I advise my patients to take a look at their tongue every now and then to note any changes. It is not usually a serious condition but can lead to some mild complications. Bright Red: It may seem ironic, but a bright red tongue, for instance, indicates a lack of nutrients in the body, particularly iron and B vitamins – responsible for energy, cell growth and the proper functioning of the nervous system. But who thinks of their tongue? Not only do they help us talk, digest, and taste delicious food, they also offer valuable clues about our overall health. They’re the small hairs between your taste buds. A natural balance of fluids in the body is essential for healthy gut function and overall vitality. For example, those that are strawberry or raspberry-colored can be one of the early signs of scarlet fever or Kawasaki disease, a rare childhood illness that affects the blood vessels and can damage the heart. According to the ancient healing philosophy, the shape, quality, texture, coating, and color of the tongue can provide clues about somebody's health and well-being. Tongue pain: what your sore tongue is trying to tell you. Or you may experience a benign yet rather uncomfortable condition called geographic tongue, brought on by a B vitamin deficiency, or an irritation stemming from alcohol or particular foods. When it comes to your health, you may be used to looking out for differences in your energy levels, your skin, and blood pressure. If something is wrong in the way of the digestive system, the signs may be on the tongue. All rights reserved. And I applied it all over my body before bed. Pale: A pale tongue, however, means that your blood is sorely lacking in haemoglobin, the iron-containing protein that’s found in red blood cells. I know what you are thinking… hairy tongue, is this for real!? According to holistic health traditions, a healthy tongue suggests a healthy body and mind. It also contains the taste buds that help us taste the food we eat. This imbalance can cause digestive problems, skin disorders, and even psychological issues like depression. For one, if the tongue is inflamed, it is likely infected, and you should consult a physician ASAP. Our tongue is an important organ in our body; it enters the category of muscle according to many people. Canker sores on tongue. They can give an indication of your overall health, or signal that you might need to take better care of your oral health. People who are fasting may be drinking an inadequate amount of fluid to replace what is lost through respiration, sweating and urination. It can also suggest that bacteria, dead cells and debris are wedged into your tongue papillae. After all, food provides us with enough energy to produce blood. That night I pulled out a little spray bottle of “aceite de magnesio” that a friend had given me before I left on my trip. My guess is probably not. Grab a mirror and head outside to … YES. As it happens, the size, color, form and texture of … Tongue coating can give you an indication of how well your digestive system is working. All trademarks, registered trademarks and servicemarks mentioned on this site are the property of their respective owners. Required fields are marked *. A cracked tongue is usually a sign of persistent stress and tension. But that spot on your tongue can mean something more serious than surface trauma. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the tongue is a helpful tool for diagnosis, as it's an external organ that's thought to have visual health indicators. The tongue is an amazing muscle that works overtime, doing basic mechanical functions that allow us to survive. The tongue body is thought to exhibit the overall condition of the organs and primary tissues. Another function of the tongue is swallowing and helping us chew. It can give you an insight into your own health. It is a very accurate view into the inner health of an individual. Dry Tongue, Anyone? It is neither too dry nor too wet. The causes include poor oral hygiene and the excessive use of tobacco, antibiotics or stomach medications, such as Pepto-Bismol. Suspect sores, then, should be examined by a doctor straightaway. Try strategies to manage your stress levels, like breathing exercises, a daily walk outdoors or yoga. The best things you can do here is cut out all of the cold food, such as a lemon, melon or cucumber, and add more warm ingredients to your diet, like garlic, ginger and coriander. I went from an Executive Director of a non-profit organization, running marathons, rock climbing, hiking canyons and kayaking to being completely bedridden and staring at a wall for 15 hours a day. A healthy tongue is pink and covered with small nodules called papillae. Your use of this website indicates your agreement to these terms and those published here. When observing one’s tongue for clues to health conditions, the ancients took into account the following aspects: Tongue Body – The tongue itself: what does it look like? Equally essential in the creation of red blood cells are the iron found in red meat, shellfish, nuts and apricots. This discomfort may affect the tongue, gums, lips, inside of your cheeks, roof of your mouth (palate) or widespread areas of your whole mouth. Candida is a specific type of yeast bacterial overgrowth, and