Your tongue can tell you a lot about your health.
Dr Hilary appeared on ITV's Lorraine today as he said that "the tongue is responsible for a lot of our health". The health expert explained that a "normal" tongue should look "nice and pink".
If it changes colour then it is obvious that there may be a problem with your health. People can get a hairy tongue or geographic tongue too.
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Each of these changes in the tongue can indicate something different. Here is what to look out for.
A white coated tongue
The appearance of a white coating is caused by debris, bacteria and dead cells getting lodged between the enlarged and sometimes inflamed papillae. Dr Hilary said: "If your tongue is covered then use a tongue scraper to gently scrape it or it could lead to bad breathe or dental hygiene."
Mouth breathers and smokers are at higher risk of developing a white coating on their tongues. It can also be a sign of oral thrush.
A hairy tongue
A hairy tongue normally causes the tongue to look dark in colour. Although black hairy tongue may look alarming, typically it doesn't cause any health problems, and it's usually painless. Black hairy tongue usually resolves by eliminating possible causes or contributing factors and practicing good oral hygiene.
A geographic tongue
Geographic tongue is a condition that gets its name from patches that look like a map on the top and sides of your tongue. You can also have it in other areas of your mouth. About 1 in 10 people with geographic tongue have mild discomfort or a burning or painful feeling.
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