This Is What Your Tongue Reveals About Your Health

Written by Rachana C  • 

Broadly speaking, professionals who treat diseases are of two kinds – one, who look for physical manifestations of internal diseases, and the other, who do not confine themselves just to these external indications but perform a myriad of tests to confirm an internal problem. Today, I am interested in the former. These are the people who look at the face, the tongue, the eyes, and some other external parts like these and diagnose the problem even without the need of the corroboration from a diagnostic test. Read on to know how the color or texture and even size of the tongue act as indicators for doctors who use them to tell what’s happening inside.

To begin with, let’s talk about:

1. A Healthy Pink Tongue

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To check whether your tongue is healthy or not, place your finger on the tongue and feel it. If you feel the following things on the surface, it means the tongue is in perfect health.

The tongue

A) Is pink.
B) Has a faint white coat.
C) Is of moderate thickness.
D) Has soft lumpy structures called papillae, which essentially are the small hairs that are situated between the taste buds.

2. Bright Rosy Tongue – Tongue That Looks Like A Strawberry

Image: Shutterstock

That said, it is not a positive indication if you find your tongue to be too red. One of the reasons for your tongue to be too red is Vitamin B12 deficiency. Folic acid and iron deficiency too could cause this redness on the tongue. The lack of sufficient amounts of B12, in turn, causes the loss of taste buds, which is what makes the tongue red. Another possible reason for a red tongue is excessive dryness in the mouth. If these are the reasons, consider replenishing the body with vitamin supplementation. If you feel your mouth is way too dry and accompanied by redness, go for OTC saliva substitutes or stimulants that are available in the form of gels and sprays. Also, a red tongue is a sign of infection or inflammation somewhere in the body.

3. Black, Hairy Tongue – Tongue That Looks Black And Has Overgrown Papillae

Although this sounds gross and scary and already made you guess it is some sort of dangerous cancer invading your tongue, let me tell you, the condition is not as scary as it looks or sounds. Remember I had told you about tiny fuzzy hair growing in between your taste buds called papillae? Yes, under some circumstances, they grow more than the optimal number and give the hairy appearance. Yikes! Apparently, they can grow 15 times their original length. These papillae behave weirdly because bacteria and yeast invade them. When they start growing in length, they begin to trap food particles and the microbes in them, which gives the tongue a black appearance. You might observe that your mouth has a foul odor, and you may feel nauseous if you happen to have this condition (1).

Fix your oral hygiene and reduce your consumption of tobacco if that is the trigger for bacteria or Candida overgrowth. Also, if you use a mouthwash that has excess amounts of peroxide or menthol, stop immediately. Keep a check on the usage since overuse of such mouthwashes can also lead to a black and hairy tongue.

4. Geographic Tongue – Tongue That Looks Like The Map Of A Continent

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A geographic tongue is red in appearance and has lesions on the surface, which make it appear like the skin has been affected by psoriasis (2). In this tongue abnormality, the papillae are lost and give a smooth feel to the tongue. The papillae are completely absent from certain areas of the tongue because of which red and smooth patches are formed. These spots make the tongue look like a geographic mouth, and hence that name for this medical issue. Researchers haven’t found the exact cause of Geographic Tongue but attribute it to genetics since this problem often occurs in members of the same family. There’s nothing much one could do to treat the problem other than using certain antihistamine mouth rinses and external application of steroid gels.

5. White Patchy Tongue

Image: IStock

Usually, the tongue has a white coat on its surface, which is not alarming unless it is accompanied by other symptoms such as pain or a burning sensation. A persistent white coat on the tongue is due to a bacterial or fungal infection. In the case of what is called as an Oral Thrush, it is caused due to yeast infection. In this condition, you could also find white patchy areas that can be removed by scraping, unlike in the condition called leukoplakia, in which the white patch cannot be scraped off. Antibiotics and antimycotics are usually prescribed for this problem. Visit the doctor if you feel the white coat on the tongue is too thick or if it persists beyond two weeks along with pain and discomfort.

6. Yellow Tongue

A yellow tongue is due to the dead cell accumulation on the tongue’s surface. Also, the bacteria trapped in between the papillae secrete a yellow pigment, which gives the yellow appearance to the tongue. One of the other causes of the tongue to turn yellow is the liver problem that causes jaundice. There are many other reasons for this yellowing of the tongue, such as a UTI, excessive use of antibiotics, and overuse of mouthwashes that contain oxidizing substances. If the thickness of the yellow coat is visibly more than usual and is not reducing with scraping or other oral hygiene methods, visit your doctor. Apart from that, a yellow tongue, in general, is indicative of a stomach or a liver disorder.

7. Tongue With Sores And Bumps

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Do you feel your tongue has bumps on the surface that are sore and painful? It might be stress or some irritants that are causing these bumps. Certain food particles or smoking can lead to irritation and the consequential enlargement of the papillae. There’s a condition called canker sores that cause a similar bump and slight pain. Stress, again, is considered to be the major factor causing these bumps. In some rare cases, the bumps could indicate oral cancer if they persist for more than two weeks. You might not experience pain initially, but do not neglect it if the bumps do not reduce even after two weeks.

Have you experienced any of the above problems? How did you deal with them? Comment below and let me know.

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