A pink tongue is healthy and normal. A red tongue may indicate heat in the body like a fever or a hormonal imbalance. A reddish purple tongue is a sign that there may be inflammation or an infection in the body. A pale pink tongue may be a sign of a vitamin deficiency, a weak immune system or a lack of energy.
But did you also know, the tongue can also provide insight in a person's overall wellness. Your tongue changes color when your body is sick, low on vitamins, or dehydrated. When looking into your mouth, your dentist can quickly check for any health issues just by checking the color of your tongue.
An unhealthy tongue. If your tongue is a different colour than pink, or has large patches of white, brown, black, or another colour, this might indicate a specific health issue. Similarly, if you have large bumps or no bumps at all, you may also want to speak to a doctor.
“It could be dead bacteria if you've been fighting off a cold or infection, or mucous if you've been congested,” he says. Both types of debris are fairly harmless, and their accumulation can give your tongue a whitish appearance, he says.
Several clinical trials investigated tongue features as the symptoms of COVID-19 and found statistically significant differences between COVID-19 patients and healthy people. Red or light red tongue, yellow coating and greasy coating were common in patients with COVID-19.
Does a white tongue mean you're sick? Not necessarily. Often, a white tongue means you should focus on your oral hygiene or overall health. For example, it may mean that you need to brush and floss more regularly and steer clear of tobacco and alcohol.
Symptoms and Causes of Brown Tongue
Typically, a healthy tongue sheds and regenerates continuously. If that doesn't happen, bacteria and other substances become trapped. This buildup of bacteria can cause your tongue to look brown.
Conditions that cause inflammation of the gastric lining have been known to cause yellow tongue coating. Several studies have confirmed that a yellow, thickened tongue coating is associated with chronic cases of gastritis or inflammation of the stomach lining, especially when caused by the bacteria Helicobacter pylori.
Yellow tongue could be a result of smoking, poor oral hygiene or other causes. But it could also indicate an underlying health condition, such as autoimmune disorders.
The mucocutaneous manifestations seen in COVID-19 infection include depapillation of the tongue, lesions seen on alveolar mucosa, gingiva, buccal mucosa, dysgeusia, and dry mouth.
In a kind of immune system error, the cells produce smooth, red, irregularly shaped patches on the top or sides of your tongue. While this condition is generally harmless, in some cases these patches can cause pain or a burning sensation, especially when eating strongly flavored or spicy foods.
When someone is dehydrated, the tongue appears dry and typically has a white or white-to-yellowish coating. In some cases, the tongue can appear patchy or splotchy. If your tongue commonly sticks to the roof of your mouth, you are dehydrated!
Furthermore, muscles such as the masseter (mastication muscle) are activated during stress and several aspects of saliva are changed (e.g., cortisol levels, flow rates) [6]. As a result, any of these changes could potentially contribute to the increase of purple color in the tongue.
Spector estimated fewer than 1 in 500 patients have "COVID tongue." The main symptoms he hears about are a "furry coating" of the tongue that can be white or yellow and can't be brushed away, and a scalloped tongue. The condition can be painful.
Yellow tongue is a harmless but often concerning condition that is caused by a buildup of bacteria and debris in the small bumps on the surface of the tongue. It can also be caused by dehydration, dry mouth, smoking, drinking coffee or alcohol, eating certain foods or taking certain medications.
Most often, yellow tongue is an early sign of a disorder known as black hairy tongue. Rarely, yellow tongue may be a sign of jaundice, a yellowing of the eyes and skin, which sometimes indicates liver or gallbladder problems.
A black or brown tongue, known as “hairy tongue,” isn't harmful. But it may be unsightly and cause bad breath. Hairy tongue is commonly caused by: Smoking.
Oral hairy leukoplakia is a type of white tongue that can occur in people who are immunocompromised. It's most common in people with HIV/AIDS or those who've had an organ transplant. It tends to affect the edges of the tongue most. The cause is the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) — the same virus that causes mononucleosis.
If your result is positive, you will see 2 lines on the test. A pink line next to C and a pink line next T. This means you have a positive COVID-19 result. If your result is negative, you will see one line next to C.
A white tongue and sore throat may be symptoms of strep throat. White tongue may also be due to bacterial infections, such as syphilis or periodontal disease, or a chronic autoimmune disorder called oral lichen planus.