Darrick Robles On the tongue sit between 2,000 and 4,000 taste buds, with which we perceive whether something tastes sweet, salty, bitter or sour. It is also an ideal breeding ground for bacteria of all kinds. Most of the bacteria that colonize the oral cavity are found on the tongue. Some are beneficial to health, while others can cause health problems.
The color of your tongue depends on several factors – for example, what you ate and whether you drank enough.
What does a healthy tongue look like?
“A healthy tongue is moist, painless and has a delicate shade of pink. The surface of the tongue is covered with small nodules and humps called papillae, which contain the taste buds,” explains Dr. Nikki Ramskill, general practitioner at Med-Healths.
What does a covered tongue mean?
Yellowish coating
“A yellowish or brown coating on the tongue can be caused by an accumulation of bacteria caused bypoor oral hygiene, smoking, alcohol, a lot of coffee or black tea,” explains Dr. Ramskill.
A dry mouth and the use of products with thymol, menthol, witch hazel, peroxides, eucalyptus or alcohol can also cause a yellow coating.
If the coating on the tongue is a strong shade of yellow and your face and eyes also look yellowish, you should have a doctor check you up. This can be a sign of gallbladder or liver disease.
White coating
A light whitish coating is normal. Athick white coating on the tongue can have a number of causes, for example a cold. But there can also be other reasons behind it:
Fungal infection (oral thrush):‘Awhite and crumbly coatingon the tongue may indicate yeast. The so-called oral thrush often occurs in people with a weak immune system,” says Dr.ram skillAsthma sprays containing cortisone can also cause the plaque. Therefore, you should always rinse your mouth or brush your teeth after using a spray. Oral thrush is easily treated with antifungal medicines.
Lichen planus: Lichen planus is an Autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in the mouth or other parts of the body. Whitish nodulesor a lacy pattern formon the tongue and inside the mouth,” explains Dr.ram RAM Skill
Leukoplakia: In leukoplakia, noticeable White Patchesappear on the tongue, gums, or the inside of the cheeks. The disease is most commonly caused by smoking. The following applies here: It is better to get a medical check-up!
