Contents
It can be an indicator of disease, although this is not always the case. A coated tongue, i.e. a colored coating appearing on it, is a very common condition. Although it occurs with various diseases, its causes are also: smoking cigarettes, abuse of tea or coffee, as well as fluid deficiency in the body.
A coated tongue is a cause for concern when it is accompanied by pain, burning, itching, or ailments of other organs. Then it can be a symptom of the disease. Among the “normal” causes of plaque are those mentioned above, and poor oral hygiene and spice intake coloring the tongue.
Yellow coating on the tongue
It may indicate diseases gallbladder, bile ducts and liver disorders. This type of tongue discoloration, combined with heartburn, belching, pain in the middle of the abdomen, or severe vomiting, accompanies gastric and duodenal ulcers.
However, it happens that such a raid without additional symptoms occurs in people who consume too much coffee and tea, smoking cigarettes and – of course – eating too much spice that gives this color, e.g. turmeric.
White coating on the tongue
In its natural color, the tongue is slightly whitish, not completely red. Among the reasons for the appearance of white tongue, which do not have to worry, there are:
too little fluid intake,
excessive use of mouthwashes with hydrogen peroxide,
poor oral hygiene.
The latter cause can be prevented by thoroughly brushing the tongue as well (you can also use brushes with a special surface designed to clean this part of the mouth).
Nevertheless, if the coating has the consistency of curdled milk and is white as chalk, and also covers the throat, esophagus and palate, it may mean oral mycosis. In this case, there is also inflammation of the tongue, pain and burning in the mucous membrane, ulceration.
A coated tongue also often occurs after antibiotic therapy. What other diseases can white bloom indicate:
anemia,
typhoid fever, when the coating covers the entire tongue except for the edges and tip,
adenoid hypertrophy and other diseases that cause mouth breathing,
syphilis – appears in the second stage of the disease,
scarlet fever, if after some time a white precipitate separates and the so-called raspberry tongue,
leukoplakia – the most serious cause, i.e. a precancerous lesion most often appearing in smokers.
Brown and black coating on the tongue
Brown discoloration is most common in smokers and heavy drinkers large amounts of coffee and tea. It can also mean various diseases of the digestive system – gastric and duodenal ulcers, gallstones (with strong, paroxysmal, acute pain in the upper abdomen), gastritis (also accompanied by pain in the upper abdomen, vomiting, fever, nausea) . In addition, a brown coating sometimes signals problems with respiratory system – again most often in smokers, as well as acidification of the body and too many toxins.
Black tongue is usually a symptom kidney dysfunction. With their acute insufficiency, there is pain in the lumbar region, diarrhea, hemorrhages in the digestive tract, vomiting, sometimes swelling of the legs, whole body, and hands.