White tongue coating usually consists of food residues and bacteria or dead cells that give the tongue a whitish appearance.
The white color may worry some patients, but usually the cause is harmless and soon disappears.
However, the white tongue can also indicate serious conditions, from infections to a precancerous stage.
Diseases that can cause white tongue coating also include:
- Liver disorders such as cirrhosis
- Stomach diseases such as gastritis and reflux disease.
Contents
When is there cause for concern?
A visit to the doctor is recommended if:
- the white spots do not disappear despite treatment with natural remedies
- in addition, pain, swelling and discomfort occur on the tongue
- the white colour lasts longer than two weeks
Causes of white hyoid coating
Intestinal overload White coating in the middle or back of the tongue is a sign that the digestive system is overloaded.
The coating has a whitish or yellow appearance, depending on your personal constitution.
When the digestive system is overloaded by overeating, intestinal activity slows down.
If the cause of white tongue coating lies in the intestine, lactic ferments can be used.
Fermentation products and probiotic drinks are among the most effective measures to restore the natural balance of the intestinal flora.
A healthy tongue should have a fresh appearance and a very thin white coating.
An effective means of combating the Candida fungus is the intake of live enzymes and probiotics to aid in the digestion of food and populate the intestines with beneficial bacteria.
Tongue piercing The piercing
causes an injury that causes an inflammatory reaction of the body, causing swelling, overheating, redness and pain.
In addition, a tongue infection can develop, so an antibacterial mouthwash should be used.
The white coating that forms is usually caused by the mouthwash or it is a viscous liquid that contains white blood cells, residues and dead cells.
After a piercing, such a tongue coating is quite normal and would have to pass within 3-4 weeks.
If additional symptoms occur, a doctor should be consulted.
Candida and candidiasis
The most common cause of white tongue coating is thrush, a fungal infection caused by fungi of the genus Candida.
The appearance of candida is nothing serious, but may indicate a weakening of the immune system.
A fungal infection of the tongue caused by candida (candidiasis) can occur as a result of antibiotic or steroid treatment. These drugs cause candidiasis because they allow the fungus to multiply on the tongue.
As another possible cause, AIDS can also weaken the body’s defenses.
Newborns can contract this infection because their immune system is still weak.
To distinguish whether there is a fungal infection or the coating represents a collection of dead cells, the surface of the tongue is carefully scraped off with a tongue spatula.
If the white coating can be removed and leaves reddened spots, it could be thrush.
Oral lichen planus (OLP)
Oral lichen planus is a disease that mainly affects middle-aged people. It causes white spots in the oral cavity that can spread to adjacent structures, such as teeth and gums.
Oral lichen planus is sensitive to changes in diet and lifestyle changes.
It is a chronic disease.
It seems that this disease is associated with stress and spicy foods.
Treatment of lichen planus: In most cases,
healing occurs spontaneously without medical attention. Important is careful oral hygiene and abstinence from alcohol and nicotine.
Doctors also recommend an effective method of stress management and moderate consumption of spicy foods to keep symptoms under control.
Syphilis
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease that often occurs through unprotected oral intercourse with infected individuals.
The primary injury can begin 10 to 90 days after infection and manifest itself in the form of a small, painless ulcer in the oral cavity or tongue.
Treatment of syphilis: At a doctor’s visit, the treatment of symptoms by orally administered penicillin can be discussed. Sexual contact during active infection should be avoided so that no infection of the sexual partner can occur.
Throat
cancer Cancers of the mouth can cause spots in the mouth, which can occur along with growth, weight loss, pain, frequent bleeding and difficulty performing certain throat activities (chewing, swallowing or speaking).
Most often, tobacco use or smoking plays an important role in the disease.
Other factors for the occurrence of the disease are family history, excessive alcohol consumption and a damaged immune system as in AIDS.
Treatment of throat cancer: If symptoms such as weight loss, frequent bleeding in the mouth (without gum disease) and progressive hoarseness occur, a doctor should be consulted at the first opportunity so that tumor signs can be checked.
