on tongues and inspiring better self-care...

[Guest guest]

Hey all,

 

Just wanted to pass along an experience I had with a first-time patient this

week.

 

He's coming for pain relief (arthritis in his thumb due to lifelong overuse

injury).  Even though he's not coming for systemic care, I still checked his

tongue and pulses - as I do with all my patients.  His tongue has an open,

eroded, painful sore on it, about 1/2-inch across.  He also has very obvious,

advanced periodontal disease.  Although he attributes the tongue sore to a bad

tooth adjacent to the sore, I was suspicious about it, so I asked my dentist her

opinion. 

 

She said that the tongue would form a callus-like growth if it was protecting

itself from ongoing abrasion, and that open, eroded lesions like the one I

described, were more typical of tongue cancer, as I suspected.  From reviewing

my patient's health history, I already knew he had several basal cell carcinomas

removed from his face, and a benign tumor removed from his salivary gland.  My

dentist gave me recommendations of 2 oral surgeons for him to consult with. 

Whether or not he will follow up remains to be seen - he did tell me without any

hesitation that he cannot remember the last time he saw a dentist...

 

The reason I am writing this, is because I am grateful for how thoroughly our

schools train us to evaluate our patients.  In this case, it helped me know this

patient " grows things " - cancerous and otherwise.  And I am grateful I looked at

his tongue, even though he was coming for pain in his thumb.  He said that sore

has been there for " a while " , and he never had it looked at.  Goodness, that

made my hair stand on end!

 

By the way, he also has a rather large growth right on the tip of his tongue. 

It's pink, fleshy and round, about 3/8 of an inch across.  He has had this

looked at years ago, and his doctor said it's nothing to worry about, and it has

a specific name that he couldn't remember.  Anyone know anything about these

kinds of growths?

 

Also, anyone have thoughts on how to inspire patients to take better care of

themselves?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Hi All:

 

:

" By the way, he also has a rather large growth right on the tip of his

tongue. It's pink, fleshy and round, about 3/8 of an inch across. He

has had this looked at years ago, and his doctor said it's nothing to

worry about, and it has a specific name that he couldn't remember.

Anyone know anything about these kinds of growths? "

 

They are benign growths (tumours) that can be caused by biting the tongue. They

are found in conjunction with lingual cancer

 

 

 

________________________________

Hugo Ramiro

http://middlemedicine.wordpress.com

http://www.chinesemedicaltherapies.org

 

 

 

 

 

<

Chinese Herbal Medicine ; TCM List

<Chinese Traditional Medicine >; alumni PCOM

<alumni

Thursday, 23 October, 2008 20:24:24

on tongues and inspiring better self-care...

 

 

Hey all,

 

Just wanted to pass along an experience I had with a first-time patient this

week.

 

He's coming for pain relief (arthritis in his thumb due to lifelong overuse

injury). Even though he's not coming for systemic care, I still checked his

tongue and pulses - as I do with all my patients. His tongue has an open,

eroded, painful sore on it, about 1/2-inch across. He also has very obvious,

advanced periodontal disease. Although he attributes the tongue sore to a bad

tooth adjacent to the sore, I was suspicious about it, so I asked my dentist her

opinion.

 

She said that the tongue would form a callus-like growth if it was protecting

itself from ongoing abrasion, and that open, eroded lesions like the one I

described, were more typical of tongue cancer, as I suspected. From reviewing

my patient's health history, I already knew he had several basal cell carcinomas

removed from his face, and a benign tumor removed from his salivary gland. My

dentist gave me recommendations of 2 oral surgeons for him to consult with.

Whether or not he will follow up remains to be seen - he did tell me without any

hesitation that he cannot remember the last time he saw a dentist...

 

The reason I am writing this, is because I am grateful for how thoroughly our

schools train us to evaluate our patients. In this case, it helped me know this

patient " grows things " - cancerous and otherwise. And I am grateful I looked at

his tongue, even though he was coming for pain in his thumb. He said that sore

has been there for " a while " , and he never had it looked at. Goodness, that

made my hair stand on end!

 

By the way, he also has a rather large growth right on the tip of his tongue.

It's pink, fleshy and round, about 3/8 of an inch across. He has had this

looked at years ago, and his doctor said it's nothing to worry about, and it has

a specific name that he couldn't remember. Anyone know anything about these

kinds of growths?

