Definition. White tongue is a coating of debris, bacteria and dead cells on your tongue that makes it look white. Although the appearance of white tongue may be alarming, the condition is usually harmless and temporary.
Examples of conditions associated with white patches or other discolorations of your tongue include: Use of certain medications, such as prolonged use of antibiotics that may bring on an oral yeast infection. Oral thrush. Geographic tongue.
Make an appointment with your doctor or dentist if: You're concerned about changes in your tongue. Your tongue hurts. Your white tongue persists for longer than a few weeks.
A white tongue can be a sign of a health condition, such as lichen planus, leukoplakia, geographic tongue, mouth ulcers or oral thrush. But do not self-diagnose. See a GP if you're worried.
The most common cause of a white tongue is poor oral hygiene. Small bumps on the tongue called papillae can swell up and become inflamed in a mouth that is not cared for well. Plenty of germs, debris, food particles, and dead cells can get stuck between these papillae.
If there is a thick, white coating, you may have a condition called “Candidiasis,” which is an overgrowth of yeast in the body. If the coating is yellow, it could indicate major digestive stagnation, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes or liver/gallbladder disease.
Having a coated tongue usually means you have poor digestion or too many bad bugs/yeast in your bowel and/or a sluggish liver.
Most people can get rid of white tongue by practicing good oral hygiene and drinking plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration. Tips you can try at home include: Drinking at least eight glasses of water daily. Brushing your teeth using a soft toothbrush.
A white tongue due to a burn, medication, or viral illness will usually get better within a few days or a couple of weeks with good oral hygiene and treatment of the root cause. It may take longer to see results in people who smoke or chew tobacco or eat a diet high in sugar.
1. Antifungal Medication. If oral thrush is the cause of your white tongue, consider an antifungal, such as a lozenge, pill, or natural antifungal. Talk to your doctor about options to treat oral thrush — preferably antifungal medication with few to no side effects.
“Normal tongues are pale red with a pale white coating. Heart failure patients have a redder tongue with a yellow coating and the appearance changes as the disease becomes more advanced.”
Acute liver failure can develop quickly in an otherwise healthy person, and it is life-threatening. If you or someone you know suddenly develops a yellowing of the eyes or skin; tenderness in the upper abdomen; or any unusual changes in mental state, personality or behavior, seek medical attention right away.
When you have a white tongue, then you probably have an overburdened digestive system. An overworked system results in slow digestion and improper function. This leads to a buildup of a bacteria or yeast called candida, and all of this shows on your tongue.
White Tongue Because of Uremic Stomatitis as a Sign of Advanced Kidney Disease.
Acute liver failure can happen in as little as 48 hours. It's important to seek medical treatment at the first signs of trouble. These signs may include fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, and discomfort in your right side, just below your ribs.
Stage 1 is inflammation of your liver, caused by your immune system reacting to a foreign substance, like toxins. Chronic inflammation can lead to an enlarged liver. Inflammation can result from fatty liver, hepatitis, and other causes.
As liver failure progresses, you may experience some or all of the following symptoms: Jaundice, or yellow eyes and skin. Confusion or other mental difficulties. Swelling in the belly, arms or legs.
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.
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.
White tongue is a symptom of a health condition. In most cases, it's harmless and can be treated with oral hygiene and natural remedies, but sometimes it's caused by a more serious condition that must be addressed by a professional.
Listerine Total Care mouthwash
It is a daily mouthwash with clinically proven effectiveness. It is used in addition to brushing, it eliminates up to 99% of the bacteria of the dental plaque at the origin of the white tongue and acts in the places which the brush cannot reach.