What causes uneven tongue coating? What causes thick white tongue coating?

Many diseases of our human body, especially some diseases of the internal organs, will be manifested through the tongue. So what is the reason for the uneven tongue and the thick and white tongue?

1. A normal person has a thin, white, and moist coating on the back of his tongue, which is called tongue coating. It is composed of desquamated keratinized epithelium, saliva, bacteria, food debris and exuded white blood cells.

Under normal circumstances, the chewing and swallowing movements, as well as the flushing of saliva and food, constantly remove substances from the surface of the tongue, leaving only a thin white layer of tongue coating. When one is sick, one eats less or only eats soft food, which reduces chewing and tongue movements, or reduces saliva secretion, and the tongue coating becomes thicker. The tongue coating of a normal person is generally thin and evenly spread on the surface of the tongue, and is slightly thicker in the middle and root of the tongue.

2. What is the cause of thick white tongue coating?

Thick white tongue coating is a common phenomenon among people. When the tongue coating is white, we will feel that the tongue seems to have become thicker, a little astringent, and sometimes accompanied by a bitter taste in the mouth.

Studies have shown that the tongue coating is a layer of dirt spread on the tongue. In fact, under normal circumstances, the tongue coating of ordinary people will be whitish, but it is usually thin. If the tongue coating is thick and white, it means that your gastrointestinal tract has been diseased. If not treated in time, it will cause harm to the body:

1. It causes unpleasant odor in the mouth and even bad breath.

2. It will affect people’s appetite and thus affect digestive function.

3. It will cause stomach heat, and the accumulated heat will lead to facial acne.

3. Classification of tongue coating

1. Yellow tongue coating: generally indicates heat syndrome, that is, stomach heat occurs. If the tongue coating is thin, yellow, thick and dry, it means that the internal heat is excessive and the body fluids are damaged. The tongue coating is yellow, dry and prickly, and there are cracks on the tongue, which indicates that the internal heat is extremely severe, the body fluids are severely damaged, and the internal organs are extremely hot. The tongue coating is thick and greasy, which is usually caused by phlegm heat, food accumulation or internal damp heat. The tongue coating is yellow, smooth and moist, which is a sign of yang deficiency.

2. Black tongue coating: People with gastrointestinal problems will have a thick and greasy tongue coating. It starts out white and gradually turns yellow or black. In addition, clinical findings show that some chronic diseases, such as uremia and malignant tumors, will also cause black tongue coating when the condition worsens. This is a sign of a serious illness and one should go to the hospital to see a doctor in time.

3. White coating: A thin, white and moist tongue coating is a normal tongue coating. The tongue coating is thin, white and overly smooth, which is generally seen in superficial symptoms and cold syndromes. If the tongue coating is thick, white and dry, it means that there is a lesion in the gastrointestinal tract, which is often seen in various symptoms of gastritis, enteritis and bad breath. At the same time, thick white tongue coating is also a warning of gastrointestinal metaplasia, and the severity of intestinal metaplasia is directly related to gastric cancer.

4. Thick moss: The thickness of the moss is determined by whether the bottom is visible or not. If the tongue cannot be seen through the coating, it is called thick coating. If you have symptoms of gastrointestinal disease, the appearance of thick tongue coating indicates that the condition is already serious and you need to be hospitalized for treatment in time.

4. If you find that your tongue coating is thick and white, you should pay attention to adjusting your diet, eat more light food, drink more water, and eat less fried food. Maintain a regular lifestyle and a good mood; take part in more physical exercise.

Pay special attention to oral hygiene. Brush your teeth and rinse your mouth carefully every morning, before going to bed, and after meals. If necessary, gently brush off the tongue coating with a toothbrush or a clean towel.