a sure-fire sign of it is thick white or yellow tongue coat. The color of your tongue can tell you a lot about your circulatory system and it may also tell you about levels of oxygen in your body. The tongue body is thought to exhibit the overall condition of the organs and primary tissues. © 2020 Solluna By Kimberly Snyder. Now that you know why your tongue is vibrantly red, be sure to begin taking a proven, organic supplement, and your tongue should be back to normal in no time. Different colors and textures on the tongue body will point to a variety of illnesses, from the common cold to anemia. I know it sounds impossible, but it’s 1000% the truth. The information on this site is provided for educational and entertainment purposes only. But more often than not, a red tongue warns of childhood sicknesses. The tongue, it turns out, is an amazing sense organ that can also tell us a great deal about our overall health. This probably means that there’s too much dairy and sugar in the blood, too. This is not a healthy tongue and is indicating many possible health problems happening inside the body. If it's more red than normal, it could also indicate an imbalance. They are most uncomfortable for the first four to five days, then subside and eventually disappear within two weeks. MLT Enterprises Group Inc. assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. Smooth: While a normal tongue feels a bit hairy, a smooth tongue could mean a nutritional deficiency. Doesn’t emit a bad odor or taste. The way our tongues are coated – usually on the middle or back of it – best reveals how we metabolize food and drinks in our systems. A blue or purple tongue can be an indicator of heart trouble, Marashi says. The majority of these papillae are filiform papillae, which … Although not top dog when it comes to brute force, its stamina is undeniable! It’s really an overgrowth of papillae trapping bacteria and other mouth debris. It sounds beyond gross. Luckily, doctors can look to a patient's tongue health to detect this cancer in its early stages. Subscribe and get two FREE amazing ebooks, special offers, and cutting-edge health news. Read Next: Know Your Salts: Different Types of Salt and Their Benefits. Candida can be treated with diet and a steady probiotic regimen. Make sure to take an effective daily probiotic and avoid processed food, one of the sworn enemies of beneficial bacteria. Sometimes symptoms that show up on your tongue can signal other health conditions, such as diabetes, vitamin deficiencies and scarlet fever. The appropriate white tongue treatment for your individual care will vary based on its severity and the underlying cause. As long as you practice good oral hygiene, tongue fissures are largely harmless and shouldn’t cause you any problems. Similarly, a spot on the tongue that has turned brown or has become darkly discolored could actually be melanoma, a form of skin cancer. Purple Or Bluish: A tongue that is purple or bluish could mean that fluids and blood are not circulating properly. Tongue color. Instead, try cleaning your tongue using a natural mouthwash twice daily. Join 180,000 others. \"Tongue diagnosis\" is a practice long used in traditional Chinese medicine (a system of alternative medicine that originated in China). RELATED READING: Take A Closer Look At Your Feet For Health Warning Signs. More often than not, it’s brought on by stress, work- or socially-related. The burning sensation can be severe, as if you scalded your mouth.Burning mouth syndrome usually appears suddenly, but it can develop gradually over time. The person that has this type of tongue may not know that they are showing signs of internal problems. This knowledge is not necessarily new; physicians have been looking to the tongue as an indicator of health for centuries, from ancient Greece to Indian Ayurvedic practice and Chinese medicine. But you don’t have to be a tongue pro to do some basic examination in front of your bathroom mirror. What Does a Healthy Tongue Look Like? It’s all about your tongue, not necessarily a beauty feature, perhaps, but getting a close look at your own tongue will say more about you than you think. Probably no one! Test the surface by running your fingertip across – you should feel tiny nodules called papillae that feel slightly fuzzy. It displays all taste buds and is free from red or glassy patches, deep cuts and denuded patches. So if you have a thick tongue coating, or candida, try the following tips to improve your digestion and tongue’s appearance: *Eat fermented foods to balance out your inner ecosystem, *Remember the principle of 80/20 at every meal: If you eat wholesome, healthy meals 80 percent of the time, you can indulge somewhat 20 percent of the time, *Warm up your digestion with cooked foods. Take antibiotics only when absolutely necessary. And in Ayurvedic medicine, in particular, it holds a special place. That’s because too much worrying depletes cooling, regenerative fluids. Usually fuzzy, such lesions tend to pop up on the side of the tongue. I’d pretty much turned-over every rock trying to find relief for my pain, sleep issues and myriad of other symptoms…. Yet our tongues are one of the strongest muscles in the human body. An overburdened system, involving excessive dampness or