A person's tongue mirrors the general condition of the digestive tract. By its appearance, you can track the processes occurring in the stomach and intestines. If we learn to perceive the signs that he gives us in time, we will be able to respond in time to emerging disorders and pathologies. Any gastroenterologist can make a preliminary diagnosis just by looking at your tongue.

At the appointment with a regular therapist, we often hear the phrase "Show your tongue." Indeed, he can say a lot not only about the gastrointestinal tract, but also about other organs and systems. Oriental medicine divides the area of ​​the tongue into sectors, each of which is responsible for a specific part of the body. At the same time, the impact on certain points helps to influence the pathological organs. Oriental doctors may treat by pressing, piercing, or cauterizing the surface of the tongue.

Our official medicine does not consider language diagnostics to be profiling, preferring other procedures and laboratory tests. But sometimes it is the language of a person who is the first to react to the changes and pathological processes taking place in the body. Thus, this method of diagnosis should not be completely ruled out.

In order to independently diagnose diseases of the gastrointestinal tract by language, you need to know certain rules and recommendations:

The best time for self-diagnosis is in the morning, before breakfast. Choose a place with natural light, as lamps can distort color perception. Don't brush your teeth, just rinse your mouth with water.

Take a mirror and position yourself in front of a light source. Open your mouth and examine the tongue, carefully recording the presence of plaque and its color, the shape and symmetry of the tongue, possible irregularities, furrows and enlarged papillae on its surface.

How to interpret what you see? What does a healthy person's tongue look like?

A healthy human tongue is shiny and pink, it does not have any plaque, bulges and furrows, it is evenly colored over the entire surface.

If the tongue has a crimson color, then this is a signal of fever, poisoning, various infectious diseases or pneumonia. A pale, almost white color indicates anemia, malnutrition, stomach cancer or pancreatic disease.

Dark red color indicates intoxication of the body and kidney diseases.
If the underside of the tongue is predominantly bluish in color, then this may indicate problems with the lungs, kidney diseases and circulatory disorders.

A general cyanotic coloration in combination with furrows, veins and friability is a sign of heart disease, as well as liver damage. Black color is a signal of cholera and severe infectious diseases.
Pallor of the tongue from the underside may be a symptom of the development of pathological changes in the gallbladder and liver.

When yellowing from below, you should pay attention to the liver. This symptom indicates cirrhosis or hepatitis at an early stage of development.

If the tongue is covered with a yellow coating on top, this indicates dyskinesia and disorders in the gallbladder.

A plaque of black, gray or greenish color is a sign of serious violations of the digestive processes, as well as dehydration, pathologies of the pancreas and severe intoxication of the body.

White plaque may indicate a deficiency in the production of gastric juice.
If white plaque is concentrated on the back of the tongue, this may be a signal of appendicitis or a disease of the large intestine. If it is in the middle, this indicates peptic ulcers, gastritis or pathologies of the duodenum.

If plaque is present both at the root of the tongue and on its sides, this is a symptom of pyelonephritis.
If the tongue is completely covered with various furrows and generally has an uneven surface with areas of different color, this indicates that a person has some chronic diseases that have been occurring in the gastrointestinal tract for quite a long time. In addition, this symptom is typical for people with certain mental disorders.

A tongue with an asymmetrical arrangement, inclined slightly to the side, may indicate a hemorrhagic or ischemic stroke, as well as circulatory disorders in the brain or cerebellar functions.

If foam is present on the lateral surfaces of the tongue, this indicates developing rheumatism.

If there are imprints of teeth on the anterior and lateral surfaces of the tongue, we can conclude that a developing neurosis is developing. At the same time, the depth and clarity of the prints are directly proportional to the stage of development of the disease.

Red and white areas on the surface of the tongue indicate the symptoms of scarlet fever.
If you observe the presence of small numerous ulcers with a flat bottom, then this indicates the development of tuberculosis.

Dry tongue, covered with furrows and cracks, is a symptom of diabetes.
Trembling of the tongue, most likely, is a signal of various neurotic disorders, as well as neurosis, brain tumors. He can also talk about micro strokes.

A bright red color, without visible plaque, indicates a stomach ulcer, as well as increased acidity of gastric juice.

Thus, the preliminary diagnosis of diseases by language is within the power of every person. If you suddenly find any visible violations - do not self-medicate, but consult a specialist for advice.

One of the alternative methods in modern medicine is the diagnosis of possible diseases in the human body by its language.

According to the followers of ancient oriental medicine, the language of a person reflects the state of his health in general, as well as the state of specifically, taken separately, internal organs and entire systems.

The same opinion is shared by many well-known Russian doctors, in particular, the Russian doctor M. Nechaev.

When a person is sick, it is quite easy to determine where the problem is by the state of his tongue. For trained professionals, this is a matter of minutes.

But you can even make such a diagnosis yourself, it is enough to know at least the main points, which will be discussed now.

A prerequisite for high-quality diagnostics is to conduct it only in the morning, on an empty stomach. The lighting should be quite bright, sufficient for a good inspection.

Features of the language of a healthy person

The appearance of the language of an almost healthy person:

• Uniform pink surface
• Absence of tuberosities, unevenness of the surface of the tongue
• The presence of plaque, imprints from the teeth is not noted
• No visible spots of different colors and textures
• Saliva is distributed over the surface fairly evenly, in a thin layer
• Clearly expressed straight longitudinal fold
• The papillae are clearly visible, which are quite small at the tip of the tongue, already larger in its middle part, and on the root they are even larger and there are more of them than in other areas.

For high-quality diagnostics, every part of the tongue is important! By examining its state, one can determine both the problem of an organ taken separately and the state of the organism as a whole.

