Lichen planus white patches on the tongue and inside the cheek, with sore gums. A white tongue can be a sign of a health condition. Giovanni maciocia discusses tongue diagnosis, including the. Ignore a geographic tongue can cause serious never and spinal cord damage. The tongue in em an em practitioner can garner much more information from tongue observation, including signs about the livers health. Since we cannot see much beyond the mouth without some invasive diagnostics, a quick look at the. Examples of conditions associated with white patches or other discolorations of your tongue include. See your doctor or dentist if you have persistent pain and you havent accidentally bitten or burnt your tongue. The webmd symptom checker is designed to help you understand what your medical symptoms could mean, and provide you with the trusted information you need to. It is a very accurate view into the inner health of an individual. There are also pictures provided to assist you in understanding and getting into the depths of causes and in distinguishing the various tongue problems like tiny or little dots from the patches.
Geographic tongue this condition causes a maplike pattern of reddish spots to develop on the surface of your tongue. Merck manual please confirm that you are not located inside the russian federation. Reasons to seek medical attention for yellow tongue include. Tongue discoloration white, red, purple, blue, yellow. White patches in mouth, throat, symptoms, causes, oral. Some tongue conditions cannot be prevented at all, but symptoms may be managed with treatment. What your tongue can tell you about your health health. Know the types, causes, diagnosis and treatment of tongue problems. Frequent changes in the location, size and shape of lesions. In this article we address the causes, symptoms, pictures of how the patches look and the available home remedies to.
Having too little vitamin b can cause inflammation, swelling, and other symptoms on the tongue. Come and go or change very quickly in days, weeks, or months. The patient was a nonsmoker and was treated with brushing his tongue three times a day and a two week course of a topical antifungal medication, nystatin. Find out if cancer can cause the tongue to develop red patches. There are many conditions that can cause similar symptoms. The condition is typically harmless, despite the odd appearance.
Other tongue problems may be a byproduct of an underlying medical condition that. A red tongue body is darker than the normal red, which is pinkish in color. This is a small, white or yellow sore that can occur for no apparent reason. Some of the commonest types of tongue problems that you may commonly encounter are soreness, development of red or white patches on tongue, burning sensation on tongue, appearance of a fissured or hairy tongue, blisters, pain, tongue colour change and changes in taste and texture. Tongue diagnosis in chinese medicine is an example of how the human body is interconnected, even a small part of the body can give important clues that reflect the whole condition of the body. The normal tongue in traditional chinese medicine has a light red or pinkish body with a thin white coating. Tongue diagnosis is more objective than pulse diagnosis, though pulse diagnosis takes decades to master, while basic tongue diagnosis can be taught in a weekend workshop.
Pictures of oral diseases and problems geographic tongue. You write on patchy tongue geographic tongue is not a sign of disease it is normal and nothing to worry about. These patches give the tongue the appearance of a map, hence the name. Find out from webmd what your tongue is telling you. A coated tongue, for example, indicates that its time to visit a dental professional.
It is characterized by patches of depapillation and erythema bordered by a whitish peripheral zone. Pinpoint your symptoms and signs with medicinenet s symptom checker. But could this patches in mouth and throat signify oral cancer. Colors, spots, patches, and lumps can all give you clues about your health. Biting or burning your tongue with hot food or drink can cause pain and swelling. Find out who is at risk, what is the treatment, possible complications, and when to see a doctor. If you have a sore or painful tongue, there may be an underlying problem that needs treating.
Discomfort, pain or burning sensation in some cases, most often related to eating spicy or acidic foods. Geographic tongue may look alarming, but it doesnt cause health problems. A canker sore is another common cause of pain on or under the tongue. This is a serious disease called pernicious anemia and is deadly if not treated. The tongue, according to ayurveda, is a strong diagnostic tool for looking at ones systemic health. Well, here is some very reassuring news for you the most likely cause of red patches on the tongue is a condition called geographic tongue.
So, if you have any chronic health issues that cannot be solved, please visit your experienced chinese medicine practitioner who will use tongue. The condition results in white patches that are often cottage cheeselike in consistency on the surfaces of the mouth and tongue. Use of certain medications, such as prolonged use of antibiotics that may bring on an oral yeast infection. For some people the condition may just be a bit of a nuisance, while for others it can have a big impact on their everyday life. Geographic tongue, also termed benign migratory glossitis, is a common condition which usually affects the dorsal surface of the tongue. White spots on tongue, tip, side, under, back, dots. Often, the smooth patches will heal in one area of the tongue then reappear on another area.
Click on the combination that matches your symptoms to find the conditions that may cause these problems. The patients tongue two months post treatment is on the left. A red tongue body with a bright shiny coat, little coat, or no coating indicates deficient heat. Also known as candidiasis, oral thrush is a yeast infection that develops inside the mouth. If you develop white spots on your tongue, it is an indication that you may be having a health problem. Geographic tongue is one of the primary symptoms of vitamin b12 deficiency. Webmd symptom checker helps you find the most common symptom combinations and medical conditions related to white patches on tongue.
