Did you know that your tongue can actually tell you things about your health? It is true! Tongues are not just for tasting the food that you are eating or the drinks you are drinking.
Here are three things that your tongue can tell you:
1. If you have a yeast overgrowth
A typical healthy tongue usually a pretty shade of pink. If you notice that your tongue is coated in a white substance or white lesions, try to brush it all off. If the white part does not come off, you most likely have thrush – a yeast overgrowth in the oral cavity.
Thrush is easily treated by an antifungal medication in the form of tablets, lozenges, or even a mouthwash.
2. If you have a vitamin deficiency
As mentioned above, your tongue’s natural hue should be a light shade of pink. If you notice that your tongue has a red appearance, it is likely you are suffering from a vitamin deficiency. The most commonculprits are vitamin B-12 or folic acid. Both can be confirmed by a simple blood test.
If you have a vitamin deficiency, you will most likely be prescribed supplements to take every day or powders to add to your smoothies.
3. If you have a fever
When you are sick, you may have noticed that the appearance of your tongue can change (and if you haven’t noticed it before, maybe now you will!). Some adults have found that when they are running a fever, their tongue has irregular red bumpy patches on it. Usually this is just an indication that your body is fighting off a fever.
If you notice some redness and irregular bumps, take your temperature! You may discover that you are sick. The redness will usually go away once your body has fought the fever and your temperature decreases.
There are of course other things that your tongue can tell you, some more serious like you have Kawasaki Disease (redness) and some minor, like you have a mild food allergy (slight soreness). Just like with anything else in your body, if you notice a change or something that looks strange, make sure to call us to check it out!