The normal color of the tongue is pink with a light white coating on it. If the color of the tongue is yellow, this can be caused by a variety of things, ranging from temporary and harmless to more serious and requiring medical treatment. Curious about what causes it and how to fix it. Check out the full review below.
What Are The Causes Of A Yellow Tongue Color?
You should not underestimate the yellowing of the tongue. Although the cause is sometimes related to daily habits, this condition can also be a sign of certain health problems. The following are some of the causes that can make your taste buds turn yellow.
1. Poor dental hygiene
The most common cause of yellow tongue is the buildup of dead skin cells and bacteria between the nodules of the tongue (papillary). This is not a sign of serious illness, but rather caused by poor dental hygiene.
Usually occurs because you are lazy to brush your teeth, especially after eating and before going to bed. Worsened by the lack of awareness to drink lots of water.
2. Smoking
Smoking habits have many bad effects on health. Not only the lungs, there are many organs of the body that will deteriorate due to smoking.
The chemicals in cigarette smoke can make your tongue turn yellow. In addition, yellowing teeth can also be caused by this bad habit. The more you smoke, the worse your oral condition will be.
3. Mouthwash containing oxidizing agents
Mouthwash is used as an adjunct to maintain oral hygiene. However, choosing mouthwash also should not be arbitrary. Choice of mouthwash that contains certain substances can yellow your tongue.
For example, mouthwash containing peroxide, witch hazel, or menthol can change the color of your tongue.
4. Consumption of certain drugs
Some antibiotics can cause a yellow tongue due to an imbalance of microbes that causes bacteria or yeast to multiply in the mouth. When this happens, yeast or bacteria can build up on the tongue and cause a yellowing of the tongue.
Pepto-Bismol and other bismuth-containing medications can also change the color of your tongue. Certain medications, such as medications for Sjogren's syndrome and diabetes, as well as radiation therapy and chemotherapy can cause dry mouth. Dry mouth is a risk factor for yellow tongue.
5. Hairy black tongue syndrome
Black hairy tongue is a temporary and painless oral disorder. This harmless condition occurs when the nodules (papillary) that line the tip and both sides of your tongue grow.
Papillae that are longer than normal can easily trap dead skin cells and oral bacteria, which then mix with tobacco residue, food residue, or other substances. Despite the name black tongue, your tongue may turn yellow or something else before turning black.
6. Geographic tongue
Geographic tongue is a condition of abnormal structure of the tongue that makes the surface of the tongue not covered evenly by papillae. As a result, the surface of the tongue looks like random, irregular red “bald” areas.
There is usually a wavy white line next to the red patch, but it can also be yellow. Sometimes, this condition causes pain.
7. Jaundice
Jaundice is a condition in which the color of your skin and the whites of your eyes turn yellow. Jaundice is caused by damage to the liver so that it can't process bilirubin properly.
Bilirubin is a yellow pigment that is produced when red blood cells are damaged. When bilirubin builds up in your blood, your skin, whites of eyes, and tongue can turn yellow.
How To Deal With Yellow Tongue?
There are many ways for you to get rid of this oral problem. However, you need to know what the underlying cause is first. Only then decide the right way to handle it. More specifically, you can follow a few steps to deal with a yellowing tongue.
- Maintain oral hygiene by diligently brushing your teeth, as well as brushing your tongue.
- Drink plenty of water to help remove food debris stuck to the tongue.
- Quit smoking slowly, not suddenly to avoid annoying nicotine withdrawal symptoms.
- Choose a mouthwash that does not contain oxidizing agents. You can ask your dentist to get the right mouthwash choice.
- Stop the use of certain drugs, and replace them with other drugs that have minimal side effects. However, discontinuation of use of the drug requires permission from the doctor who treats your condition.
- Check with a doctor if yellowing of the tongue is a sign of disease. The doctor may prescribe medication to relieve other accompanying symptoms, or recommend other medical treatments.
Source : https://hellosehat.com/gigi-mulut/gusi-mulut/lidah-kuning/
