Black tongue is a symptom of what disease?

What it is

A black coating on the tongue usually appears with severe damage to the digestive tract.
Moreover, the more complex the patient’s condition, the darker and denser the plaque. It most often forms on the surface of the tongue, but can also cover the teeth and the inner surface of the cheeks in a thick layer. The black and green coating can scare anyone. But before you panic, you should carefully analyze what you ate in the last 24 hours. After all, there is a whole list of foods, the consumption of which stains the tongue, lips and teeth black or dark. These products include, first of all, blueberries. Consuming activated charcoal can also temporarily turn your tongue black.

A black coating on the tongue of an adult can also appear in the presence of a disease such as acidosis. Acidosis disrupts the acid-base balance in the body. Those who eat little fresh vegetables and fruits, while leaning on flour and sweets, are susceptible to this disease. If the doctor confirms that the black plaque on the tongue and teeth is due to acidosis, it is necessary to cleanse the body of toxins.

Previously, it was believed that a black coating on the tongue indicates such a terrible disease as cholera.

Modern doctors do not support this statement, but are still inclined to believe that a black coating on the tongue appears most often with acidosis.

Types of raids

Currently, experts identify several forms of the symptom in question. So, for various reasons, one of the following types of plaque may appear on a person’s tongue:

• covering the entire surface of the organ,
• in the form of spots concentrated in a certain area,
• in the form of dots
• with a yellowish or brownish tint,
• with parallel darkening of the gums and teeth,
• black “hairy” tongue - the papillae become enlarged, thickened and hardened, resulting in the formation of peculiar growths resembling hair on the surface of the organ. In this case, the neoplasms are localized on the back, while the tip and root of the tongue retain a healthy pink tint.

Sometimes people are scared by the darker shade of the tongue underneath. In fact, this is a completely natural phenomenon, due to the anatomical structure of the organ, in particular the close location of the veins. The closer they are to the surface of the epithelium, the darker it will be. The only reason to contact a specialist are swollen and knotty veins, which indicate varicose veins.

Reasons for appearance

There may be quite a few reasons why a patient has a black coating on his tongue. Let's consider the most likely of them:

• acidosis (disturbance of the acid-base balance in the human body);
• diseases of the pancreas, gall bladder and digestive organs;
• presence of cholera infection;
• development of acute infectious diseases;
• the appearance and reproduction of chromogenic fungus in the oral cavity.

Let's look at all these reasons in more detail.

Angina

A black coating on the tongue in the morning may indicate a sore throat, especially if the patient has a very high fever and there is an acute respiratory viral infection in the body. In this case, you need to consult a doctor so that he can establish the correct diagnosis and prescribe adequate treatment. If you have a sore throat, a black coating on the tongue does not require any separate treatment; after recovery, it will disappear on its own. During illness, oral hygiene procedures should be carried out very carefully, cleaning not only the teeth and gums, but also the tongue.

Acidosis

As a result of a change in the acid-base balance towards increasing acidity, the patient's tongue may have a black or dark coating. Only an experienced doctor can make a diagnosis based on clinical studies and tests. Therefore, if you are concerned about a dark coating on your tongue, you should consult a general practitioner, undergo an examination, and only then begin treatment.

Diseases of the digestive tract

If you have a black coating on your tongue, the reasons may be the development of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, primarily the pancreas and gall bladder. Many patients complain that along with the plaque there is a bitterness in the mouth, although they have no problems with the stomach. In fact, the disease can occur in a latent form, without showing itself for the time being. At the first signs, you should consult a doctor and take a blood test to rule out the presence of serious pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract.

Antibiotics

A black coating on the tongue after antibiotics appears quite rarely and usually signals a weakened human immune system. After all, antibiotics are not taken on their own; they are prescribed only for serious indications. And, accordingly, such a patient’s immunity is weakened. Taking antibiotics is also associated with the risk of multiplying a fungal infection, and the development of chromogenic fungus in the oral cavity only increases the risk of black plaque formation.

In the morning

Dark plaque on the tongue and teeth in the morning is a fairly common phenomenon, since bacteria and microorganisms actively multiplied in the patient’s mouth overnight. It is extremely important to brush your teeth before going to bed, this way we reduce the number of pathogenic bacteria and prevent the appearance of dense plaque.

Thrush

Black coating on the tongue and thrush are not as closely related as they might seem. Most often, with thrush, a white coating appears, which is quite difficult to remove; soon it appears again and again. But if the disease is in an extremely advanced state, the coating on the tongue may darken and resemble black in color.

