The color of the tongue can indicate illness and health problems

The tongue has many nerves that help detect and transmit taste signals to the brain, such as sweet, sour, bitter, and salty tastes. The tongue is essential for chewing, swallowing food and speaking.

A healthy tongue is one that is pink in color and covered with papillae. Because you always use your tongue to speak, eat or drink, you need to keep your tongue healthy so you don't have problems that can interfere with your comfort. Although most tongue problems are not serious and can be resolved quickly, however, you still need to know what problems can occur to the tongue.

Uniquely, the color of your tongue can indicate what disorders your tongue is experiencing.

If the tongue has a white coating or white spots

There are several things that can cause the tongue to have a white coating or white spots, including:

• Sprue. Occurs because of a yeast infection that develops in the mouth. This condition can be experienced by everyone, but is more common in people who use steroids or those with a weak immune system.
• Oral lichen planus. This is a network of white lines that appear on your tongue, which can be shaped like lace. This condition usually gets better on its own, especially if you practice good dental hygiene, avoid tobacco, and cut back on foods that irritate your mouth.
• Leukoplakia. It is a condition in which cells in the mouth overgrow, which causes white patches on the tongue and inside the mouth. Although benign and harmless, this condition can develop into oral cancer. So if you have this condition, you need to consult a dentist to find out the cause and get the right treatment.

If the tongue is dark red

There are several possibilities if your tongue, which was originally pink, turns bright red:

• Vitamin deficiency. Lack of folic acid and vitamin B-12 can cause your tongue to experience redness.
• Geographical tongue (geographic tongue) is a condition of abnormalities on the surface of the tongue, which is characterized by the appearance of papillae thin and whitish pink that resemble the image of islands and cover the surface of the tongue.
• Scarlet fever. It is an infection that causes the tongue to have a strawberry-like appearance (red and bumpy).
• Kawasaki disease. It also causes a strawberry-colored tongue accompanied by fever, as well as swelling or redness of the hands and feet.

If the tongue is black and hairy

Just like hair, the papillae on your tongue also grow throughout your life. In some people, the papillae grow elongated and tend to carry bacteria. When they grow, these papillae will appear dark and black, so they resemble hair. This condition usually occurs in people who do not practice proper oral and dental hygiene. People who use antibiotics, undergo chemotherapy, and suffer from diabetes are more likely to develop this condition.

If the tongue is sore or bumpy

Painful bumps on the tongue can be caused by:

• A tongue that is accidentally bitten can cause pain in the tongue.
• Smoking excessively can irritate the tongue and make it painful.
• Oral cancer. A lump or sore on your tongue that doesn't go away in two weeks can be an indication of oral cancer.

Keep your teeth, mouth and tongue healthy!

To prevent problems with the tongue, you need to maintain healthy teeth and mouth, one of which is by brushing your teeth and tongue. You also need to see the condition of your tongue regularly, so that if you find something wrong, you can find out right away and go to a doctor immediately to find out the cause and how to treat it appropriately.