Are aphtae on the tongue an indication of HIV infection?
Aphtae on the tongue is more common in HIV-positive people. However, only when the disease is already advanced and the immune system has been affected. The body can then no longer defend itself sufficiently against germs and small diseases such as aphthae on the tongue occur more and more frequently.
In the acute stage, i.e. shortly after an infection, aphthae are not a typical symptom. Although it cannot be excluded that they occur, their presence is not a clear indication of a disease. The HIV infection can only be definitely determined by a test.
Tongue napkin during pregnancy
Even if nowadays one rather assumes a genetic pedisposition for the development of aphthae, which is also reflected in the fact that they often reappear at irregular intervals at exactly the same place, a changed hormone balance, as it occurs especially in women during pregnancy or menopause, is also associated with the development. Often the affected person suffers from tongue aphthae even before pregnancy, but during this time they can occur more frequently or more extremely. There are no remedies that prevent the appearance of aphthae on the tongue or actively combat the development.
After a maximum of two weeks, they disappear again on their own, so that only the pain can be relieved. During pregnancy, however, one should pay attention to whether the remedy, such as local anaesthetics, may be used. In consultation with a dentist or family doctor, a suitable substance can be found, usually on a herbal basis, such as rinsing the mouth or dabbing the inflamed area with chamomile tea.
Aphtae under the tongue
In aphthae, the non-cornified parts of the oral mucosa are affected, especially the lip and cheek mucosa. Less frequently the frontal floor of the mouth, the edge of the tongue and the underside of the tongue are affected. On the underside of the tongue, aphthae are particularly unpleasant, as they are in constant contact with teeth, food or the floor of the mouth and are thus repeatedly irritated.
It is not uncommon for groups of aphthae to appear on the underside of the tongue, which is why this appearance can easily be confused with that of a herpes virus infection. Due to the similarity, the grouping of aphthae is called herpetiform aphthae, but a virus-related development could be completely excluded. All virus-specific detection methods have produced a negative result in this case, which is why the cause of the aphthae under the tongue in general and of this particular form is still not clear.
In all forms of aphthae under the tongue, the appearance of the aphthae changes from one phase to the other. In the first phase of development a blister is formed, which the patient feels under the tongue by friction. However, the blister stage is only short until the blister disappears and an ulcerative retraction occurs, which is reminiscent of a crater. In this stage it is possible that the aphtae does not experience any touch, as it is no longer curved outwards as a bubble, but inwards. In addition, the second stage remains until the lingual napkin disappears, which can last for 2 to 3 weeks.
