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The tongue is a very versatile part of the body, as it helps with communication, helps maintain the health of the mouth and helps us keep ourselves nourished. But what you may not know is that the tongue also holds information about your physical and emotional health. Simple knowledge of the tongue can give you some great clues on how your diet, lifestyle and environment are affecting you internally.


The tongue is a muscle covered with a moist and pink tissue called the mucosa. Tiny bumps on the surface of the tongue are called papillae, and they hold thousands of taste buds that are responsible for detecting sweet, salty, bitter and sour tastes. There is also a fifth taste, called umami, which can detect glutamate-type of tastes, such as those found in green tea.

The tongue has three main parts :

Apex ? tip of the tongue.
Body ? remainder of the visible tongue extending all the way to the back of the throat.
Root ? attaches the tongue to the base of the mouth.

The tongue is a unique because it is composed of all three of the embryonic layers of the body: endoderm, ectoderm and mesoderm, and represents a large part of the various tissues of the body.

Reading the Tongue's Clues

Our tongues can provide meaningful and fascinating information about our state of health. The bulk of knowledge about the diagnostic aspects of the tongue comes from ancient Chinese medicine, which clinically observed the tongue for over a thousand years. Chinese medicine uses three main factors when ?reading? the tongue, looking aat the coating, color and shape.

A Healthy Tongue

Tongue Health Thin White Coating

The tongue has a coating that represents the state of digestive function. The ideal tongue coating consists of a thin, white film on its surface, and indicates that the stomach and digestive system is healthy and functioning well during the process of digesting food. This coating is actually made up of bacteria, and while most people think they can scrape off, the fact is that scraping the coating does very little, as the bacteria grows back immediately.

In Chinese medicine, the white coating represents the residue leftover from indigestion, so a thin, white coating is considered normal and healthy.

Thick Coating & Colors Tongue Health Thick White Coating

If there is a thick coating on the tongue, then there is an imbalance in the body that has impacted the physiology. This imbalance could be from functional changes resulting from disease or injury or it can be due to other factors such as lifestyle choices or aging.

A thicker, white coat means there is a predominance of weakness of physiological function in the body. So a heavy white coat would mean that some system in the body is not able to perform its physiological role in maintaining health, or may represent a viral infection.

Tongue Health Thick Yellow CoatingA thick, yellow coating on the tongue indicates a predominance of heat in the body, which could correspond to inflammation or a bacterial infection.

Tongue Health Geographic TongueA geographic tongue is one where the coating is peeled in areas and easily removed. This type of coating indicates a person who has pushed their body to the brink of exhaustion. This type of tongue is also associated with allergic disorders and autoimmune diseases, but these are severe manifestations. If you have a geographic tongue, it is a sign to slow down.

Tongue Colors

In Chinese medicine, the tongue is an extension of the heart, and the color of the tongue is said to represent the health of the blood. Since the blood is what nourishes and maintains the body, the tongue color also shows overall health. Tongue color takes a long time to change, so it shows the state of one?s health over a longer period of time. The ideal color of a healthy tongue should be pale-red, which indicates good circulation of blood in the body.

Pale White Tongue

A tongue that is white or extremely pale can be a sign of a problem, and indicates a weakness in the digestive system. This can be accompanied by loose stools, extremity coldness, heavy fatigue and abdominal distention/bloating.

An extremely pale, dry tongue can also indicate a blood deficiency, which can affect women more than men, and is frequently marked by anxiety, dizziness, impaired memory, insomnia, chapped lips and eventually anemia.

Other Possible Issues

• Leukoplakia: An abnormal growth of the mucous membrane cells on the tongue surface. It is mainly associated with chronic irritation of the tongue by tobacco chewing and areca nut/betel leaf chewing. 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
  
  Hairy Leukoplakia: A similar condition believed to be caused by Epstein-Barr viral infection which is more likely to arise in a person with a depressed immune system, like in HIV aids
  
  Oral Thrush: A fungal infection of the mouth, usually visible on the tongue, extending down to the esophagus, and caused by candidiasis/yeast infection. This is more likely to occur in a person with a depressed immune system like someone with HIV/AIDS and poorly controlled long-term diabetes mellitus.
  Oral Lichen Planus: A condition that occurs for unknown reasons and causes "whitish" lines on the inside of the mouth, including the tongue, along with open red sores. It may affect the entire inside of the mouth and extend to the esophagus. Oral lichen planus is believed to be linked to certain infections, allergies, vaccines and certain medications.
  
