The Color of Your Tongue -- What It Means
Related Links
Tongue Sore - Causes and Top 10 Natural Remedies
Geographic Tongue-Top 10 Causes and Cures
Swollen Tongue -Causes and Top 10 Remedies
Why Is My Lip Black?-Causes and Cures
Many Chronic Diseases Start with Gum Disease
How to Stop Bad Breath
How to Kill Bacteria Between Your Teeth
Stop Gum Disease
Dry Mouth-Causes and Cures
Taste Buds--The Secret to Weight Loss
Taste Buds--Are You a SuperTaster?
Reasons for White Spots on Lips
Reasons for Dark Spots on Lips
Sugar --The Disease Connection
Can't Find an Article?- Index of Conditions
October 28, 2009, last updated December 8, 2014
By Arthur Stevens, Contributing Columnist
[Health and fitness articles are reviewed by our team of
Doctors and Registered Nurses, Certified fitness trainers and
other members of our Editorial Board.]
If the eyes are a window to your soul, then it may be that your
tongue is a window to your health. My tongue is white, what
does this mean? My tongue is black, should I be concerned?
One of the first things we notice in our day is our tongue.
Standing in front of our bathroom mirror, we almost always
take a quick survey of our tongue landscape. Most mornings,
the news is good. A healthy tongue is pink with tiny bumps
called papillae.
But sometimes, the news is bad. Or at least, it's puzzling. And
that discovery leads to some of the best clues to your overall
health. The color of your tongue, in a very real sense, is a road
map to your health. Just by examining your tongue -- as when
your doctor asks you to stick out your tongue and say "ah" --
can help you identify several possible infections, including in
some cases deadly ones. For example, oral cancer is most
often found on your lips or your tongue. (Read more about
what causes dark lips and natural remedies for this condition.)
Tongue color, then, is something you should pay close
attention to whenever you brush your teeth.
So, here is a chart of the tongue colors you might see and what
they mean:
Update:
Why Your Tongue Is Black
Black hairy tongue occurs when the papillae (tiny nubs) on our
tongue become enlarged and elongated. Black hairy tongue is a
benign condition but it is unsightly and can be distressing.
What causes black hairy tongue?
When we eat normally, we shed tiny bits of the surface of our
tongue, much like we shed a few skin cells when we scrub
ourselves when we have a bath or shower. Some medical
conditions can cause you to avoid using parts of your mouth or
tongue, and , as a result, a black hairy tongue can appear.
Medical conditions that can make you avoid using your mouth
and tongue in a normal way include toothaches, abscesses, jaw
dislocations, tongue ulcers, TMJ (temporomandibular joint
disorder also known as jaw popping or jaw clicking), burning
mouth syndrome and trigeminal neuralgia, a painful condition
also known as polypasia.
Usually conditions which can cause you to avoid exfoliating
your tongue normally are very painful ones such as trigemical
polyphasia. A 2004 report from Dr. W.P. Cheshire of the Mayo
Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida reported a severe case of black
hairy tongue in a patient with trigeminal neuralgia.
Black hairy tongue can be caused by certain drugs, according
to a 2010 study from Oklahoma State University, Department of
Pharmacy Practice. Antibiotics and drugs which can dry mouth
(xerostoma) are the usual culprits. (Read more about natural
remedies for dry mouth.)
Black hairy tongue usually disappears when you resolve the
underlying medical condition. However, a 1990 study from
researchers at Wright State University School of Medicine in
Dayton, Ohio recommend that you brush your tongue gently to
help reduce the appearance of black hairy tongue. Most doctors
recommend meticulous oral hygiene to combat the condition.
(Read more about how to effectively control the growth of
bacteria in your mouth.)
Update:
Zinc Deficiency Promotes Tongue Cancer Growth?
Chronic zinc deficiency has been associated with rapid growth
of oral (mouth, tongue) and throat cancer, new studies have
found. One study, conducted by researchers from Thomas
Jefferson University and Ohio State University, found that, if
you have low levels of zinc, found that mice that are deficient in
zinc display a unique marker for pre-cancerous inflammation.
More studies are needed, first because the existing studies are
on lab animals and because the total number of studies that
suggest a link between zinc deficiency and cancer is small.
In the meantime, making sure that you have normal healthy
zinc levels can't hurt. Add foods rich in zinc such as oysters to
your monthly diet.
Related:
Tongue Sore?- Causes and 10 Remedies
How to Stop Bad Breath
How to Kill the Bacteria Between Your Teeth
Many Chronic Diseases Start with Gum Disease
Are Diet Sodas Bad for Your Health?
