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- Bumps, patches, and spots in your mouth can be harmless. But sometimes, they can give clues to what’s going on with your overall health. Infections, stress, medication issues, and even aging can make their marks on your tongue.
- Creamy white spots could be thrush, a fungal infection (shown here). It often happens after an illness or medications throw off the balance of bacteria in your mouth.
- If your tongue has a coating that looks like black, brown, or white fur, you might have hairy tongue. Those “hairs” are proteins that turn normal, small bumps into longer strands, where food and bacteria get caught.
- Hairy tongue can be black in color. But your tongue can also go dark after you take an antacid with an ingredient called bismuth. For some people, it stains the tongue black when it mixes with saliva.
- Lichen planus.
- Leukoplakia. Read about leukoplakia.
- Geographic tongue. Find out more about geographic tongue on the Oral Health Foundation website.
- Mouth ulcer. Read about mouth ulcers.
- White Tongue
- Red Tongue
- Black Tongue
- Increased Size Or Tongue Swelling
- Growths on The Tongue
- Abnormalities of The Tongue Surface
- Tongue Pain
- The Altered Sensation of The Tongue
- Taste Problems
- Problems with Tongue Movement
Color changes related to the tongue can range from a benign concern to one that requires medical attention. Often, a white tongue could be caused by a removable coating of food debris or bacterial plaque. Otherwise, the following are some common causes of the white tongue: oral thrush, leukoplakia, oral lichen planus, hairy leukoplakia, and linea a...
There are obvious causes of the red color change of the tongue, such as something you ate (strawberries or red-colored foods). Some acidic foods can cause temporary redness and discomfort. However, a raspberry-colored tongue can be a sign of an underlying medical condition. Some red color changes on the tongue ("strawberry tongue") could be related...
A black tongue is usually a harmless condition that can be caused by medications, smoking, poor oral hygiene, a soft diet, or dry mouth. A black tongue is usually associated with elongated tongue papillae and thus, it is called "black hairy tongue" (lingua villosa nigra). The cause is thought to be a change in the normal bacteria in the mouth after...
Swelling or enlargement of the tongue referred to as macroglossia can be caused by allergies, medications, injuries, or an underlying medical condition such as amyloidosis. Addressing the underlying condition is the usual treatment for macroglossia. Allergic reactions to medications, food, or even a bee sting can cause swelling of the tongue. In th...
Traumatic fibroma is commonly found on the tongue and appears as a raised, thickened nodule that is dome-shaped, pink, and smooth. It is the result of chronic irritation of one area of the tongue, particularly along the bite line of the tongue. It is considered benign. An excisional biopsy is usually performed to definitively diagnose the lesion an...
Smooth areas of the tongue may be related to injury (food burn) or a nutritional deficiency of iron, folate, or vitamin B12. A smooth tongue can also result from the use of dentures. "Geographic tongue" (or benign migratory glossitis) is the most common tongue condition. It is found in up to 14% of the U.S. population. It is a benign condition that...
Pain with the tongue can be associated with anemia, canker sores (aphthous ulcers), oral herpes, neuralgia, cancer, poorly fitting dentures, or irritation from dental work. Canker sores are commonly found on the tongue and can be very painful. They appear as a yellow-white center with a red halo. These ulcerations are thought to be caused by local ...
Paresthesia is an abnormal or altered sensation. Paresthesia of the tongue can occur with damage to the lingual nerve, the nerve of sensation for the tongue. The most common cause of lingual nerve damage occurs during wisdom teethextractions where the nerve is very close to the tooth being extracted. The nerve damage is usually noticed well after t...
Dysgeusia is the term used to describe the distortion of the sense of taste. Common causes of dysgeusia include medications, cancer therapy, dry mouth, gum disease, and the common cold or flu. Cancer therapy that involves chemotherapy and radiation to the head and neck area can greatly affect the taste. Radiation therapy can damage taste buds and s...
Tongue movement problems are often caused by nerve damage (for example, post-strokeor post-surgery nerve damage). Limited tongue mobility can greatly affect our eating, swallowing, and speech. Depending on the extent of nerve damage, sometimes physical therapy may help in regaining control of the tongue. Ankyloglossia, also known as "tongue-tie," i...
- Also called fever blisters, you don't get cold sores from fevers or colds but they can be triggered by them. The virus that causes cold sores is usually passed via a kiss, shared utensils, or other close contact.
- Caused by candida yeast, thrush is most common in older adults or babies. But a weakened immune system, antibiotics, diabetes, or certain medications -- such as inhaled corticosteroids -- can give candida a chance to grow wild.
- This painless condition occurs when the little bumps on your tongue grow long and trap bacteria that live in your mouth -- making the tongue look black and hairy.
- No one knows what causes these small, painful blisters inside your mouth. Triggers include hypersensitivity, infection, hormones, stress, and not getting enough of some vitamins.
Jan 16, 2024 · Rafa Elias/Getty Images. 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...
What are the symptoms of tongue problems? Common symptoms that may affect your tongue include: An enlarged or swollen tongue. Trouble moving your tongue. Complete or partial loss of taste. Change in your tongue color (white, yellow, dark red, purple, brown or black).
People also ask
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Find out what changes to your tongue say about your overall health, including lumps and spots, a white tongue and red patches on the tongue. Read more.
