What is a hairy tongue and how to get rid of it
Hairy tongue is an acquired condition, meaning it can occur at any age in children and adults.
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Have you ever wondered how you feel the taste, touch and temperature of food? There are special papillae on the surface of the tongue that are responsible for this.
One of the types of these papillae is filiform – they contain nerve endings and perceive temperature, pain and touch.
Normally, these papillae should exfoliate and renew. However, if the process of exfoliation of filiform papillae tongue violated – there is such a state as hairy tongue
“UP. Life” used sources Medscape and The Lancetto explain why a hairy tongue appears, what symptoms it causes, and whether it can be cured.
Why does a hairy tongue appear
Hairy tongue is an acquired condition, meaning it can occur at any age in children and adults.
At the same time, the tongue can be brown, white, green, pink or any other shade. Its color depends on the immediate cause of its occurrence.
To causes of the appearance of a hairy tongue include:
Hairy tongue discoloration is thought to be caused by infection with porphyrin-producing bacteria or Candida (candidiasis).
What characterizes a hairy tongue
Signs of a hairy tongue are:
- elongation of filiform papillae;
A normal filiform papilla is about 1 mm long, while a hairy tongue is more than 15 mm long.
- coloring of filiform papillae in unusual colors (for example, black, brown, white, green, pink);
Normally, filiform papillae have a pinkish-white color.
With a hairy tongue, they retain pigments from food, caffeinated drinks and tobacco, which leads to a change in color.
It is believed that the discoloration may be due to infection with porphyrin-producing bacteria or Candida (candidiasis).
- thick plaque in the middle of the tongue, with a greater emphasis on the back;
Manifestations are typically limited to the back two-thirds of the tongue.
- lack of normal exfoliation of the papillae;
This often happens due to insufficient mechanical cleaning of the surface of the tongue. This condition often occurs in people with poor oral hygiene (lack of brushing, which would help mechanically clean the surface of the tongue).
Often a hairy tongue does not cause any symptoms however in some cases may be accompanied by the following complaints:
- burning of the tongue with fungal infection;
- tickling in the area of the palate and the oral part of the pharynx during swallowing;
- feeling of vomiting in severe cases;
- the appearance of unpleasant breath from the mouth due to the retention of food residues between the elongated papillae.
Maintaining proper oral hygiene and gentle mechanical removal of dark plaque will help get rid of hairy tongue.
How to get rid of a hairy tongue
Hairy tongue is usually a benign condition and disappears if the factors that cause it are controlled. Sometimes it is necessary to make tongue cleaning a part of daily oral hygiene.
The best solution will be to observe proper oral hygiene and soft mechanical removal of the dark coating on the surface of the tongue. It can be done toothbrush or a special tongue scraper to remove elongated filiform papillae and slow the growth of additional ones.
Reducing the amount of tongue plaque will prevent bacterial colonization of the tongue.
In some cases, it is necessary to change the mouthwash that a person has been using for a long time (it may contain sodium perborate, sodium peroxide or hydrogen peroxide, which can contribute to the development of a hairy tongue).
It is also possible to refrain from excessive use tea and coffee, if they cause changes in the filiform papillae.
If the cause of the black hairy tongue is medication, you should consult a doctor and discuss the possibility of replacing the medication with a similar drug or make sure that the condition will disappear after the medication is stopped.
In most cases, the presence of a hairy tongue does not require medical treatment. In the presence of fungal lesions, the doctor can prescribe special antifungal drugs, but their excessive use can be harmful. Therefore, it is necessary to consult with a specialist before using medications.