 

Also, anyone have thoughts on how to inspire patients to take better care of

themselves?

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Thank you, Hugo.  Apparently, this growth on the tip of his tongue pre-existed

the open sore.

 

Andrea Beth

 

 

Traditional Oriental Medicine

Happy Hours in the CALM Center

1770 E. Villa Drive, Suite 5

Cottonwood, AZ  86326

(928) 274-1373

 

 

--- On Thu, 10/23/08, Hugo Ramiro <subincor wrote:

Hugo Ramiro <subincor

Re: on tongues and inspiring better self-care...

Chinese Medicine

Thursday, October 23, 2008, 6:56 PM

 

Hi All:

 

:

" By the way, he also has a rather large growth right on the tip of his

tongue. It's pink, fleshy and round, about 3/8 of an inch across. He

has had this looked at years ago, and his doctor said it's nothing to

worry about, and it has a specific name that he couldn't remember.

Anyone know anything about these kinds of growths? "

 

They are benign growths (tumours) that can be caused by biting the tongue.

They are found in conjunction with lingual cancer

 

 

 

________________________________

Hugo Ramiro

http://middlemedicine.wordpress.com

http://www.chinesemedicaltherapies.org

 

 

 

 

 

<

Chinese Herbal Medicine ; TCM List

<Chinese Traditional Medicine >; alumni PCOM

<alumni

Thursday, 23 October, 2008 20:24:24

on tongues and inspiring better self-care...

 

 

Hey all,

 

Just wanted to pass along an experience I had with a first-time patient this

week.

 

He's coming for pain relief (arthritis in his thumb due to lifelong overuse

injury). Even though he's not coming for systemic care, I still checked his

tongue and pulses - as I do with all my patients. His tongue has an open,

eroded, painful sore on it, about 1/2-inch across. He also has very obvious,

advanced periodontal disease. Although he attributes the tongue sore to a bad

tooth adjacent to the sore, I was suspicious about it, so I asked my dentist her

opinion.

 

She said that the tongue would form a callus-like growth if it was protecting

itself from ongoing abrasion, and that open, eroded lesions like the one I

described, were more typical of tongue cancer, as I suspected. From reviewing

my patient's health history, I already knew he had several basal cell

carcinomas removed from his face, and a benign tumor removed from his salivary

gland. My dentist gave me recommendations of 2 oral surgeons for him to consult

with. Whether or not he will follow up remains to be seen - he did tell me

without any hesitation that he cannot remember the last time he saw a dentist...

 

The reason I am writing this, is because I am grateful for how thoroughly our

schools train us to evaluate our patients. In this case, it helped me know this

patient " grows things " - cancerous and otherwise. And I am grateful I

looked at his tongue, even though he was coming for pain in his thumb. He said

that sore has been there for " a while " , and he never had it looked at.

Goodness, that made my hair stand on end!

 

By the way, he also has a rather large growth right on the tip of his tongue.

It's pink, fleshy and round, about 3/8 of an inch across. He has had this

looked at years ago, and his doctor said it's nothing to worry about, and it

has a specific name that he couldn't remember. Anyone know anything about

these kinds of growths?

 

Also, anyone have thoughts on how to inspire patients to take better care of

themselves?

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Hi Andrea Beth,

 

 

" Apparently, this growth on the tip of his tongue pre-existed the open sore. "

 

Yup, apparently these growths are markers for risk of actual cancerous

(malignant) growths.

 

Hugo

 

 

________________________________

Hugo Ramiro

http://middlemedicine.wordpress.com

http://www.chinesemedicaltherapies.org

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Wow, thanks for that detail!

 

Andrea Beth

 

 

 

--- On Fri, 10/24/08, Hugo Ramiro <subincor wrote:

Hugo Ramiro <subincor

Re: on tongues and inspiring better self-care...

Chinese Medicine

Friday, October 24, 2008, 6:29 AM

 

Hi Andrea Beth,

 

 

" Apparently, this growth on the tip of his tongue pre-existed the open

sore. "

 

Yup, apparently these growths are markers for risk of actual cancerous

(malignant) growths.

 

Hugo

 

 

________________________________

Hugo Ramiro

http://middlemedicine.wordpress.com

http://www.chinesemedicaltherapies.org