Leukoplakia
Leukoplakia is a disease that mainly affects smokers and causes rapid, excessive cell growth.
The proliferation of cells causes white spots on the tongue.
These can also be caused by other inflammatory diseases or be tied to the immune system of the tongue and withstand normal brushing.
The disease is not dangerous at the initial stage, but if proper treatment is not provided, it can develop into a precancerous stage over time.
The reason for this is the abnormal cell growth, which makes an accumulation of genetic mutations possible.
Therapy: One should consult a doctor and practice careful oral hygiene.
Avoid all irritating substances that can cause leukoplakia, such as chewing tobacco and cigarettes.
Dehydration and tongue coating
The easiest cause to fix is dehydration (dehydration).
If you don’t drink enough, you can develop white tongue coating.
However, it must be taken into account that during dehydration, not all fluids supply the body with water in the same way.
For example, you have to drink twice as much coffee and tea as water.
Immediately after getting up, 1/2 liter of water should be drunk daily, because water is what the body needs first thing in the morning.
Other causes
Other possible causes of the white spots on the tongue are bacterial infections with streptococci, which can occur in the throat; there may be white spots on red tongue or red spots on white tongue.
With infection, the white tongue appears along with bad breath.
The pathogen is discovered by blood analysis or bacterial culture.
Other common causes include long-term alcohol abuse and certain antibiotics.
Those who inhale steroids are particularly at risk of developing white spots on the tongue due to fungal infections (often in immunocompromised patients or chronic asthma).
What are the causes of a red or raspberry-red tongue?
There are several causes of red tongue coating.
In some cases, the tongue takes on a raspberry-red color, the taste buds are enlarged and divided.
Possible causes of a red tongue include:
- Vitamin deficiency
- Deficiency of folic acid and vitamin B-12
Map tongue (Lingua geographica)
This disease is characterized by noticeable map-like changes with reddish spots that arise on the surface of the tongue.
Sometimes the spots are lined with white, their position can change over time.
The stains are usually harmless, but a dentist should be consulted if they last longer than 2 weeks.
If the dentist is sure that the tongue is reddened due to a lingua geographica, no further treatment is required.
In addition, if the tongue hurts or causes discomfort, topical medications may be used for relief.
Scarlet fever
Typical for this infectious disease is the raspberry tongue. In case of high fever and red tongue, a doctor must be notified immediately. With scarlet fever, antibiotic treatment is required.
Kawasaki syndrome
This condition is characterized by vascular inflammation and usually affects children under 5 years of age; one of the typical symptoms is the strawberry tongue.
In the acute phase, the children usually have a very high fever and possibly redness and swelling of the hands and feet.
Treatment of white hyoid coating
Targeted diet for white tongue Drink
a lot – at least 6-8 glasses of water daily.
Also try vegetable juices made from celery, beetroot, carrots, mint or ginger.
In the morning, sip a glass of lukewarm water with lemon juice, which cleanses the digestive tract and liver.
Soy milk can leave a white coating on the tongue.
Foods that favor a white tongue coating are fats and dairy products because they cause digestive problems.
Lifestyle habits
Careful oral hygiene, including regular brushing of teeth, flossing and brushing the tongue. Ayurvedic tongue scrapers are available in many health food stores or Indian specialty stores.
Avoid alcohol and nicotine.
Consider detoxifying the liver.
If other symptoms become noticeable in the digestive tract, such as meteorism, flatulence and constipation, there may be a fungal infection caused by Candida.
Natural remedies for white tongue coating
- Take probiotic products because they help fight the hyperproliferation of Candida albicans.
- Use an alcohol-based mouthwash to kill the bacteria.
- Spread coal powder or salt on the tongue.
- Brush your teeth in the evening with vegetable glycerin.
- Another natural healing measure is to rub the mouth with lukewarm water and 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper – but this is very hot and, according to Shelton’s health hygiene, harmful to the nerve endings of the tongue and oral cavity.