pathogenic fluid, is evident in thick tongue coats. Full Disclaimer / DMCA Policy / Contact Us. These are miniature protrusions on the tongue that shed regularly in a healthy person. Shutterstock. Tongue Coat – The film on top: what does it look like? If these you see any of these warning signs, do not fear. And add a tongue scraper to your oral hygiene routine. Or perhaps you need to kick a different addiction to caffeine (maybe try this instead). Then store your mix in the refrigerator for at least three days. It involves assessing overall health from the tongue’s appearance. Different colors and textures on the tongue body will point to a variety of illnesses, from the common cold to anemia. Our tongue is constantly working while we swallow, eat and speak. A purple tongue is also seen in those with high cholesterol and subsequent heart problems, as well as chronic bronchitis, which adversely affects the airwaves bringing oxygen into the bloodstream. A healthy tongue looks like a piece of freshly killed meat. Using the tongue to diagnose health problems is not limited to alternative medicine, in case you’re thinking, ‘I don’t buy into that kind of stuff.’ Western doctors see it as an effective way of spotting symptoms, too, and dental professionals check for signs of oral cancer during a routine checkup – which can have the appearance of ulcers, red areas, or white areas, most commonly found on the underside of the tongue and the floor of the mouth. A normal tongue should be pink with a thin white coating Dr. Amanda Frick, ND, LAc, lead naturopathic doctor for... 2. I was desperate. Let’s take a look at how this ancient practice, now confirmed by modern medical science, can educate you on what’s going on inside your system. It also indicates blood health. So open up your mouth and say, “Ahhh.” Take a look at your very own ancient health gauge today. Most cracks are located around the centerline of the tongue, thought in Ayurvedic medicine to represent the spinal column, another place where stress resides. Check with your doctor if symptoms persist beyond 10 days, please. It can warn of imbalances in the gut, metabolic abnormalities, and the presence of toxins. Many will experience the condition chronically and are misdiagnosed. Beyond its duties of helping with speech, digestion and tasting your next delicious meal, the tongue is as distinctive as your fingerprint. On the other hand, a sore or lump on another side may signal cancer. In general, attributes observed on the tongue body point to more deep-seeded and chronic conditions. A red tongue (depending on which area of the body this corresponds to on the tongue map) represents heat. But your tongue is capable of much more than just taste duties. You're drinking too much. A dry furry tongue, meanwhile, indicates that there is far too much mucus in your system. Invariably, this results in tiredness or even lethargy. So, I had to set off on my own journey to learn my true path to healing. If your tongue is constantly dry, see your doctor. Whatever the cause, this is a condition you’ll want to say goodbye to and fast. Point being, if there is an unusual color, coating or shape in a certain area, special attention is paid to the corresponding organ system. For example, a healthy digestive system is reflected by a thin, whitish tongue coating. It's obvious that your tongue can reveal a lot of different things about your health, and even a bumpy tongue can mean many, many things. Have you ever noticed your tongue feeling tired? Learn all about, her life's inspiration and journey to health and wellness, A Dog In Toronto Delivers McDonald’s To His Quarantined Owners, This Texas Farm Connects Special-Needs Kids With Injured Animals: ‘They’re just like me’, There’s Growing Evidence That Eating Fat Won’t Make You Fat, But Sugar Will, This Is What Happens To Anxiety And Depression After Spending Just A Few Minutes In Nature, 4 Foods to Consider Eating The Moment Someone Is Diagnosed With Depression, This Is How Colorado Is Using Medical Marijuana to Fight the Opioid Crisis, Know Your Salts: Different Types of Salt and Their Benefits. When it comes to our tongues, there’s certainly a lot to digest. Lesions and sores usually reveal the presence of bacteria, viruses, or a weakened immune system. Pale Pink or Whitish Tongue: What Does It Mean? Yet the most common reason is a vitamin deficiency, specifically that of B12 (more on that here), niacin or folic acid. Michelle Toole is the founder and head editor of Healthy Holistic Living. It also indicates blood health. You might notice map-like patches on the tongue that seemingly change areas from one day to the next. To make your own, blend cider vinegar with two cloves of garlic, one teaspoon of dried sage and one tablespoon of honey in one pint of boiling water. When it comes to emotions, you should pay close attention to the tip of the tongue. I can still recall what it felt like to have my life change overnight…. If your tongue is the color of a ripe strawberry, something is probably amiss. Empirical science on gut health is relatively new, but the evidence keeps stacking up that your immune system, and general well-being, largely stems from your gut. Yes, it’s completely free. 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