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FEELING TONGUE-TIED?
A SIMPLE SOLUTION TO ANKYLOGLOSSIA
Is there anything worse than feeling tongue-tied? Often coupled with butterflies in your stomach, getting tongue-tied never fails to ruin a personal victory. Think of the moment you worked up the courage to talk to the cute barista or when you were in the middle of giving an important presentation. Were you able to recover, or did you totally blow it? Tripping over your own words is frustrating, but luckily, being metaphorically tongue-tied is temporary. If you are someone with a literal tongue-tie, you may be faced with lasting health problems. WHAT’S A TONGUE-TIE? Ankyloglossia, more commonly known as “tongue-tie,” is a condition in which a band of tissue attaches the tip of a person’s tongue to the bottom of their mouth. Present at birth, a tongue-tie makes it difficult for a person to stick out their tongue or move it freely. This restriction can cause problems with eating, swallowing, and speech. THE DANGERS OF ANKYLOGLOSSIA In some cases, ankyloglossia doesn’t cause problems at all. The mouth changes as we develop from infants, and the severity of a tongue-tie can lessen with time. However, this is not always the case. Infants with tongue- ties can struggle with breast- or bottle-feeding, preventing them from getting the nutrients they need. If left untreated, the struggles associated with tongue-tie only increase. Children with ankyloglossia can also struggle with eating solid foods, and can also suffer from delayed speech development and certain speech impediments. Adults living with a tongue-tie report additional difficulties, including jaw pain, migraines, poor dental health, and unusual speaking habits. IS THERE A CURE? When ankyloglossia is a problem, the solution may be a simple surgery to remove the extra tissue, allowing the tongue to move freely. The surgery can be performed on newborn infants, and in many cases, 80 percent of infants with tongue-tie breast-feed more easily within 24 hours. This surgery can free children and adults from the oral struggles they’ve faced their whole lives.
There’s only one day of the year you’ll be scorned for not wearing green: St. Patrick’s Day. If you’ve ever gone the whole holiday wearing any other color, you’ve probably been pinched by your peers, family, spouse, and anyone else decked out head to toe in green. Green has become so deeply associated with the St. Patrick holiday that many people are unaware that green wasn’t always its official color. Blue was the first color to symbolize St. Patrick’s Day, and the saint himself is almost always depicted dressed in what’s known as “St. Patrick’s blue.” What caused the shift from green to blue is more speculation than hard fact. Some have theorized that the change happened sometime in the 17th century, when the symbol for the United Irishmen Rebellion became the clover. St. Patrick used the clover to teach the Irish people about the Holy Trinity, and it eventually became a symbol that represented both the saint and the holiday. Another theory comes from Ireland’s nickname, “The Emerald Isle,” which was coined because of the plentiful green foliage that adorns the country’s landscape. It also relates to the green in the flag. Each of the three colors in the flag have their own symbolic meaning: green for the Catholics who live in the country, orange for the Protestants, and white for the peace between the two. Of course, you can’t forget leprechauns, the little creatures that have always been affiliated with the holiday. But just like St. Patrick’s original blue garb, these impish tricksters used to wear red instead of green. While green overtook blue as the shade of choice for St. Patrick, leprechauns began putting on their signature green suits. You might wonder where the tradition of pinching comes from. We can thank the leprechauns for this one. It’s said that if the gold-loving redheads caught you not wearing their favorite color, they would pinch you. To avoid pinches from leprechauns and people alike, be sure to put on some green this St. Patrick’s Day to blend in with the festive crowd.
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