Black plaque on the tongue

Everyone knows that a healthy person's tongue should be soft pink. Any, especially black, coating on the tongue is an indication of some kind of malfunction in the body.

Many years ago, the dark surface of the tongue was considered unambiguously: cholera. However, in our time, such a symptom has deeper characteristics. Let's try to understand this issue.

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Causes of black coating on the tongue

The reasons for black coating on the tongue can be trivial or pathological.

Common reasons include eating blueberries or mulberries, candies with dyes, or activated charcoal the day before.

Among the pathological causes, the most common are the following:

• disorder of the acid-base balance in the body towards significant acidification. This happens when the food balance is disturbed - a person eats a lot of buns, fats and carbohydrates, but few fruits and vegetables;
• chronic intoxication of the body, excess toxins in the blood;
• chronic diseases of the digestive system, usually accompanied by a bitter taste in the mouth, and disturbances in the digestion process;
• prolonged high temperature, for example, with a severe cold or flu;
• the addition of a chromogenic fungal infection is accompanied by darkening of not only the surface of the tongue, but also the tooth enamel.

Why does black coating appear on the tongue? It often appears with chronic abuse of alcoholic beverages and chemicals, which indicates that the body is excessively polluted with toxins, toxic substances and compounds.

A black coating on a child's tongue is a sign, first of all, of stomach disorders. Most often, this symptom is observed with the beginning of the introduction of complementary foods, which indicates that the baby's digestive system is not yet ready for the transition to another diet. In such cases, drugs with bifidobacteria help well.

If the black plaque is a pathological sign, then only a medical specialist should establish a diagnosis and prescribe a treatment plan.

Tongue with black coating

The coating on the tongue plays an important role in diagnosing various pathologies in the body. This muscular organ was considered the main indicator of human health in ancient times, because often the first signs of any disease appear on its surface.

When examining the tongue, the doctor usually pays attention to several criteria:

• shade;
• plaque and its location (zonality);
• tongue relief;
• mobility;
• the presence of foreign formations on the surface (ulcers, pimples, etc.).

Examination of the tongue surface provides important information about the functionality of the organs and systems of the body, which can subsequently allow a clear diagnosis to be made in the event of any disorders.

Diagnosis of various diseases by the condition of the tongue is a common stage of patient examination in clinics in India, China, and Tibet. According to Indian specialists, a tongue with a black coating indicates a disorder of the digestive tract, namely the pancreas or gall bladder. The presence of a dark coating may also indicate an imbalance in the body towards acidification, or a lack of fluid in the body.

Sometimes a dark tongue is a sign of Crohn's disease, which is characterized by an increase in the amount of melanin pigment in the body. This condition is associated with suppression of the adrenal glands. One of the symptoms of this disease is the appearance of dark, black-blue spots on the surface of the tongue. These spots are not cleaned or washed off, but are removed only by treating the underlying disease.

Black and yellow coating on the tongue

If a patient has a black and yellow coating on the tongue, then, first of all, the suspicion falls on a disease of the gastrointestinal tract. Inflammation of the gastric mucosa, peptic ulcer - these diseases go hand in hand, affecting mostly people who lead an unhealthy lifestyle and adhere to an unhealthy diet. Most often, such diseases are inherent in lovers of fast food, dry sandwiches and belyashi, semi-finished products.

Sometimes this symptom occurs in people who follow a diet that is too strict, or a diet with the wrong set of products.

A yellowish tint of plaque may also indicate a liver and gallbladder disease. Yellow-black plaque may be a sign of calculous cholecystitis or congestion in the gallbladder (cholestasis). In such cases, you should see a doctor and have your blood tested for bilirubin and aminotransferase levels.

Darkening of the tongue surface can be a sign of many diseases, including serious ones. For this reason, if the coating is not associated with the use of colored candies and berries, it is necessary to combat the appearance of black coating together with a doctor.

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Treatment of black coating on the tongue

Treatment of black plaque on the tongue should be based on eliminating the possible factor that provoked this symptom. This is treatment of diseases of the digestive organs (inflammatory process in the stomach or intestines), stabilization of microflora in the intestines, therapy of fungal lesions of the oral cavity, revision of nutrition and lifestyle.

Sometimes, to get rid of black plaque, it is enough to prescribe anti-dysbacteriosis drugs, such as Linex, Bifiform, Lactobacterin, etc., especially in combination with multivitamin drugs.

In case of fungal infection of the oral cavity, treatment should be prescribed taking into account the specific pathogen. Such treatment can only be prescribed by a doctor.

Oral hygiene should not be forgotten. You should brush your teeth and the entire oral cavity twice a day, because the bacteria contained in plaque multiply quite quickly.

If the doctor has not established a diagnosis that could be the cause of the coating on the tongue, then you can resort to traditional medicine methods that will get rid of the hated coating.

• Tea with the addition of oregano, plantain leaves, linden blossom and yarrow (separately or as a collection).
• Flaxseed decoction in the morning before meals.
• Oak bark (1 tbsp. per glass of boiling water) – use for rinsing the mouth.
• Infusion of chamomile, strawberry leaves, mint and sage - use for rinsing several times a day.

Limit the intake of coloring and toxic substances into the body: give up smoking, drinking alcohol, strong coffee and black tea, and medications (after consulting a doctor).

Establish a drinking regime, especially in case of chronic intoxication: drink more clean water, from 2 to 3 liters per day.

Remember that self-medication is not the best solution for darkening of the tongue. Black coating on the tongue can be a sign of a serious disease, so consulting a specialist in this matter will not hurt.