Sore or painful tongue a sore or painful tongue is usually caused by something obvious and visible, although there are a few less obvious causes you should be aware of that may need treating. Hairy leukoplakia is a similar condition believed to be caused by epsteinbarr virus ebv infection which is more likely to arise in a person with a depressed immune system, like in hiv aids. It can sometimes cause tongue discomfort and more sensitivity to. In ayurveda, one of the primary investigative tools of practitioners for determining the state of ones health is tongue diagnosis or evaluation of the tongue the tongue is the beginning of the digestive tract, which lumbers on for another 30 feet or so. The general schema or layout of the various organ reflex zones on the tongue is quite. According to the mayo clinic, the tongue appears to be coated with a white layer when debris, bacteria and dead cells become lodged between enlarged papillae. The surface of the tongue appears uneven in this condition, and the patches change position over hours or days. On this page, you can find information on some of the most common causes of tongue pain, as well as less common causes. Tongue discoloration due to leukoplakia appears as white to gray patches on the top of the tongue and may also affect the inner cheek and gums. The ancient art of tongue analysis has its root in the science of ayurveda, although many other ancient eastern healing systems use this method as well, including chinese. A third patient with a hairy tongue on the posterior midline portion of the tongue. In geographic tongue, there is irregularly shaped red and white patches. Symptoms of tongue cancer is divided into 3, namely, mouth sores, exogenous and infiltration. Some possible causes are mouth injuries, abrasive ingredients in toothpastes or mouthwashes.
Learn about diseases and conditions that cause a white tongue, such as oral thrush, leukoplakia, dehydration, lichen planus, glossitis, and smoking. Early symptoms of cancer of the tongue is the tongue discomfort, pain, lesions on the tongue with a size of 12cm. Reflex zones are used in the art of tongue diagnosis, basically, in two ways. The condition appears to be less common in smokers. Swollen lips, swollen tongue and white patches on tongue. A red tongue body with a thick yellow coat or swollen buds indicates excess heat. In some cases, the edges may appear to be slightly raised. Cracked tongue from a vitamin deficiency takes two main forms. Leukoplakia consists of thick white patches in the mouth and tongue.
Reasons for yellow tongue include certain medical conditions and the use of some products. Tongue analysis can be used in complement with pulse, nail, and facial diagnosis in order to really see what is going on. Canker sores, unlike cold sores, dont occur due to the herpes virus. The white spots, dots, marks or patches may appear on side of tongue, back of tongue, under or at the tip of your tongue and may be painless or painful. The tongue itself usually cant tell you what formula to take. An uneven coating indicates an issue with hydration in your stomach and liver. It also may be due to irritation from hot or spicy foods, or alcohol. A scalloped tongue one with ridges on the outside edge indicates fluid retention. Geographic tongue is a benign condition in which discolored, painless patches of the tongue appear and then reappear from atrophy, often in a different. Your dentist can diagnose what the problem is and advise you about pain relief. Tongue discoloration and other changes mouth and dental. Tongue diagnosis in chinese medicine by giovanni maciocia. One often overlooked window into your health includes your tongue. You may suffer from symptoms such as heartburn, stomach pain, interrupted sleep.
White patches in mouth can be embarrassing and make swallowing of food and drinks difficult. Common symptoms include fever, sore throat, inflamed tonsillitis, white patches or spots on back tongue and tonsils. The condition does not cause symptoms and there is no effective treatment. Tongue exam stanford medicine 25 stanford medicine. Tongue diagnosis introduction tongue is generally known as. Signs and symptoms of geographic tongue may include. The tongue is a map of the body in chinese medicine. The patches on the tongue are caused by an absence of papillae or tiny bumps in the affected area. This selftest can get you thinking in terms of what you. A geographic tongue may be the oral form of this condition. Tongue diagnosis by a chinese medical practitioner includes examining aspects of the overall tongue coat, shape and color and then breaking these factors down to their exact location on the tongue.
Diy ayurvedic tongue diagnosis john douillards lifespa. The telltale signs of geographic tongue are irregular, smooth, red patches on parts of the tongue. Oral thrush is most commonly seen in infants and the elderly. Smooth, red, irregularly shaped patches lesions on the top or side of your tongue. In tcm, its thought that different areas of the tongue reflect the health of five corresponding organ systems. Webmd symptom checker helps you find the most common medical conditions indicated by the symptoms swollen lips, swollen tongue and white patches on tongue and including drug allergy, thrush infants and children and dehydration children. Some tongue problems are preventable by practicing good oral hygiene and eating a healthy, nutritious diet. Tongue assessment in traditional chinese medicine verywell health. Have you noticed red patches on your tongue and are afraid it might be cancer. With geographic tongue, the patches are missing the papillae and are smooth, red. Other symptoms accompanying them are nausea, headache swollen and tender lymph nodes, etc. Geographic tongue is characterized by irregular patches on the surface of the tongue.