  Other possible causes of white discoloration of the tongue includes syphilis or can occur with a fever and dehydration. Paleness of tongue that may sometimes be mistaken for whitening can occur with conditions such as pernicious anemia (vitamin B12 deficiency) and iron-deficiency anemia.

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Bright Red Tongue



A bright red tongue almost always indicates a pathological condition, like indicating an infection. At the start of the infection, only the tip will be red, but as the condition progresses, the redness will advance to eventually cover the whole tongue. Red dots can also appear on the tongue. These indicate heat or inflammation in the blood. In children this can represent an immune response to infection. In adults, this can indicate what is called heart fire, which can result in insomnia and anxiety.

Tongue Health Bright Red Tip A Tongue With A Red Tip



The tip of the tongue is also known as the heart area. Given this, a red tongue tip without any signs of illness can indicate emotional turmoil.

A red, shiny tongue with no coating usually indicates a loss of the body?s ability to regulate and offset thermogenic hormones in the body. This is often seen in women who start menopause and men who use a medication called Lupron.

A Tongue With Red Sides Tongue Health Red Sides



If only the sides are red, this can also be aggravated by over-consumption of spicy or greasy foods and alcohol. A tongue with red sides can also be seen in people with irritable bowel syndrome. This can also be called liver fire and be the result of long-standing anger or resentment.

Other Possible Issues:

Glossitis: An inflammation of the tongue that may come from any number of issues. The process of inflammation increases blood flow to the tongue and leads to redness, pain and swelling. The more common causes of glossitis are acute mechanical or chemical injury or infections.
Vitamin Deficiencies: Vitamin B12, niacin or folic acid may cause a strawberry red tongue.
Scarlet Fever: A condition that may sometimes develop in a person with strep throat. It starts with a red rash that covers most of the body along with a strawberry red tongue. Scarlet fever arises as a reaction to the toxin from bacteria that causes the infection.
Toxic Shock Syndrome: (TSS) is an uncommon condition where the toxins from certain types of bacteria, particularly Staphylococcus aureus, trigger an immune reaction, and can be potentially life threatening.
Kawasaki Syndrome: A condition where there is inflammation of the medium and large artery walls. The exact cause is unknown but is believed to be a genetic susceptibility and possibly associated with autoimmune issues. It tends to affect boys under the age of 5 years most, but can occur in any age group and also affect females.

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Purple/Blue Tongue

A purple/red-purple tongue may arise with certain diseases, and indicates long-standing inflammation. A purple tongue is uncommon compared to other discoloration, and is more commonly seen with nutritional deficiencies, in particular with vitamin B2 (riboflavin) deficiency. A tongue with a purple hue can also be seen in women who have very difficult menstrual cycles or in people who are experiencing chronic pain. This can also precede the development of a blue tongue explained below, and should be carefully monitored in acute cases to take note of whether more distinct color sets in.

Blue Tongue

A bluish tongue is always considered to a be a serious sign that warrants medical attention. It is an important sign of cyanosis, which is a condition caused by an insufficient oxygen supply to the tissue. The condition may be caused by blood disorders, diseased blood vessels, heart dysfunction or respiratory (lung & airway) problems.

More Causes Include:

Acute respiratory distress
Airway obstruction
Asthmatic attacks
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Congenital heart disease
Pneumonia
Poisoning
Suffocation
Yellow TongueTongue Health Yellow Hairy

Yellowish discoloration of the tongue is uncommon. In most cases a yellowish discoloration precedes the development of black, hairy tongue (discussed below). Another cause which rarely leads to yellowness of the tongue is jaundice although there is pronounced yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes.

Black Tongue

Black discoloration of the tongue is rarely due to any disease, and can develop at birth or sometimes during the course of life, and tends to be permanent. However, sometimes there is a black discoloration of the tongue which may arise when the papillae become elongated giving the tongue a hairy feel. This condition is known as black, hairy tongue, and occurs when more food debris collects than normal and causing an increase in the bacteria within the mouth. It typicaly develops as a yellow discoloration, which progresses to a brown and then black.

More Causes Include:

Regular use of certain medication including antibiotics and bismuth-containing drugs used for indigestion.
Certain types of mouthwash.
Tobacco use.
Poor dental hygiene.
Mouth breathing.

[Annie]

Wow let me look at my tongue to future this out