Mind your tongue

Ever wonder why your doctor asks you to stick out your tongue whenever you go for a checkup even when your complaint of a stomach-ache? Even very minor changes on the surface or in colour of tongue can be a marker of various internal disorders. As much as one should be concerned about the words it can speak, stressing on its health and hygiene is also important. Gustatory function of tongue is performed by tiny bumps or protrusions present over its surface known as papillae of the tongue where the important taste buds are located.

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Taste sensation

Taste-buds, which are discrete collections of approximately 40 to 60 cells within the papilla epithelium, are an oval sensory end organ that is involved in the perception of chemical stimuli and in taste transduction. These taste-buds add flavours to our life but their function can be altered by variety of causes leading to altered taste (dysgeusia), partial (hypogeusia) or complete (ageusia) loss of taste sensation. Excessive intake of hot liquids such as extremely hot tea, hot coffee, hot water, alcohol intake and nutritional deficiencies can lead to loss of papillae and hence altered/impaired taste sensations. Altered or metallic taste can occur due to various medications and due to metabolic derangements.

Coated or white tongue is a special condition in which colour of tongue becomes white or pale yellow, which occurs in bacterial infections, fungal infections such as candidiasis (oral thrush); however, in rare cases it could be leukoplakia, which is a pre cancerous condition hence one should not neglect it.

Be wary

Smooth tongue, a condition in which the normal rough surface (papillae) of the tongue shrinks or disappears, making the tongue look bald or shiny and thin. Without this rough surface, the tongue may be tender and sensitive to spicy foods. The most common cause of a smooth tongue is the nutritional deficiencies, which include iron, folate and vitamin B12 deficiency. B12 deficiency will also make the tongue sore and beefy-red in colour.

Fissured or furrowed tongue also known as scrotal tongue is seen as irregular deep grooves over tongue surface; it is associated with various inherited disorders. Redness and swelling of the tongue is known as glossitis. This can happen secondary to an allergy, infection, an injury to the tongue, or nutritional disorder. Glossitis can change the routine of how you chew, swallow, or speak until it goes away.

Colour changes

Your tongue may look like it has grown hair (hairy tongue) or white fur (furry tongue). Changes in the color of the tongue: Your tongue may look black or strawberry-or raspberry-coloured. A bright-red tongue that occurs with fever, sore throat or other symptoms may be more serious.

Rare, but serious, causes of tongue problems can include:

n A severe allergic reaction, causing the tongue to swell. This is an emergency and requires prompt medical evaluation.

n Oral cancer, which can cause a sore on the tongue or a lasting feeling of numbness.

Any sore, plaque, patch or mass over the tongue should not be ignored and demands immediate attention, as it can be a sign of underlying cancer. Tongue speaks a lot about general health and hygiene of the person and is an important marker for underlying disorders; hence mind your tongue not just for words but for its health.

(Dr Sharma is a Chandigarh-based skin specialist)