Not only the color but also the shape and position could reveal a lot about our state of health. At one time, the examination of the tongue was given as much consideration as that of the wrist. Today these details have definitely taken a back seat in medical universities, so doctors are unlikely to observe us with so much attention. On the other hand, in Asian countries the habit has not been lost, far from it: many hours are devoted to studying the signals of our body. Here are some simple tricks to highlight any health ailments. Problems that, if necessary, can be confirmed by the attending physician. Black Tongue: You’ve probably overdone some medications
Discarding the hypothesis of a licorice candy or freshly ingested coffee, you have probably exceeded with the use of some medications. These include those that contain bismuth subsalicylate. But that’s not all: some cancer treatments could also cause a similar problem. Brownish tongue: Maybe you have hypertrophy of the papillae
Also in this case we must go for exclusion: if you don’t have the habit of chewing tobacco, maybe it’s something else. If the color is black-brown, you are probably affected by the villous language nigra. It is a hypertrophy of the papillae. Unfortunately, the cause of the disease has not yet been understood but it is hypothesized that it may be due to the intake of drugs such as Amitriptyline, Chloramphenicol, Clarithromycin, Clomipramine, pennicillin, Clonazepam, Corticosteroids and Sulfonamides. Or the abuse of mouthwashes that develop oxygen and, ultimately, an immunodeficiency.
Tongue color and health problems | Photo Di-Vladimir-GjorgievShutterstock Tongue too red: maybe you have some disease going on
First of all, check that the color is not caused by what you have recently eaten. If by any chance you’ve just enjoyed a nice strawberry popsicle or beetroot it is very likely that the color is not due to a health issue. It could also be the ingestion of certain types of drugs that cause a strange tone in the tongue. If, on the other hand, none of these hypotheses are involved, it is very likely that there is an ongoing infectious disease. For example, if in addition to the redness there are also small spots (strawberry tongue), it could be a rash disease such as measles, scarlet fever or rubella. More rarely, it also occurs in children with Kawasaki syndrome (infantile vasculitis). If, on the other hand, it is not an infectious disease, you probably have glossitis – an inflammation of the tongue – often accompanied by swelling, burning or pain of the oral cavity. Finally, if the tongue is only slightly red, it probably lacks B vitamins.Yellow tongue: maybe it’s just a little intoxication
According to oriental medicine, a yellowish-white patina that is highlighted above the tongue suggests a bacterial overproduction or a slightly intoxicated intestine. According to other theories it is a poor oral hygiene. In other cases it is thought of poor digestion, poor assimilation of nutrients, liver disorders and diabetes. It should be noted that there are also cases where it occurs alongside oral lichen. Finally, it can occur in allergic subjects who have a lot of mucus and who breathe badly through the nose. In all cases it is possible to try a detox cure to see if the problem improves.
