Why is the language black plaque? This is a frequent question from patients. We will examine in more detail this issue in this article. The tongue is one of the main receptor organs in humans. But he is able not only to take an active part in the digestive process, but also to signal malfunctions in the body. Normally, the tongue should be a soft pink hue, but often on its surface you can observe a white and yellow coating, which is also acceptable - a person eats food, unfortunately, far from 100% natural.
Dyes, food additives, now there are a lot of them in food. It is they who in the literal sense of the word leave their mark in the human body. We cannot be surprised either by the green color from the tarragon soda, or red from strawberries or lollipops, or even purple from currants or blueberries. But what if a black coating on the tongue is detected?
Characteristic signs of this pathology
It turns out that a dense black coating on the tongue most often reports malfunctions in the functioning of the body. In the search for the causes that caused the dark shade, it is important to answer a number of questions:
- what shade of plaque:
- in which areas of the oral cavity formed;
- how embossed the surface is;
- Does the tongue have acne, blisters, ulcers and other diseases.
Black plaque in the tongue may indicate a weakening in the functioning of the immune system. But this is only one of the possible reasons. So why is a black coating formed in the language, and also what to do in this situation and how to avoid such unwanted problems in the future - let's understand.
What causes a raid?
Black plaque on the tongue (photo is presented in the article) - these are layers that can be of various thickness, density and stiffness. Previously, doctors when blackening the tongue made a serious diagnosis - cholera. By the way, it was found that men are more prone to the appearance of this unpleasant symptom than women. As medicine develops, it becomes clear that there may be other causes of black plaque in the tongue.
First you need to exclude the influence of food colors that come with food - they can be either natural (blueberries, for example) or synthetic (lollipops, soda, etc.) And also remember whether there was a medication intake - for example, activated charcoal is able to quickly paint the tongue black. In this case, it is recommended to rinse your mouth and look again at the condition of the tongue. But if rinsing has not changed the situation, a visit to the doctor is required! But which specialist should I contact?
In fact, the appearance of a dark coating on the surface of the tongue can cause quite a few reasons:
- unbalanced nutrition and impaired acid-base balance (acidosis);
- infectious diseases;
- various pathologies in the pancreas, gall bladder and digestive organs;
- taking antibiotics;
- dehydration of the body;
- Crohn's disease;
- chromogenic fungus in the oral cavity.
Let's consider them in more detail.
Acidosis - is it dangerous?
With sweet tooth and lovers of muffin, fast carbohydrates, fatty meat and other products containing cholesterol, with insufficient intake of foods of plant origin, the acid-base balance is most likely to be disturbed. Food balance is disturbed, acidity rises, and a black coating appears on the tongue. But an accurate diagnosis can only be established by an experienced therapist in clinical research and analysis. If acidosis is confirmed, it is recommended to consume more water and take baking soda - it reduces acidity and increases the alkaline level.
Angina
It happens that a person has a very high temperature against the background of an acute respiratory viral infection. Black plaque for colds does not require special treatment, after recovery, it will disappear by itself. There are recommendations for a more thorough hygiene of the oral cavity, it is necessary to clean not only teeth and gums, but also the tongue - for this, toothbrushes with a pad for cleaning the tongue are used. What are the other causes of black tongue in adults?
Gastrointestinal pathology
A bitter taste in the mouth and plaque, especially in the morning, indicate that it is necessary to visit a specialist to identify diseases of the gall bladder and pancreas (cholestasis, cholecystitis), as well as organ ulceration. The disease may have a latent form and for some time not manifest itself in any way. At the first signs, you should consult a doctor and take the necessary tests to exclude the presence of serious pathologies of the stomach and intestines.
Antibiotics as a provoking factor
Black plaque in the tongue also occurs after a course of antibiotics, although rarely enough. This is a signal of a weakening of the protective function of the body and the need for the appointment of drugs that strengthen the immune system.
In the morning, what is the cause?
Most often, a dark coating in the oral cavity appears in the morning, since at night there is an active process of reproduction of bacteria and microorganisms. And therefore, it is very important to thoroughly brush your teeth at night - the number of pathogenic bacteria decreases, the risk of a dense plaque decreases.
Candidiasis
With this disease, white plaque often appears, which is quite difficult to remove, it will soon come back again and again. But if the disease is left untreated and started, a plaque in the tongue can become denser and darker.
Dehydration
It is known that many gastrointestinal diseases are accompanied by such a serious complication as dehydration. This is expressed by the appearance of dryness and a feeling of bitterness in the mouth. But even if the organs of the digestive tract seem to be in order, the latent form of the disease cannot be ruled out, and at first the person may not even be aware of the disease, and a black coating on the tongue in adults should be the reason for a visit to the doctor.
Chromogenic fungus
If the plaque is in the language of a black-green hue, this may be a symptom of the presence of a chromogenic infection in the oral cavity. It is characteristic that in this case not only the patient’s tongue, but also his teeth and gums are covered with a coating. The presence of dark green spots on tooth enamel is the first symptom of this infection and a reason for more thorough oral hygiene.
Crohn's disease
Sometimes the first sign of Crohn's disease is a darkening in the mouth. Pathology is characterized by an increase in the pigment of melanin in the human body. This condition may be due to inhibition of the main function of the adrenal glands. The main symptoms are dark blue spots on the surface of the tongue. Moreover, they can not be cleaned or washed off, they will leave only with the right medication.
Alcohol or intoxication
Is it really true that such a raid from alcohol can form? Indeed, such an unpleasant symptom can talk about intoxication of the body with chronic abuse of alcohol, drugs or other chemicals that slag the human body, as a result, toxins in the blood accumulate significantly. That is why the language is black. The reasons for the raid can be very different.
And to the appearance of an unpleasant dark coating on the tongue can lead illiterate diets with the wrong selection of products. This once again indicates the need for a balanced, proper diet.
It happens that a black coating appears on the tongue of an infant. This is most likely to blame for complementary foods, or rather, its introduction too early. This is a signal to mom that the child’s body is not yet ready for new food, and most often the doctor prescribes drugs containing beneficial bifidobacteria. In older children, the main causes of black spots in the tongue are pathologies in the digestive organs.
What to do if this symptom occurs?
Definitely, the first thing to go to the doctor and do not self-medicate! After examination, the specialist sends the patient most often for an additional examination and may prescribe the following tests:
- blood tests to determine inflammation;
- tank. inoculation of the mucous membrane in the tongue - to test the sensitivity of the flora to antibacterial drugs;
- biochemical blood tests - to diagnose the condition of the liver;
- coprogram - if inflammatory bowel diseases occur;
- ultrasound to exclude liver disease;
- fibrogastroduodenoscopy to detect gastric ulcers.
Main conclusions
Thus, human language is an indicator of the coherence of the work of internal organs. In case of detection of dark plaque after exclusion of food coloring - an urgent visit to the doctor, examination and receipt of qualified recommendations.