The human tongue is almost entirely made up of muscles that control its movement. This small growth inside the oral cavity plays an important role in the chewing process, is necessary for clear and understandable speech, and is also necessary for the perception of tastes. Surprisingly, the average length of an adult tongue is about 8.5 centimeters. There are up to 5,000 taste buds on the surface of the tongue. Tongues are not all the same in people – they can differ in color, length, and even shape. And these features can tell a lot about a person's health.
The human tongue is a good indicator of disease. Photo source: kartinki.pics
Contents
- 1 The color of the tongue of a healthy person
- 1.1 Why does the tongue turn red
- 1.2 Why is the tongue white
- 1.3 Why does the tongue turn black
- 1.4 Why is the tongue blue
- 2 What is geographic tongue
The color of the tongue of a healthy person
A healthy person's tongue is pink, without cracks or other obvious irregularities. Sometimes it may have a thin white coating, and upon close inspection, you can see bumps on it – these are taste buds.
The Tongue of a Healthy Person. Image Source: faktodrom.com
Sometimes the tongue can turn a different color, and ulcers can appear on the surface. This is a bad sign that requires you to see a specialist.
Why Does the Tongue Turn Red
For example, if your tongue becomes red and inflamed, it can be a sign of a number of different diseases. This symptom is most commonly known as “strawberry tongue” – the fact is that the taste buds become so inflamed that they resemble the seeds on the surface of a strawberry.
Strawberry tongue is one of the symptoms of scarlet fever, an infectious disease caused by the bacteria Streptococcus pyogenes. It is usually accompanied by fever, rash and peeling skin, and sore throat. It is highly contagious, but can be treated with antibiotics.
A Tongue That's Too Red Is a Bad Sign. Photo Credit: heartfulflavours.com
Sometimes the tongue turns very red with Kawasaki disease. It usually affects children aged 1 to 8 years. It is accompanied by a long-term fever, inflammation of the mucous membranes and a number of other symptoms. This is a serious inflammatory disease that requires a visit to the doctor.
Toxic shock syndrome is another reason for the tongue to turn red. It occurs when bacteria that release toxins that are dangerous to health enter the human body. Symptoms of toxic shock include high body temperature, muscle aches and skin rash.
You will be interested in: Where else are taste buds located besides the tongue and why are they needed
Why is the tongue white
Sometimes a person's tongue turns white – usually this is a sign of bacteria proliferation between the taste buds. Every person has microbes in their mouth, but the white color indicates that their number has increased several thousand times.
Too white coating on the tongue is also not a good sign. Image source: stock.adobe.com
A white tongue is one of the symptoms of thrush. This disease is caused by the fungus Candida albicans.
Why the tongue turned black
In rare cases, a person’s tongue becomes black. This is due to smoking, dry mouth or poor oral hygiene – the tiny papillae elongate and become hair-like. This is an extremely unpleasant sight.
A person's tongue can turn black due to excessive smoking. Photo source: evolutionnews.org
Why the tongue is blue
In even rarer cases, a person’s tongue takes on a blue or blue tint, and along with it the entire mucous membrane of the mouth. This is a sign of central cyanosis, a condition in which the oxygen concentration in a person's blood drops below 85%.
The tongue can turn blue due to a lack of oxygen in the blood. Image source: attuale.ru
Lack of oxygen in the blood can be caused by heart and lung diseases. Also, the tongue and mucous membranes of the mouth turn blue at high altitudes – this sometimes happens to climbers. Central cyanosis requires urgent medical attention, because it can lead to death.
Read also: Oxygen from cylinders – benefits for the body or danger?
What is geographic tongue
Some people develop discolored areas on their tongue, due to which its surface begins to look like a world map. Sometimes these spots disappear and reappear after eating or during periods of severe stress. This inflammatory disease is called geographic tongue or desquamative glossitis.
If your tongue changes color or starts to hurt, this is a reason to see a doctor. Photo source: mir24.tv
Usually, this disease is not accompanied by any symptoms other than external manifestations. But it also happens that a person feels a tingling sensation. Scientists still do not know what causes this disease. But there is a suspicion that some specific infection is the culprit.
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You can really tell if you have health problems by all sorts of little things. For example, you can carefully examine your nails and also learn a lot of interesting things. Read more about this in our article “What human nails are made of and what they can tell about health.”