Foods That Lower Your Blood Sugar /Thrush-Natural Remedies
/Sugar-The Disease Connection
More Related Links:
Snoring Linked to Stroke
Why Americans Read In Bathrooms-The Hidden Epidemic of
Constipation
Related Links
Tongue Sore - Causes and Top 10 Natural Remedies
Geographic Tongue-Top 10 Causes and Cures
Swollen Tongue -Causes and Top 10 Remedies
Why Is My Lip Black?-Causes and Cures
Many Chronic Diseases Start with Gum Disease
How to Stop Bad Breath
How to Kill Bacteria Between Your Teeth
Stop Gum Disease
Dry Mouth-Causes and Cures
Taste Buds--The Secret to Weight Loss
Taste Buds--Are You a SuperTaster?
Reasons for White Spots on Lips
Reasons for Dark Spots on Lips
Sugar --The Disease Connection
Can't Find an Article?- Index of Conditions
October 28, 2009, last updated December 8, 2014
By Arthur Stevens, Contributing Columnist
[Health and fitness articles are reviewed by our team of
Doctors and Registered Nurses, Certified fitness trainers and
other members of our Editorial Board.]
If the eyes are a window to your soul, then it may be that your
tongue is a window to your health. My tongue is white, what
does this mean? My tongue is black, should I be concerned?
One of the first things we notice in our day is our tongue.
Standing in front of our bathroom mirror, we almost always
take a quick survey of our tongue landscape. Most mornings,
the news is good. A healthy tongue is pink with tiny bumps
called papillae.
But sometimes, the news is bad. Or at least, it's puzzling. And
that discovery leads to some of the best clues to your overall
health. The color of your tongue, in a very real sense, is a road
map to your health. Just by examining your tongue -- as when
your doctor asks you to stick out your tongue and say "ah" --
can help you identify several possible infections, including in
some cases deadly ones. For example, oral cancer is most
often found on your lips or your tongue. (Read more about
what causes dark lips and natural remedies for this condition.)
Tongue color, then, is something you should pay close
attention to whenever you brush your teeth.
So, here is a chart of the tongue colors you might see and what
they mean:
Update:
Why Your Tongue Is Black
Black hairy tongue occurs when the papillae (tiny nubs) on our
tongue become enlarged and elongated. Black hairy tongue is a
benign condition but it is unsightly and can be distressing.
What causes black hairy tongue?
When we eat normally, we shed tiny bits of the surface of our
tongue, much like we shed a few skin cells when we scrub
ourselves when we have a bath or shower. Some medical
conditions can cause you to avoid using parts of your mouth or
tongue, and , as a result, a black hairy tongue can appear.
Medical conditions that can make you avoid using your mouth
and tongue in a normal way include toothaches, abscesses, jaw
dislocations, tongue ulcers, TMJ (temporomandibular joint
disorder also known as jaw popping or jaw clicking), burning
mouth syndrome and trigeminal neuralgia, a painful condition
also known as polypasia.
Usually conditions which can cause you to avoid exfoliating
your tongue normally are very painful ones such as trigemical
polyphasia. A 2004 report from Dr. W.P. Cheshire of the Mayo
Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida reported a severe case of black
hairy tongue in a patient with trigeminal neuralgia.
Black hairy tongue can be caused by certain drugs, according
to a 2010 study from Oklahoma State University, Department of
Pharmacy Practice. Antibiotics and drugs which can dry mouth
(xerostoma) are the usual culprits. (Read more about natural
remedies for dry mouth.)
Black hairy tongue usually disappears when you resolve the
underlying medical condition. However, a 1990 study from
researchers at Wright State University School of Medicine in
Dayton, Ohio recommend that you brush your tongue gently to
help reduce the appearance of black hairy tongue. Most doctors
recommend meticulous oral hygiene to combat the condition.
(Read more about how to effectively control the growth of
bacteria in your mouth.)
Update:
Zinc Deficiency Promotes Tongue Cancer Growth?
Chronic zinc deficiency has been associated with rapid growth
of oral (mouth, tongue) and throat cancer, new studies have
found. One study, conducted by researchers from Thomas
Jefferson University and Ohio State University, found that, if
you have low levels of zinc, found that mice that are deficient in
zinc display a unique marker for pre-cancerous inflammation.
More studies are needed, first because the existing studies are
on lab animals and because the total number of studies that
suggest a link between zinc deficiency and cancer is small.
In the meantime, making sure that you have normal healthy
zinc levels can't hurt. Add foods rich in zinc such as oysters to
your monthly diet.
Related:
Tongue Sore?- Causes and 10 Remedies
How to Stop Bad Breath
How to Kill the Bacteria Between Your Teeth
Many Chronic Diseases Start with Gum Disease
Are Diet Sodas Bad for Your Health?
Foods That Lower Your Blood Sugar /Thrush-Natural Remedies
/Sugar-The Disease Connection
More Related Links:
Snoring Linked to Stroke
Why Americans Read In Bathrooms-The Hidden Epidemic of
Constipation
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