○Since then, at a party, a woman told me that she could tell everything I wanted to know about my friend by looking at his tongue. My friend dutifully opened her mouth, and after a moment of careful examination, the woman declared that my friend needed to take control of her life.
Perhaps a more impressive trick would have been to find someone who would not consider this good advice. But the idea that our tongues hold clues to our health spans thousands of years and continents, explains Dr. Yanfang Ren, a professor at the University of Rochester's Institute of Oral Health. . For example, in traditional Chinese medicine, different parts of the tongue are associated with different organs.
The shape, color, and texture of a person's tongue can provide valuable insight into a person's health, Ren says. “The tongue is critical to many of our important functions,” explains Len. These help us swallow, breathe, speak, and pose funny for photos.
But can a person's tongue really tell their health status?
What does a healthy tongue look like?
The tongue is like a snowflake and moist. Also, no two are the same. “No one looks for the tongue,” says Dr. Frank Scannapieco, distinguished professor of oral biology at Sunny University.
Generally, the tongue is between pale pink and dark red in color, with a thin whitish layer of dead skin on top. The small projections on the surface are called papillae, which specifically contain human taste buds.
To get a healthy baseline for your tongue, Scannapieco recommends looking at your tongue in the mirror every now and then to “get a feel for what's normal.” If you notice any significant changes after that, consult your dentist or doctor.
What does the appearance of the tongue tell us about a person's health?
“The appearance of our tongue can tell us a lot about our health status,” says Jiwon Lim, a clinician and hospital dentist at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center. “They let us know that our bodies aren't working properly.”
Not all changes are red flags. The appearance of your tongue changes from day to day based on what you eat and drink. For example, Blue Gatorade leaves a distinctive bright blue residue on your tongue, but that's nothing to worry about. Certain foods, such as coffee, tea, berries, beets, candy, and certain curries, can also discolor your tongue, but it's only temporary.
Discoloration can also be the result of certain medications, Scannapieco explains. “It could be due to a black tongue, a blue tongue, antibiotics, things like that,” he says. Ask your doctor if these may be side effects of the medicine you are taking.
However, certain changes may indicate more serious health concerns. Some are harmless and go away on their own, while others require treatment by a dentist or doctor. Ren said most people don't see a dentist enough, so they don't have a medical professional to diagnose their tongue or mouth condition. “In this country, only about 40% of the population sees a dentist regularly,” he says. “That's a problem.”
Here are some common tongue changes to be aware of.
bright red: Also called a bright red tongue.strawberry tongueA bumpy texture may indicate a variety of symptoms, including allergies. Kawasaki diseasetoxic shock syndrome, scarlet fever, vitamin B12 deficiency.
white spots: White spots on the tongue can indicate different conditions, depending on their texture. Milky spots that are painful when brushed or rubbed can be a sign of disease. Oral candidiasissays Scannapieco. This is a type of yeast infection that is common in infants, young children, people over 65, and people with weakened immune systems. Treat with antifungal drugs.
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If the white spots are thick and cannot be rubbed off, they may be a sign of disease. leukoplakiaRen says this is sometimes considered a precancerous condition.
yellowish color“If someone has a buildup of yellow-green debris on their tongue, it may be a sign of poor oral hygiene,” says Lim. This colored debris tends to accumulate more in patients who smoke, she added.
Red patch with a raised white border: This is known as a “geographical tongue” because these spots tend to move and appear in different areas from day to day. This is common, and Ren estimates that about 30% of the population experiences it at some point. It is also painless, benign, and incurable. “We don't know what causes geographic tongue,” says Lim. She says some literature points to it as an autoimmune disease, and in some of her patients it appears to be associated with higher levels of stress.
small scratch: Small sores on the tongue or the soft tissues of the mouth may be canker sores. According to the report, these symptoms can be caused by oral injuries (such as biting your own tongue or irritation from braces), stress, hormonal changes, and some allergies and food sensitivities. . mayo clinic. It can also be a sign of certain autoimmune diseases, such as Crohn's disease or celiac disease.
black color: If the nipples don't shed regularly and grow longer than normal, trapping bacteria and debris in your mouth, your tongue may appear black or dark brown. This can lead to a condition called “black hairy tongue.” Lim said this is common in patients with weakened immune systems. For example, if you have HIV and have low CD4 white blood cells, your body may not be able to fight off the common bacteria and fungi that build up in your mouth.
How can you keep your tongue healthy?
“Unfortunately, the tongue is something we often ignore,” says Scannapieco.
That doesn't mean you have to do a lot to keep it clean. Maintaining good overall oral hygiene is usually enough, Lim says. This means following the rules of the American Dental Association. recommendation Brush your teeth twice a day for two minutes with fluoride toothpaste.
You can also use a scraper, but don't overdo it, Lim says. “If you rub your tongue too hard, your tongue can appear fiery red or white because the papillae of your tongue are enlarged,” she explains. If you use a tongue scraper, be sure to read the instructions and avoid using too much pressure, Lim says.
It's one way to take control of your life, or at least your mouth.
