Question to the expert: Do I need to clean the language
Olga Lukinskaya
RESPONSES TO THE MAJORITY OF US QUESTIONS we are all used to searching online. In this series of materials we ask precisely such questions - burning, unexpected or widespread - to professionals in various fields.
The language is the most important organ that performs many tasks: it provides sensitivity to different tastes, helps in the process of chewing and swallowing, participates in kisses and forms speech sounds. The state of the language may indicate health problems - no wonder that during a cold in childhood a “tongue overlaid” entry appeared in the medical record. So what is the "lined" language and should it be cleaned? Is it true that the tongue is caused by gall bladder problems? We asked these questions to the experts.
Marina Kuznetsova
Dentist, author of the Dental Jedi Telegram channel
Most people do not need to use tongue cleaning devices. Today, the use of cleansing is confirmed only for people with halitosis - odor from the mouth. It is associated with the predominance of anaerobic bacteria - they can live on the teeth, the tongue and even the tonsils - which secrete sulfur compounds. The test for halitosis can be done independently: you need to take a spoon, hold on the back of the tongue, scrape the plaque and epithelial cells, and then smell the contents. If you do not like the smell, cleansing the tongue can help - but it is important to understand that this is an addition to daily hygiene, and not an independent procedure. You can do this with an ordinary soft toothbrush, so you do not need to buy special scrapers.
Plaque may appear for other reasons. For example, with reflux disease, gastric juice is released into the esophagus and pharynx, to which the mucosa reacts, trying to protect itself with even more mucus. In the resulting nutrient medium, microbes multiply, due to which a white film is formed.
And there are also variants of the norm, at which language looks unusual. For example, a folded tongue is an innate feature, in which there are many hollows and folds in the tongue. This is not dangerous, but microbial plaque may accumulate in the grooves, and cleaning in such cases is necessary. Another variant of the norm is a geographical language, which is supposedly covered with spots with clear boundaries. These spots are not plaque, but an altered surface of the tongue, and its cleaning in this case is contraindicated, as it can injure the mucous membrane.
Alexey Paramonov
Candidate of Medical Sciences, gastroenterologist, general director of the Rassvet evidence-based medicine clinic, author of the book "Intestines with comfort"
Often at the reception I hear the question: "Why do I have a raid on my tongue, doctor, is this the gallbladder to blame?" Wines of the gallbladder in the formation of plaque in the language has already become an urban legend, although this is most likely the last possible reason. In fact, in 80% of cases, the cause of the plaque is directly in the mouth. Normally, epithelial cells covering the tongue are constantly updated, but their “old” layer does not always leave the tongue instantly. These delayed, spent their cells and serve as the basis for the raid. But although in itself it is not a sign of illness, it is still necessary to get rid of it - after all, dirty hands themselves are not a disease either, but we wash them.
The fact is that plaque accumulates microscopic remnants of food, which serve as an ideal nutrient medium for bacteria inhabiting the oral cavity. When these bacteria get too much — that is, when they have a good “food base,” problems begin. The most noticeable of them is the smell, or halitosis. But plaque is also the most important risk factor for caries, gingivitis (inflammation of the gums) and periodontitis (diseases of the tissues surrounding the tooth). These states, in turn, contribute to enhanced plaque formation — a bidirectional process.
So the gallbladder has nothing to do with it; however, in about 10% of cases gastroesophageal reflux is the cause of plaque formation. This is a situation in which the contents of the stomach is thrown into the esophagus, and then into the throat and into the tongue. With classic reflux disease, such casts usually occur at night, during sleep, especially after a hearty dinner. With functional reflux, occurring against the background of anxiety and other emotional phenomena, reflux occurs during the day when the body is in an upright position.
It happens and reflux (reverse casting) of bile: if it enters the stomach and above, the tongue can become yellow. Reflux damages the esophagus, which is manifested by pain behind the sternum and heartburn, and the pharynx, which the patient observes as pain or a foreign body sensation in the throat and the need to cough up mucus. Similar symptoms may occur during postnasal drainage - when there is inflammation in the nasal cavity, but the mucus flows down; this condition also contributes to the formation of plaque. If the raid appears after taking antibiotics, it is white and "curd" - we are talking about candidiasis (thrush). The color of the plaque depends on the nature of the food, smoking and other factors.
In the fight against excess plaque, the main thing is oral hygiene. The tongue should be cleaned with the teeth twice a day. The market offers an abundance of tools for this - different types of scrapers, but the results of cleaning with such scrapers and an ordinary toothbrush are almost the same. Excellent result gives cleaning the tongue with a toothbrush and toothpaste; it is necessary to capture the root of the tongue, where the largest number of bacteria is collected. But if there is a reflux or problems in the nasal cavity - they must be eliminated first of all.
It must be remembered that a "strange" looking tongue is not always a sign of illness. For example, in some people it has deep folds and grooves, it is called "geographical", in others hypertrophied nipples look like bumps and tubercles. These are standard options. But the lacquered crimson shiny tongue without papillae or the detected area of keratinization in the form of a plaque, which is not removed with a brush, is a reason to consult a doctor. Such dangerous finds are rare, and in most cases good hygiene and smoking cessation are key to health.
Photo: sasimoto - stock.adobe.com, Andrey Popov - stock.adobe.com