Can anyone relate/help? Really sick :(

[LF87]

Hi.

I've posted a few times about worry over my tongue. I've been to the doctor's a few times, seen an ENT specialist, and the other day I saw my dentist. They have all told me there's nothing to be concerned about, but I just can't shake off this worry, despite being told it's nothing. One side of my tongue looks totally different on one side to the other. The back left side is a lot bumpier than the right. The taste buds on that side are bigger, and the area surrounding it looks all bumpy. I know the doctor's have said it's nothing to worry about, but why does it look so weird?! I just can't leave it alone. I want that area fixed, otherwise I'm just going to keep obsessing. Does everybody else have the same on both sides? I just don't get why they wouldn't investigate anything with it looking different? I don't know if I see it as worse than it is because of my worrying nature. But it really really bothers me. I keep worrying that its changed since I last saw the doctor, and that I need it re-checked. I can't stop! And I can't see the doctor anymore. This is becoming a weekly thing. I actually went to the dentist to avoid the embarrassment of seeing the doctor again. Am I just really weird? It seems a lot of people on here have various different concerns. But I am totally fixated on this. Nothing else bothers me really, just this. It's an obsession. Can anyone relate? Or tell me that their tongue looks a bit different on the other side? Sorry for the rant. Panicking myself again :(

[joelhall]

Nobody is entirely symmetrical, and anatomical variation is common in all people. Side people are even missing entire small muscles of have their heart to the right side instead of the left. As for being bumpier on one side than the other - this doesn't match any type of disease I know of.

[backfromthebrink]

I can totally relate to the obsessive nature of the worry and the way that it doesn't go away when you're told by health professionals that it's not anything to worry about - yes.

Did you ask the dentist or the doctor for some explanation of why it looks different, or ask them if it does look different? That would give you something factual to think of when you worry.

Dentists especially see millions of mouths and tongues and if the dentist isn't worried, then that should reassure you!

[Torskus]

Can totally relate to it. Having similar problems myself (I have a thread)

My tongue looks much different on the one side, do you grind your teeth? You could have caused a trauma.

I can't really give you advice how to stop feeling this way, because I am at my wits end myself, but in my opinion when it comes to matters inside the mouth, the dentist is your best bet anyway, not the doctor.

Good luck.

[LF87]

Thanks for the replies.

The dentist just sort of said yeah it's a bit bumpier on this side, but it looks normal. She said it may have been caused by my throat infection I had a while back, but that it was nothing to worry about. But in the same breath said, it looks symmetrical on the other side. I don't know how that works. I mean, realistically, I don't know what they're looking for, or what looks abnormal, so I cant really dispute, I just know that it definitely is not symmetrical on both sides. I should really be able to put this to bed after seeing this amount of medical professionals. But I don't know how to stop worrying. I just want something done to it! Get rid of the weirdness, then I'll never have to think of it again. Joel, does that mean that sometimes people can just have differences with stuff like this? This all stems from me googling all those months ago when I noticed it. Totally taken it out of context and gone nuts over it. Would they know? Would the dentist know if it was something bad?

[joelhall]

A densitst is a medical professional - a surgeon. Often people do not realise just how highly educated dental surgeons are, but they are fully trained to spot various abnormalities of dentition and the mouth, from plaques to cancers.

Anatomical variation is so common, that in medical school anatomical lessons where students dissect cadavers, attention is drawn to minor differences a layman wouldn't even think of. There is no person in the world with an entirely symmetrical body (it's been hypothesised that the more symmetrical someone is, the more attractive they appear). These are not classed as abnormalities, just something which happens in ordinary health. If the majority of people were to photograph their face straight on, cut the image in half and create mirror images of both halves they would think they were looking at two different people.

Believe me when I say that when you're inside someone's body, things can get even stranger!

[Torskus]

Using Google to check symptoms, got to be the worst thing ever, it has done me so much more harm than good, I avoid it now, you do it to make yourself feel better, and in the end diagnose yourself with all sorts.

I agree with the above though, Dentists are trained to look for cancers, and other sinister growths. Having said that, the Dentist told me my problem didn't look sinister, but he didn't convince me, and I have a visit to the oral surgeon to look forward too now.

If you aren't happy then get a second opinion though.

[LF87]

This is my second opinion! Or 9th really, if you count the various doctor's appointments and an ENT guy. It's getting out of hand. I can't keep going back with it. I'd like to go back, because I feel like every time I come away it changes. But every time I go, it's the same. Everything is normal etc. Why isn't this enough for me? Surely one of the people I've seen would know if it was something dodgy? That's really helpful info Joel, thank you. Should I stop going to the doctors? I worry if I leave it something might happen.

[Torskus]

I feel your pain, and do understand totally how you feel. Maybe you should speak to a doctor about health anxiety, I know I plan to this week. Whether there is anything physically wrong with me or not, it has taken over my life, and it sounds like you are pretty much the same. It is so horrid.

[LF87]

Would the dentist definitely know though? Because I'm worrying that because I told her I'd seen an ENT specialist plus doctors, she might just assume everything's ok, even if she thought it looked odd. I'm also worried that maybe she didn't know which bit I was talking about specifically? I'm really doing my head in :(

[Liziik]

A dentist wouldn't treat you any differently if you had seen 100 doctors they are trained to make there own checks and they wouldn't just think 'oh well they saw a doctor must be fine' about a year ago my tongue started doing this funky kind of thing it started kind of peeling on one side? Making one side smooth and the other rough! It was bizarre. My dentist said I might be being to rough when brushing also acidic drink alcohol spicy food etc. my dentist told me you tongue can peel and shed taste buds and grow new ones. its still the same now so my tongue isn't symmetrical either :) it's smooth one side bumpy the other it's also bumpy all along the back :)
Sorry I can't be of much help but I was attracted to the post as my tongue isn't symmetrical either :) xx