will return back to normal.

Swelling

Any condition that causes abnormal swelling can also lead to an enlarged tongue. However, these conditions are mostly temporary and not too severe. Meds can usually help.

Bacterial Infections

Bacterial infections, especially those that affect your lungs and nose, can lead to lesions and swelling of the tongue. As soon as you treat the infection, the swelling on your tongue should go down. The condition is, in this case at least, only temporary. 

How Can You Treat Macroglossia?

As we have already mentioned, treatment options for an enlarged tongue vary depending on the cause of the condition. The size of the tongue also plays a role in the choice of treatment. 

Meds

If your tongue is enlarged due to a hormone imbalance of any kind, taking hormonal therapy will most likely help reduce the size of your tongue. Of course, your doctor will need to confirm that the condition is really due to a dysfunctional gland before giving you any meds. 

If the condition does not disappear after you start taking meds, there might be another cause of the disease.  

Speech Therapy

In milder cases, macroglossia will only make it difficult to pronounce certain sounds and words. A speech therapist can help you overcome these issues and lead a fully normal life regardless of your condition.

Surgery

Certain cases are so serious they require immediate surgery. That is the case if your tongue is causing you trouble breathing or preventing you from eating normally and regularly. 

Luckily, the surgery necessary to get your tongue back to its average size is pretty simple. The recovery period is relatively short (a few weeks), and the condition usually does not return later on. 

Clear Braces

Treating dental issues caused by an enlarged tongue is often done through orthodontic work. That is the easiest and best way to get back your confidence and smile after fighting off macroglossia. 

In some cases, simple dental crowns might be required to cover up any imperfections caused by this condition. However, if more teeth are affected, Invisalign may be the perfect solution. 

Invisalign is a new and affordable way to strengthen your teeth while still feeling beautiful and confident. Put simply, it is a type of dental braces that uses invisible aligners instead of metal ones. These aligners slowly move your teeth back into their original place without the help of any annoying wires. 

These braces help you get back your smile without having metal in your mouth, which is a healthier option. What’s more, you can also remove the aligners when you need to and simply put them back in their place later on. 

With Invisalign or any other type of clear braces, you can deal with dental problems caused by macroglossia easily and quickly. If your teeth are misaligned or crooked, it is the best choice you can make for your dental health and confidence.

To Conclude

As you have read, macroglossia is a serious medical condition that has many causes. The treatment options vary according to the cause and severity of the state, ranging from simple speech therapy to orthodontic work.

If you think you have an enlarged tongue, call your doctor and consult them. They will come up with the best treatment plan for you and ensure macroglossia does not interfere with your daily life.