Coated Tongue Causes

A coated tongue is one of the most common health ailments, even though you might not know it. It looks like there's a thick film covering your tongue's surface and due to that, the tongue gets a whitish, brownish or yellowish tinge to it. Which of course looks unsightly and also leads to bad breath.

Many of you might not know, but a coated tongue is an indication of ill health. Why does that happen and what are the varied reasons that could lead to a coated tongue? That is what we will be learning about in the article that follows.

A coated tongue can be caused due to several reasons. Add to that the fact that the thrush that covers the tongue could be of several shades and colors. These include yellow, brown or white. Why does this happen? Let us look through the varied reasons for the same.

Our mouth is a hub for varied activities because it is a place where food is processed and therefore there are bacteria and fungi present which feed on the remaining food particles. Oral thrush or coating of the tongue is caused due to the growth of these harmful bacteria that thrive on the food.

And coat the tongue surface by getting stuck in the crevices of the tongue. When poor oral hygiene and dental health is maintained these bacteria are not dispelled and they continue to grow, thus leading to a coating of the tongue.

Saliva plays an important function in ones oral health. It not only keeps the mouth hydrated, but also has properties that help kill harmful bacteria and therefore keep the mouth clean. Certain diseases can cause the saliva to either dry out or to thin down and this has been seen to have a direct effect on the coating of the tongue.

A lack of saliva means that the harmful bacteria are not being dispelled and therefore it leads to the development of thrush on the tongue.

It has also been said that a poor digestive and intestinal health can also lead to white or brown coated tongue. When there is constipation or there is overeating which causes poor digestion, it can cause a coated tongue.

Many times, allergies and the common cold like flu can cause the mouth to dry out and therefore lead to discoloration and coating of the tongue.

Another important factor that contributes to a coated tongue is the prevalence of body heat. Body heat leads to a lot of symptoms that range from boils on the skin to the development of thrush on the tongue.

• Dehydration that is caused due to less water intake.
• Alcohol consumption that leads to dehydration.
• Mouth breathing that leads to drying up of the saliva.
• Intake of certain medication forms like antibiotics and steroids.
• Smoking
• Heavy and difficult to digest foods.

One can carry forth some of these thrush treatment forms and get rid of the coating on tongue:

• Maintain proper oral hygiene and look into dental care like teeth cleaning and using a mouthwash.
• Brush your teeth twice a day.
• Use a tongue scrapper or the back of a spoon to dislodge the coating on tongue.

• Mix hydrogen peroxide and water in a 1:2 ratio, and use this solution to brush your tongue. Do this twice a day.
• Change your lifestyle and quit smoking, consuming heavy foods and alcohol.
• Drink a tbs of aloe vera juice and also use some to gargle with. It is a power house of several active ingredients which will help.

And now that you know what some of the coated tongue causes and the varied treatment forms are, you'll know exactly what to do about the same and how to handle it.