Bitterness in the mouth

A black coating on the tongue and bitterness in the mouth may indicate diseases of the pancreas and gall bladder. With these diseases, dehydration of the body often occurs, which is expressed in the appearance of bitterness in the mouth.

Sometimes patients ask why a black coating appears on the tongue if everything is fine with the digestive tract. We remind you that sometimes diseases occur in the so-called latent form, in which the patient is not even aware of the presence of the disease. And dark language should definitely alert you.

Chromogenic fungus

Black-green plaque may be the cause of chromogenic fungus in the oral cavity. In this case, plaque covers not only the patient’s tongue, but also his teeth and gums. Dark green spots appear on the surface of the tooth enamel. In this case, it is necessary to observe extremely careful oral hygiene.

Diagnostic and treatment methods

Before prescribing treatment, a specialist must conduct a thorough diagnosis. To do this, he carefully examines the patient’s oral cavity, asks him about complaints, and analyzes the medical history. To make an accurate diagnosis, the following diagnostic procedures can be prescribed - blood and urine tests, bacterial culture from the oral cavity. Other doctors may prescribe tests such as coprogram (stool analysis), FGS to assess the condition of the stomach and esophagus. An abdominal ultrasound may also be needed.

Only with the diagnostic results in hand can the attending physician narrow the range of possible causes of the problem and, if necessary, refer the patient to a highly specialized doctor - a gastroenterologist or infectious disease specialist.

Only the attending physician can determine the cause of the plaque

If the dark tongue is the result of a dental disease, the patient will be asked to undergo a complete sanitation of the oral cavity and eliminate the root cause of this phenomenon. In the presence of pathogenic microflora, antibiotics are prescribed, and in case of intoxication, detoxification procedures will be required to cleanse the body and restore normal blood composition. If we are talking about infectious diseases associated with the genitourinary system, the direction of further treatment will be chosen by a specialized specialist.

Treatment

If a black coating is detected on the tongue, treatment must be based on an accurate diagnosis. Only in this case can you completely get rid of the disease, otherwise you can struggle with external manifestations for a long time and in vain, without affecting the very cause of darkening of the tongue.

Patients are usually interested in why a black coating appears on the tongue and what to do in this case. Only a doctor can answer the first question, since there are quite a few reasons for darkening of the tongue. The second answer should also be answered by a doctor, since the method of getting rid of black plaque directly depends on the diagnosis that will be established as a result of a thorough examination.

Be that as it may, at the first signs of the appearance of a dark coating on the tongue, all hygiene procedures should be carefully carried out, carefully cleaning the surface of the tongue with a toothbrush and paste.

Banal reasons for plaque on the tongue

Before you worry and look for the reasons for the appearance of a black tongue, the symptoms of which disease are present, you should carefully examine the oral cavity. You should also remember whether you used coloring products, such as:

• blueberry;
• red wine;
• mulberry;
• food with dark dyes;
• lollipops, etc.

Black tongue is often observed after taking activated carbon tablets.

, and in this case there is definitely no need to panic. You should perform high-quality oral hygiene, and you can forget about the problem.

Among the simple and common, but more serious causes of organ darkening, alcohol abuse

. They not only stain the tongue, but also provide the body with chronic intoxication, disrupting metabolism and slowing down the rate of elimination of toxins.

Gray plaque with black streaks may be the result of poor oral hygiene, in which case the symptom is accompanied by an unpleasant odor. Another popular reason why there is a black coating on the tongue is the active proliferation of mold fungi

after taking antibiotics. When local immunity is weakened, these microorganisms colonize the mucous membrane and give it a dark tint.

Gastrointestinal diseases and black tongue

Blackening of the mucous membrane of the tongue in children is almost always associated with pathologies of the digestive system. In adults, the incidence of such problems in the presence of black plaque is lower

, and yet
gastrointestinal
occupy a leading position.
The symptom is more common in people who abuse fast food, baked goods, carbohydrate foods
, food with an abundance of preservatives, dyes, and other harmful additives. Such a “diet” leads to metabolic disorders, and the tongue serves as an indicator of general ill-being.

In Crohn's disease, the tongue turns black

, since an increase in melanin production occurs in the body due to suppression of the adrenal glands. Diseases of the gallbladder, stomach, and duodenum also cause changes in the oral cavity, and only their treatment will help get rid of the scourge.

Signs of the main pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, accompanied by the appearance of a dark coating on the tongue, are shown in the table.