Stay updated, sign up for our free newsletter to receive useful tips
Full NameEmail Id
Are There White Patches Inside Your Cheek? It Could Be Leukoplakia!
The definition of leukoplakia (and its more rare form, hairy leukoplakia)
is a condition in which thick, white patches appear on the gums, inner
lining of the cheeks and occasionally the tongue. The best information
about leukoplakia suggests that chronic irritation is the basic cause
for the leather-like lesions. The condition is especially common in
older men and is usually not painful. This is not to suggest, however,
that leukoplakia symptoms should be ignored. While oral leukoplakia
lesions rarely become cancer, many cancers of the mouth are found
adjacent to leukoplakia. (The condition can also occur in the throat
as laryngeal leukoplakia and in the female genitalia as cervical leukoplakia.)
Do You Have Rough, White Patches In The Mouth?
Initially leukoplakia manifests as gray sores that harden over a period
of weeks into white patches with a thick, roughened surface. If raised
red lesions are present (erythroplakia), the chances that the condition
is pre-cancerous increase markedly. Leukoplakia is especially common
in long-term smokers. (More men than women develop leukoplakia as
a consequence of smoking or drinking, but women are more likely to
develop cancers of the mouth.)
Do you See Fuzz on the Edges of Your Tongue?
Oral hairy leukoplakia occurs most commonly in people with compromised
immune systems, for instance HIV/AIDS patients and is also often present
in those who suffer from the Epstein-Barr virus. The signs of hairy
leukoplakia are fuzzy, white ridges on the edges of the tongue. While
not clearly associated with the basic cause of thrush, an overgrowth
of the fungus Candida, leukoplakia can be mistaken for thrush and
the Candida albicans fungus is often found in leukoplakia patches.
It simply is not certain whether the Candida appears as part of the
leukoplakia outbreak or subsequent to it.
Are You a Smoker?
The use of tobacco products that cause constant, long-term irritation
to the mouth is the number one cause of leukoplakia. Normally if the
use of tobacco is discontinued, the leukoplakia patches will diminish
or disappear within a year. Tobacco users who chew or dip snuff will
develop leukoplakia at the spot where they hold the product against
their cheek. Other causes include poorly fitting dentures, rough spots
on natural teeth, tooth grinding, or long-term use of alcohol.
Is This Condition Permanent?
Thankfully leukoplakia will normally disappear when the irritating
factor is identified and removed. There will be no lasting damage
to the tissues of the mouth in this scenario. There is always the
chance of one of the lesions become infected or if the irritating
factors are not removed of the lesion becoming cancerous.
Frequently when the irritant responsible is the daily use of tobacco,
removing the factor becomes more difficult as cigarettes are addictive.
Many people either do not want to stop smoking or have great difficulty
doing so. Hairy leukoplakia is not painful and does not lead to
cancerous growth. It is, however, all too often a sigh of the presence
of HIV/AIDS.
