Specialists told what diseases the plaque on the tongue indicates

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The tongue is normal of a person is pale pink in color, it is soft and flexible, and on the surface an even fold and taste buds are clearly visible. But sometimes we find a strange plaque on the tongue. This harmless at first glance symptom can indicate serious diseases. Experts told what to pay attention to in order not to lose health.

The tongue is a mirror of the gastrointestinal tract

In diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, a change in the color of the tongue is a very visible symptom. Due to acute gastritis, a thick layer of light gray plaque may appear. Only the tip of the tongue and its sides will remain clean. Swelling and mucus may also appear. If gastritis is chronic, the layer of plaque becomes denser, and when the acidity of gastric juice decreases, bright red spots sometimes appear on the tongue.

One of the most common gastrointestinal diseases is gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Its main symptom is heartburn. Also, patients often complain about a change in sensitivity to tastes: the mucous membrane is covered, and a dense light coating appears on its surface.

Gastric ulcer disease manifests itself in the form of a dense gray coating on the tip of the tongue, which cannot be cleaned. With a duodenal ulcer, swelling of the tongue is observed, often it increases so much that teeth marks are visible on its sides. If you start peptic ulcer, a light-colored plaque will appear on the back of the tongue.

In medicine, there is such a phenomenon as “geographic language”

In case of disorders of the functions of the gallbladder, biliary tract, helminthic invasions, atopic dermatitis, characteristic changes of the tongue, which have been called “geographical tongue”, often develop. Areas of hyperemia – redness, alternating with places of pale gray color appear on its surface. Over time, these areas change their location and color. They can merge with each other, forming a whimsical pattern that resembles the drawing of a geographical map.

Infections have their own color

Acute intestinal infections are very clearly manifested by vomiting and diarrhea. In addition, because of them, the tongue becomes dry and the surface is covered with a thick dark brown, almost black, plaque.

In Vincent's ulcerative-necrotic stomatitis, the tongue plaque is usually dirty green, with an unpleasant rotten smell. If such plaque is removed, an ulcer will open under it, which bleeds slightly.

Viral hepatitis is accompanied by jaundice, a condition in which the skin and mucous membranes turn yellow due to an increase in bile pigment in the blood. The tongue is also prone to this symptom, which appears as a yellow coating.

Scarla and chicken pox can also cause a coating on the tongue. In the first case, it will be light gray or light yellow – lasts 5-6 days, and then disappears, leaving behind redness.

In case of pneumonia, a green or brown plaque may appear. COVID-19 can also indirectly lead to plaque formation. Due to medical treatment, the balance of microflora in the mouth is disturbed and the oral cavity can be affected by fungi.

Harmless variants

In adults, the tongue sometimes acquires a strange color due to completely insignificant reasons. Coffee can turn it brown, beetroot salad and other colored foods can also temporarily change the appearance of the organ. In smokers with experience, the tongue becomes yellow-brown.

There is also a morning plaque. If you woke up in the morning and found a light “cover” on your tongue, do not rush to diagnose yourself with all the diseases in the world. A slight plaque in the morning, which is easily removed in adults, is considered a variant of the norm.

In the first months of life, white loose plaque often appears in children – this is candidiasis or thrush. It cannot be called completely innocent, after all, it is a fungal infection. However, this is a common phenomenon, most often children are infected by mothers, most of whom have Candida fungi actively multiplying in the vagina in the late stages of pregnancy.

In general, to get rid of the plaque, you need to clean the tongue, if the problem persists, you should consult a doctor to find out the root cause of the disease.