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.
We want to hear about your findings, so please click the link below and add your results to our national survey.
Yes
NoComments and Questions
You can share your experiences and thoughts with other Embarrassing Bodies site-users below. Comments & Questions are reviewed by moderators, but if you see anything on the site that worries you, please report it and one of our moderators will look at it as soon as possible.
Please note: Unfortunately Channel 4 cannot respond to individual inquiries. If you have any concerns, you can check out NHS Choices, but ultimately it is always best to check with a health professional.
I have been suffering with dry mouth for some time now.. sometimes it's white and sticky, and leaves the corners of my mouth white. I drink water a lot, and chew sugar free gum, but it don't seem to help. it can make me feel a bit shy, I always try to wipe the corners of my mouth before I speak, so people cannot see, the white corners of my mouth. I don't know if it is because, I am a shy person and nervous in crowds, what can I do to treat this? please help
Hi, im 16 and have got white spots all over the middle and back of my tongue. I have been looking it up and am wondering if it is thrush? but i am not sure. Does this cause bad breath and can it cause problems or other features when I get older.
under my tougue which i think is my slither glades i have a lump, it gets really big then pops and slimy stuff comes out. the pain is relieved but the lump does not go wat could this be........ it gets red and sore
my tongue sometimes hurts and has a white coating! i brush it and it kinda fades away untill i swallow then it appears again! i also have a few bumps on the back of my tongue that look red and sore is this anything to worry about? my throat has also become very phlemy and dosent seem to go away when i swallow or have a drink!
My tongue is pink but around the edges it is slightly red and has bite marks, as if I am constantly biting my own tongue (which I'm sure I would notice if I was!). Any ideas anyone?
I'm 26, I had my tongue pierced a few years ago and mine didn't swell much but it was of course tender, and I couldn't eat solids for a day or two. Maybe try a throat spray to numb the tongue. Just keep your mouth clean and brush, floss and use mouthwash often
im planing on piercing my tongue when i get to the right age but my friend says that it makes your toungue swell like a baloon and i just wanted to know if i pierce the artery in my tongue or it gets infected then it would be useful if i knew some of the risks and how to prevent them. I know this doesn't have any thing to do with mouth ulcers and stuff but it would be helpful.
I was born with a tongue that is not smooth but covered with crackes. Why do I have this and will it cause any problems?
hi i'm 36yrs young, stopped smoking around 3yrs ago, and since that time i have progressively had mouth ulcers that are getting worse,they go away for a short period then back again,there's never more than a few weeks that go bye that i don't have a few ulcers, i have had all the tests, and was told by the GP that hey would pass. the worst they have been was when i had one on either side of my tongue which were around the size of a five pence piece, which stopped me from eating & speaking due to the sheer pain for over a week, they have left to large scars on each side. That was over two years ago, but recently i have started to suffer with sore ankles,knees and fingers which have come from nowhere, and a large lump has come on the side of my tongue which is forming into a large ulcer.Can you please advise me.
i keep cleaning my teeth and useing mouth wash and my bad breath has not go what should i do
