Based On The Color Of Your Tongue It Can Indicate Your Health Condition Too

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Facts About Tongue

Did you know that no two tongues are like? Your tongue print is as unique as a Fingerprint. Though small in size, your tongue is big in importance.

It helps you taste, eat, digest and speak. Your tongue is strong and has eight strong muscles. Four muscles allow your tongue to change shape and the other four allow your tongue to change position.

These muscles move your tongue in different directions and help you speak. Your tongue is a natural cleaner. It starts clearing out food on your teeth after eating.

Amazingly almost half of all the bacteria in your mouth live on your tongue.

Keep reading as we share to you what can be the indications of each discoloration of your tongue to your health.

As you noticed when in usual checkup, they will check as well out mouth by opening it. It means to check our tongue through our throat which is having importance even it will only take a second for them to know our health conditions.

According to Dr. Daniel Allan, Family Physician at the Cleveland Clinic “Any discoloration, lumps, sores or pain (of the tongue) should be monitored and evaluated by a medical professional if they don’t go away within two weeks”.

Your tongue is germ free only if it is pink. If it is white there is a thin film of bacteria on it. Aside from that, there are changes of color in your tongue such as Black, Blue, Bright red, Purple and Yellow.

Here are the explanations of each color mentioned above connecting with health conditions:

WHITE

A whitish tongue is by far the most common type of discoloration. It is often related to continued, poor oral hygiene. Other conditions that may cause whitening of the tongue include:

– Canker sores: visible white sores on the tongue. Canker sores often contain white to yellowish lesions at the center. Though painful, canker sores are usually rather harmless. Repeated cases, however, should be examined to test for possible underlying conditions.

– Leukoplakia: a condition associated with irritation of the tongue caused by chewing tobacco. The condition causes cells called mucous membranes to inflame. Discoloration is evident when the apex of the tongue or inner cheek of the mouth show whitish-grey patches.

– Oral thrush (candidiasis): manifests from a yeast called Candida albicans. This yeast creates white, creamy textured patches on the tongue’s surface. Thrush can happen to anyone, though people with suppressed immune system, the very young, and the elderly are especially at-risk.

BLACK

Strange looking as it may be, medical conditions don’t typically cause a black tongue. Sometimes, the tongue may appear black by elongation of the papillae, small bumps on it’s surface. Black tongue may be caused by certain OTC medications (e.g., antibiotics and bismuth), mouthwash products, lack of oral hygiene, or tobacco use.

BLUE

A tongue that looks blue should always be considered a medical emergency. As is the case with other parts of the body, the color blue often indicates a cutoff of blood somewhere.

A blue tongue may be a sign of cyanosis, a serious condition that disrupts oxygen supply to our tissue. Cyanosis may be caused by blood disorders, blood vessel diseases, or cardiac conditions.

BRIGHT RED

A bright red tongue may be due to a couple of things. Glossitis, or inflammation of the tongue, is the most common. A bright red tongue may also be a sign of nutrient deficiency. Family physician, Dr. Danial Allan, states “Folic acid and vitamin B-12 deficiencies may cause your tongue to take on a reddish appearance.”

More severe conditions include Scarlet fever, which causes the tongue to have a red and bumpy texture. Dr. Allan says, “If you have a high fever and a red tongue, you need to see your family doctor.” Scarlet fever can is easily treatable with the appropriate antibiotics.

PURPLE

A purplish tongue is uncommon compared to other tongue discolorations. There are two “usual suspects” for a purple tongue:

– Nutrient deficiency, particularly when we lack vitamin B2 (riboflavin).
– As a precursor to blue tongue, which is a potentially-severe medical condition. Thus, a person whose tongue exhibits purplish colors requires monitoring by medical staff until the color recedes.

A purple tongue may also be caused by certain diseases and requires examination by a licensed physician.

YELLOW

As with a purple tongue, yellow is a rare tint for the tongue. It usually precedes the growth of black tongue. Sporadically, a yellow tongue may be a symptom of jaundice – a medical condition causing yellowing or greenish pigmentation of the skin due to high bilirubin levels.

As our tongue — being a small but often hailed as "the strongest muscle in the body” so we should take good care of it too! Keep your tongue clean by brushing it as same as brushing your teeth. But you notice some bumps, lumps and soreness it is worth to consult a doctor if this occurs with a couple of weeks to prevent some severe cases.