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The causes of a coated tongue can be illness or eating too quickly. Often, the coating is no cause for concern.
Causes of a coated tongue
In many cases, tongue coating is harmless. However, if the color of the tongue changes from red to white or brown, this may be a reason to see a doctor.
- In many cases, there are simple reasons why your tongue is coated. For example, if you are a fast eater or even wolf down your food, there is a lack of friction when chewing and the coating becomes visible. Smoking, poor oral hygiene, and dry mouth can also cause heavy tongue coating.
- If your tongue looks like a map because white lines surround red spots, this is usually caused by acidic or spicy foods.
- However, if your tongue has a brown coating, this could indicate an intestinal or kidney disease. Sometimes brown coating is also caused by discoloration from coffee and other beverages.
- A yellow coating on the tongue indicates a fungal infection. This is accompanied by a furry feeling in the mouth. However, it can also be caused by liver or gallbladder problems.
- If you discover a white coating in your mouth, it could be caused by a cold. However, oral thrush or gastrointestinal infections can also cause this type of coating.
What you can do about tongue coating
Although the tongue alone can be a sign of a possible illness, you should also observe the other signals your body is sending you. If the coating is harmless, you can quickly get it under control with home remedies.
- See your doctor if your tongue has an unusual coating and you are experiencing other symptoms of illness. A medical professional can determine the cause of the coating. Once the underlying illness is treated, the tongue coating will usually disappear.
- If the coating is caused by spicy foods or eating too quickly, you can easily remove it with a tongue scraper. Chewing gum also helps stimulate saliva flow and reduce tongue coating.
- Eating an apple also helps against tongue coating. Be sure to chew slowly so that the friction can remove the coating.
