Can your tongue indicate health problems?
Can your tongue indicate health problems?
Bumps, patches, and spots in your mouth can be harmless. But sometimes, they can give clues to what’s going on with your overall health. Infections, stress, medication issues, and even aging can make their marks on your tongue. Find out what your tongue is telling you and when you should see your doctor or dentist.
What is the most common tongue condition?
The most common tongue condition is geographic tongue, followed by fissured tongue and hairy tongue.
What causes geographic tongue look like?
Geographic tongue results from the loss of tiny hairlike projections (papillae) on your tongue’s surface. This papillae loss appears as smooth, red patches of varying shapes and sizes. Geographic tongue is an inflammatory but harmless condition affecting the surface of your tongue.
How do you diagnose tongue?
Diagnosis
- Use a lighted instrument to check your tongue and mouth.
- Ask you to move your tongue around in various positions.
- Gently touch (palpate) your tongue to check for tenderness or unusual changes in the tongue’s texture or consistency.
- Check for signs of infection, such as fever or swollen lymph nodes in the neck.
What are some disorders of the tongue?
MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA
- Geographic tongue.
- Glossitis.
- Leukoplakia.
- Macroglossia.
- Tongue biopsy.
- Tongue problems.
- Tongue tie.
What does a pale tongue indicate?
If the tongue pales and develops white patches, this may result from a fungal infection, such as oral thrush. Oral thrush can be painful and cause thick, white or red patches to form on the tongue. A person may have trouble swallowing or eating. Another possible cause is leukoplakia.
What causes a black tongue?
Black tongue usually occurs due to a buildup of the protein keratin on the tongue’s surface. However, an overgrowth of bacteria or fungi within the mouth can also cause the tongue to appear black. Black tongue is temporary and tends to clear up without treatment.
What your tongue tells about your health?
Your tongue could reveal surprising secrets about your health. From anemia, to autoimmune diseases, to food allergies, the tongue can sometimes be a good indicator of your overall health. Check out these common tongue-related health conditions to see if your mouth might hold the secret to what’s bothering you.
How does tongue diagnosis work?
Tongue Diagnosis: Color of the Tongue: Progression of Color: When a body shows dis-ease the tongue color (underneath the coating) turns from pink to pale, to red and then to purple. Purple tongues mean blood stasis. Red dots on the tongue are called points and they have a meaning wherever they are. In Asian and African people these red dots can look brown.
How is a fissured tongue diagnosed?
Diagnosis of fissured tongue usually happens through routine dental checkups. It is during these sessions that the dentist is able to observe the cracks on the individual’s tongue while examining his/her teeth. Usually, this condition does not require a biopsy.
What is tongue diagnosis in Chinese medicine?
“Tongue diagnosis” is a practice long used in traditional Chinese medicine (a system of alternative medicine that originated in China). According to the principles of TCM, analyzing the appearance of an individual’s tongue can provide a greater understanding of his or her overall health.
