Did you know that language is the organ through which the body informs us when something is wrong with it? This happens through the formation of plaque. Therefore, the habit of starting every morning with showing off your tongue in the mirror is very useful: your mood rises and your health is in the know. In this article we will tell you what gray plaque means on the tongue.
What is a plaque in the language?
Plaque in the tongue is a specific formation on this organ of different colors, shapes and sizes. What does gray plaque mean in the tongue? This is the very "litmus test" by which you can diagnose the development of acute and chronic diseases. It is one of the signs of infections in the body.
The color of plaque can be very different:
- white;
- grey;
- green;
- brown;
- blue;
- the black.
We will talk about gray plaque in the language. In adults, such a nuisance is observed very often.
When not to be afraid
It is not necessary to think that the appearance of a gray coating on the tongue is a sign of an imminent serious illness. Here are a number of cases when its appearance should not scare you at all:
- A slight whitish coating. It can be easily removed with the help of a special nozzle for a toothbrush.
- Appearance after sleep.
- You notice a plaque in the tongue during the hot season.
But if its layer is dense, the color is intense, then this is an occasion to believe that something is wrong with your body.
Symptoms of a Serious Problem
A gray coating on the tongue in adults (photos showing how the “coated” tongue looks, to put it mildly, are unpleasant, so we will refrain from such illustrations) is a phenomenon that may be accompanied by a number of alarming symptoms:
- Unpleasant odor from the mouth.
- Sores, cracks on the surface of the tongue.
- Plaque is concentrated on the tip of the organ, root, lateral parts (we will talk more about the localization of plaque and the connection of this phenomenon with specific diseases).
All this, coupled with the formation of plaque, is an occasion for an early visit to a gastroenterologist, therapist, or dentist.
Causes of gray plaque in the tongue in adults
A variety of factors can cause a gray coating on the surface of the tongue - from improper oral care to life-threatening diseases. The main causes of gray plaque in adults are as follows:
- Taking antibiotic drugs . Such plaque is easily cleaned with a toothbrush nozzle for morning and evening hygiene. As a rule, he gradually leaves with the cessation of treatment with drugs. If the formation is difficult to remove with a brush, the reason is not in the medicine - only an experienced doctor will help to establish it.
- Morning appearance . As we already said, this is a completely normal physiological phenomenon - a raid on the tongue in the morning after sleep. It is a light shade, not accompanied by a smell. You can fight it with the help of antiseptic mouthwashes, which also eliminate viruses and pathogenic bacteria.
- HIV With the immunodeficiency virus, patients often diagnose the appearance of gray plaque on the tongue. The disease first affects the gastrointestinal tract, which signals this in this way.
- Sore throat . Angina can also be the cause of gray plaque in adults. During the disease, a huge amount of pathogenic bacteria is accumulated in the oral cavity. As a result - a dense coating with an unpleasant odor. Therefore, you must not forget to rinse your mouth with special balms, herbal infusions, brush your teeth twice a day.
- Gastrointestinal diseases . At the same time, other symptoms may also appear - nausea, stomach pain, etc. If nothing but plaque is observed, then it is enough to simply improve your diet.
- Dehydration . The appearance of plaque testifies to this factor. Specifically, dehydration is indicated by dry plaque. If it is wet - this is a sign that a lot of mucus has accumulated in the body.
- Inadequate care . You can conduct a test - how to brush your teeth, and then treat the mouth with rinse aid. If after 3-4 hours the plaque did not return, it means that you simply did not pay due attention to oral hygiene.
The causes of gray plaque in the tongue in adults in some cases may be as follows:
- Excessive addiction to fried and spicy foods.
- Diphtheria (gray film).
- Decreased immunity.
- The consequence of bad habits - smoking, alcoholism.
- Fever.
- Chronic tonsillitis (plaque on the throat and tongue).
- Candidiasis of the oral cavity.
Location and nature of the raid
What gray plaque says in the language, you can find out by its location:
- At the tip: heart or lung disease.
- Middle of the tongue: problems with the spleen.
- Side: the liver or gall bladder may be affected.
- Tongue root: "problems" with the kidneys or intestines.
It is important to pay attention to the thickness of the layer: if it is thin, then there are fewer reasons for concern. Such a raid indicates a cold or a disease that has just begun to develop. If the coating is thick, it does not allow to discern the natural color of the tongue - perhaps the disease is serious, infectious.
Hue plaque
The shade of gray can also guide you about the possible cause of the plaque. For a better perception, we presented the information in a table.
| Nature of plaque | Possible reasons |
| Yellow gray | Barely noticeable - a characteristic phenomenon for the hot season. Weak plaque - unbalanced nutrition. Saturated + other symptoms - gastrointestinal diseases, in particular the liver, gall bladder. May indicate stagnation of bile. The lower part of the tongue is perhaps the beginning of the development of jaundice. |
| It is gray | Incorrect work of internal organs. Most often it is the intestines or stomach. |
| Taupe | It is characteristic of heavy smokers, alcoholics. It also appears with lung diseases. |
It follows: plaque - a reason to see a doctor.
Diagnosis and treatment
By the location, color, plaque density, your doctor can suggest that you have one or another disease. Of course, the diagnosis will not do just that - the specialist will conduct a patient survey, examination, and in some cases give a direction for analyzes and instrumental examinations.
As often happens, the causes and treatment of gray plaque in the tongue are interrelated. Plaque is not an independent disease, it is its sign, a symptom that will go away with the cure of the disease. If the reason lies in improper oral care, an unhealthy diet, then the doctor will give you recommendations for hygiene procedures, the preparation of the right diet.
Preventative measures
So that a gray coating on the tongue does not spoil your aesthetic appearance, it is useful to adhere to the following simple rules:
- Follow proper oral hygiene: brushing your teeth and tongue in the morning and evening, treating the oral cavity with antiseptic rinses.
- Healthy nutrition: a minimum of salty, fatty, spicy, fried, more fruits and vegetables, including stewed, boiled, steamed.
- Refusal of bad habits - smoking and alcohol.
- Healthy and active lifestyle.
People's councils
All the recommendations and recipes below will help to eliminate the unpleasant-looking gray coating, and not the reason it was caused.
Traditional healers advise the following tools that will help you get rid of a plaque in the language as soon as possible:
- Carrot juice. And heals, and eliminates education in the language. It is enough to lubricate the body several times a day with a swab dipped in this juice.
- If the plaque is caused by the multiplication of bacteria, then decoctions from plantain, chamomile, oak bark, and yarrow will help. For instance:
- Chamomile decoction. Pour a few tablespoons of herb with 1 cup boiling water. Wait 30 minutes. After this (if the broth has cooled sufficiently), you can already rinse the oral cavity. The procedure is carried out 1-3 times a day.
- A decoction of oak bark. 10 g of base pour one cup of boiling water. The infusion time is 2 hours. This broth is recommended to rinse your mouth after each meal, as well as in the morning and evening, after you brush your teeth.
A gray coating on the tongue has a lot of reasons - from banal non-compliance with oral hygiene to serious diseases. You can find out what a sign of what it is by its location, the nature of the shade, and the thickness. However, if there is any doubt about the satisfactory state of your health, as well as other disturbing symptoms, the diagnosis should still be entrusted to an experienced specialist. He will prescribe treatment or give recommendations that will help you get rid of both the most unpleasant symptom and its cause.