Foods that sometimes cause irritation, burning or slight swelling of the tongue include tomato, eggplant, walnuts, sharp cheeses, spicy foods, sour foods, mint, candy and citrus. Geographic
tongue may also cause
numbness. Coexistence of fissures of the
tongue is often noticed. Chemicals, such as mouth washes and teeth whiteners, can also aggravate the condition. Lesions may occasionally occur on sites other than the tongue.