Video
Body Check: Tongue
Tongues have the obvious purpose of helping us to eat and speak, but they can also be indicative of our health. In this video, Dr Christian talks about how to check the tongue for any abnormalities.
A healthy tongue should be pink, clean and covered in papillae which contain taste buds.
Inflamed, red, black or white tongues, though usually just a sign of poor oral hygiene, could be a sign of other conditions like glossitis, geographic tongue or thrush. A swollen tongue can be a sign of an allergic reaction, and if it persists you should contact your GP for a check-up. The swollen tongue image from this video comes from noricum and is licensed under creative commons.
Ulcers are one of the most common conditions, either on the tongue, gums or lips. They usually clear up in about 6 weeks, but if they persist do go and see a GP because it may be a sign of something more serious.
Poor oral hygiene can lead to bacteria spreading in the mouth and they lead to bad breath. To check for bad breath, take a spoon and run it along the back of your tongue and then take a sniff. Whatever you smell, is exactly what others will.
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Please note: Unfortunately Channel 4 cannot respond to individual inquiries. If you have any concerns, you can check out the Channel 4 Health site or NHS Choices, but ultimately it is always best to check with a health professional.
i also have red lumps on the back of my tongue it is also a bit white but most of it does wash off.can u tell me what to do next please.
Hi, a few other people have commented that they have a white/yellowish coating at the back of their tongue. I have this too even though I brush my teeth twice daily. It scrapes off and I have little red dots that break it up – i've had it for years and thought it might be diet related but I'd really like to know how I can get rid of it! Any light you can shed?
my tongue luks like its all scarred and patchy an swollen in places its looks awful its been like this since i was little thedoctors said they dont know what it is ?
Hi I constantley have bad breath and my teeth and tongue are alway discoloured brown.I do smoke and i drink tea & coffe.I do brush my teeth and tongue twice a day but this doesnt work as half an hour later its the same as before.its so embarassing and people have started to notice please can you help i would be so so greatfull.
hello, i brush my teeth 3 times a day as i have very little (almost none) enamel and i also brush my tongue at the same time… however within 30 min of brushing i get a cream coloured layer at the back off my tongue and it can cause bad breath. i dont drink alcohol but i do smoke up to ten fags a day and drink tea and coffee while at work 5 days a week. could this be the reason for the cream covering on my tongue??
I have a deep crack in the middle of my tongue and a lot of cracks all over my tounge but I don't know what it's from?
hi im really parnoid by my tounge ,im pregnant and i brush my teeth and tounge twice daily,but i get this heavy coating of a whitesh coating that i can scrap off and i also have quite yellow patches on it and they can be quite sore ,can u help please oh and i dont have bad breath ,could this jst be pregnacy related
hi im 17 i keep getting ulsers on my tongue lyk 1 every day or sumtyms 2 there normally only small but painful. i do have severe reflux but i never used to get any n now i do.Also i am sick quite a few tyms a day as i have stomach problems so do i jst get the ulsers coz of this or is it something else i need to be worried about? Also my tongue is lyk pinky round the edge but pale purpley blue in middle with a few cracks but not deep ones is that normal?
i have a white coating on the back of my tounge anf it won't go away. i've tried brushing my tounge and drinking more water but nothing seems to make it any better.
my tounge is also a bit hairy. it's not really noticable but when i brush my finger over my tounge you can see the hair stand up. is there any thing i can do to stop these problems?
Hi, I have a layer of white paste if you like on the back of my tongue which seems to be causing bad breath. The front of my tongue is clear but at the rear, i cant clean it because every time the brush touches it, my gag reflex kicks in. Also my friends are beginning to notice the smell so i'm starting to become embarrassed around then and especially girls. Please can you tell me how to resolve my problem. Thanks x