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.
hi, have a small oval shaped patch on the back of my tongue can you help please?
Hello,
I have lumps at the back of my tounge and have had them for ages, longer than 6 weeks,
it is also white and patchy,
what would you recomend?
Thanks
hi ye well my tounge has a sort of a patch on it but its not white also the patch is abit funny becaue its near to the back not all over
Is this something to worry about or is it just thrugh hydration or something is it normal?
ok here gos an other try lol im a 28 year old man for about 8 years now i have been back to see my doctor 2 or 3 times a month because when i get up in the mornings i have this white stuff on my toungue and cuts and lumps and my toungue the white stuff is like a dark white and the cuts and lumps very red to date my doctor has tested me for Leukoplakia not that and Oral thrush & yeast infection not them now im am seeing an oral doc how thinks i need iron but i have been on vb12 and iron tablets for about 6months and nothing is helping can anyone out there help me i need to find out what this is everyday its bad but more so in the mornings and yes i have taking water at night and i brush my teeth 2 time everyday and im getting no were i asked my doc could it have anything to do with my psoriasis but they have all zd no HELP HELP ?????
Hey , i have really bad ulcers and they sometimes can be very painful , there not like them common ones you see that everyone had there about 2-3 cm big witch stops me from eating cause its so painful . What can i do too prevent this from happening ?, i have tried many treatments but none seem to work .
Hi, a week ago I found small lumps on the back of my tonge with very slight white patches down the mibble and central of my tounge. I was worried so I went to my GP and they just referred me to the dental clinic in the hospital. The same day I went to 'Minor Injuries and Minor Illnesses' they treated it as if it was oral thrush but they wasn't sure, it still hasn't cleared after a week with the treatment and before this situation I did have unprotected oral sex, so what could it be? Thank you x
Hi,
I was just on line checking the health survey and while my tongue does not match any of them on screen, I have noticed at the back of my tongue I have some lumps. Is this normal? if so what are they?
I have a deep crack in the middle of my tongue that goes almost all the way to the tip. My friend has a lot of cracks like mine all over her tongue her tongue but I don't know what it's from. My tongue is normal color but this really bugs me :/ And I also have these bumps near the tip and in the very back of my tongue. I think it might be my taste buds swollen or something but they won't shrink.
heya, um i think i have a problem with my tongue, it gets sort of 'cracked' and the cracks vary in size places and depth, they come and go and can be huge and be lots of them and then other days there can be only a small amount. WHAT IS IT :(
My tongue is the main cause of my foul breath. Its really affecting me, my breath is so bad people can smell it from the othersie of the room. even with MY MOUTH closed!! The scum on my tongue is not white, its got a kind of greenish scum just in the back and centre of the tongue.
There always seems to be this coating on my tongue,brushing, and mouthwash breath dont get rid of it it just turns the scum white then after a short space of time the scum is back!
In addition i get these small little green/yellow coloured balls which r really smelly. I need this sorted ive hadthis for the past 6 months and I dont know what to do.