by M. Lee

Created on: February 14, 2010   Last Updated: February 15, 2010

What Your Tongue Can Tell You about Your Health

You may have never thought about it, but your tongue can tell you a lot about your general health; just ask any doctor or dentist.  The tongue is used by medical professionals to diagnose and test different illnesses.  Because the tongue is a structure that is so integral to our daily lives, it can be an immediate indicator of a larger problem such as gum disease, stress, or more serious problems like heart disease.

Using the tongue to determine an idea about a person’s health isn’t a new phenomenon.  It dates back to ancient Eastern philosophy in which the tongue is seen as a road map to the rest of the body.  According to the ancient Chinese, here are some general beliefs about what the tongue could indicate:

* White – possible digestive problems or releasing toxins

*Gray or Brown – possible stomach or intestinal problems

*Yellow or Green – possible liver or gallbladder problems

*White/Reddish combination – possible toxic colon

*Red spots – possible heart problems

*White at the tip, yellow at the base – possible kidney problems

In modern medicine, the tongue can be the first indicator of certain illnesses. It is when your tongue presents unusual appearances.  In most cases, it will be your dentist that notices first.  Dental professionals must know a lot about the tongue for obvious reasons.  Any irregularities in the tongue could mean that a person is stressed out, working too much, or not getting enough of a certain vitamin.  Here are some signs that your dentist may look further into:

White Coating

A white coating usually indicates a significant amount of dead bacteria in the mouth. This can be caused by a dry mouth or a lack of oxygen.  Dead bacteria in the mouth can lead to an increase in volatile sulfa compounds which results in bad breath.  This can also lead to fungal infections and gum disease.

Spots and Sores

Tongue problems can also indicate the possibility of oral cancer.  Sores on the tongue that don’t go away or heal as well as blue or black spots on the tongue could be oral cancer.  In the case of oral cancer, early detection is key.  Every year, there are about 30,000 new cases of oral cancer in the United States.  That ends up being almost 7,500 deaths.  Oral cancer is very common and very curable when discovered early enough.

Black Hairy Tongue

Though the idea of your tongue becoming black and hairy can be quite scary, it usually isn’t anything serious.  The small bumps on the tongue’s surface, also known as papillae, continue to grow throughout a lifetime.  Sometimes, they can become excessively long and harbor bacteria.  It is the excessive growth of bacteria that causes the tongue to look hairy.  Usually, good dental hygiene can prevent this condition.  (Chemotherapy and other medications can also lead to this.)

Tongue Inspection

Regularly checking your tongue for signs of abnormalities, odd tongue coatings, and discoloration is a good idea.  In general, a healthy tongue will be pink with a little bit of texture to it.  Inspecting your tongue isn’t hard and you can do so every day.  Just stand in front of the mirror with plenty of light and check the top, bottom, and sides of your tongue.  If you see anything that stands out, make an appointment with your dentist or doctor.

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