What is the cause of leukoplakia?
Although the cause of leukoplakia is unknown, chronic irritation, such as from tobacco use, including smoking and chewing, appears to be responsible for most cases. Often, regular users of smokeless tobacco products eventually develop leukoplakia where they hold the tobacco against their cheeks.
How long does leukoplakia take to heal?
Leukoplakia is usually harmless, and lesions usually clear in a few weeks or months after the source of irritation is removed. If eliminating the source of irritation is ineffective in reducing leukoplakia, the lesion may need to be surgically removed.
What can you do for leukoplakia?
Leukoplakia treatment is most successful when a lesion is found and treated early, when it’s small. Regular checkups are important, as is routinely inspecting your mouth for areas that don’t look normal. For most people, removing the source of irritation ― such as stopping tobacco or alcohol ― clears the condition.
Is leukoplakia serious?
Mild leukoplakia is usually harmless and often goes away on its own. More serious cases may be linked to oral cancer and must be treated promptly. Regular dental care can help prevent recurrences.
Is leukoplakia an emergency?
Outlook (Prognosis) Leukoplakia is usually harmless. Patches in the mouth often clear up in a few weeks or months after the source of irritation is removed. In some cases, the patches may be an early sign of cancer.
Can leukoplakia affect your throat?
Leukoplakia is a descriptive term which means “white plaque”. Leukplakia may be present in the mouth, throat or on the vocal folds. Leukoplakia may cause symptoms such as hoarseness, or may be found incidentally during an examination.
What virus causes leukoplakia?
Oral hairy leukoplakia is a condition that the Epstein-Barr virus can trigger. It happens most often in people whose immune systems are very weak and is most often seen in people with HIV. The condition causes white lesions, or patches, on the tongue.
How is leukoplakia diagnosed?
Leukoplakia is usually diagnosed with an oral exam. During an oral exam, your healthcare provider can confirm if the patches are leukoplakia. You might mistake the condition for oral thrush. Thrush is a yeast infection of the mouth.
Should I be worried if I have leukoplakia?
Can leukoplakia heal itself?
In most cases, leukoplakia will go away on its own and doesn’t require treatment. Just make sure to avoid any triggers, such as smoking. If the biopsy came positive for oral cancer, then the doctors will remove the patches immediately to stop the cancer from spreading.