Separate areas on the lingual surface are responsible for a specific organ.

The main ones in the diagnosis are the color of the lingual surface, plaque (its localization and the nature of the deposits), enlargements, curvature, deformations of various zones, as well as changes in the papillae (their disappearance, enlargement, etc.).

Consider the main areas of human language:

• Tip
• The middle part, also called the back.
• Root
• Left and right side surfaces.

Chinese Health Diagnosis by Language - The Five Elements

The ancient Chinese theory of the five primary elements (Fire, Water, Metal, Earth, Wood) distributes as follows: the tip of a person's tongue is the element of Fire, immediately after this area there is a zone of the Metal element. The back (central part) is the Earth, the sides are the Tree.

And the farthest zone, the root, corresponds to the element Water.

• Fire Zone (tip)

It is responsible for the functioning of the cardiovascular system and the small intestine. Both of these systems are tightly interconnected, failures in one system cause instant discomfort in the other. So, many are familiar with the feeling when, due to anxiety, a person begins to experience discomfort in the abdomen.

Chronic overstrain, stress, anxiety and worries, a large number of experienced grievances are defined as red spots and dots on the tip of the tongue. If at least some changes are determined in this area, then this indicates the intense work of the heart, that it works in an enhanced mode, works for wear, experiencing overstrain and stress.

• Metal Zone (the area that starts immediately after the tip zone)

This zone is responsible for human immunity, for the condition of the respiratory organs, as well as for the work of the large intestine.

If the color of this area is significantly pale, then you should pay close attention to the state of immunity.

If in these places there is a brown, dark brown coating, then most likely the state of the respiratory system is already in a completely deplorable state and there are quite serious problems with the bronchi and lungs.

• Tree Zone (sides of tongue, left and right)

This zone is responsible for the functioning of the hepatobiliary system. This is our liver, gallbladder, all the ducts, their condition.

If you find teeth marks on these zones, then this means that there are stagnation in the operation of this system.

If there are bluish, greenish, purple spots, then this is a specific sure sign of already existing diseases in the liver, gallbladder, violation of the outflow of bile (dyskenesia).

If you find dark spots, closer to black, then most likely we will talk about quite serious problems and the conversation with the doctor will already be about hepatitis or cirrhosis of the liver.

• Earth zone (central part)

It shows the work of the stomach, spleen, pancreas.

If its color is clearly red, there is a yellow coating, then this is a very specific sign of increased acidity in the stomach or a sign of bile reflux into the stomach.

• Water Zone (back of the tongue, its root)

The zone of responsibility of Water includes many systems of the human body, but the main one is the genitourinary system, which includes the kidneys, adrenal glands, bladder and all ducts, as well as the genitals.

At the very back of the root are two rather large tubercles. These are ordinary papillae, and this is not considered a deviation from the norm.

Diagnosis of health by language - the main signs of diseases

• Plaque on the tongue

Pay close attention to the presence of plaque in this part, and also examine the color of the root of the tongue.

If the plaque is thick, if it is yellowish, or the color of the tongue surface is not pink, then most likely there are problems with the genitourinary system, infections of the organs included in it are not excluded.

If the coating on the tongue is thin, then the disease is just beginning, if it is thick, then most likely it has already passed into the chronic stage.

The yellowish color of the plaque indicates violations in the work of the liver, gallbladder.

• Longitudinal fold

Note the longitudinal crease in the tongue. If it is not clearly expressed, if it is not clearly straight, then you have problems with the condition of the spinal column.

• Papillary diagnosis

In the language of a healthy person, the number of papillae is approximately ten thousand. What are papillae? These are original analyzers (determinants) of taste, temperature, chemical components of food. Through their nerve endings there is a connection with the internal organs of a person and their departments - with the intestines, liver, kidneys, spleen, etc.

When diagnosing, it is worth considering the time of year. In summer, the papillae have a redder, brighter hue than in the cold season, they are larger than in autumn, winter and spring.

In the cold season, they can even be bluish or yellowish. This is acceptable and considered normal.

Health diagnostics by language - video

How to take care of the tongue?

Regularly examine, diagnose your language.

Be sure to purchase a special scraper to clean it from plaque. Do this daily in the morning while brushing your teeth. To enhance the healing effect, you can also cleanse in the evening before going to bed.

In many ancient states where medicine was developed, people believed in hidden connections between various organs. Some doctors tried to find answers about a person's health by examining his tongue. Science has evolved, and many views on the diagnosis of diseases by language have changed, but even modern doctors find evidence of this connection.

Modern doctors believe that certain the properties of the language do not indicate an exact diagnosis, but they help to know the direction of the diagnosis. So from time to time it is advisable to look at this organ and consult a doctor if its color or shape changes.

Diagnostic features

If the vital processes are balanced, the body functions without failures, the human tongue has a healthy appearance. This is manifested in its smooth, velvety surface, uniform pink color and transparent coating of saliva. There should be no discomfort, burning, tingling or lack of sensation in any area.

In the human body, pathologies are determined by the following characteristics:

• Color and its uniformity on the surface of the tongue.
• Smell, color and consistency of plaque.
• Relief.
• The shape of the organ and the line in the middle.
• Movement.
• Sense of taste.

Health diagnostics by tongue should be carried out as follows: stick it out as much as possible, look in the mirror and analyze all these characteristics. The sensations of taste and touch, the accumulation of plaque should be observed during the day. All features that could be identified should be compared with textual descriptions.

If the patient tells the doctor about the change in the state of health and the results of the diagnosis by language, he is assigned an examination to clarify the diagnosis.

Correspondence of tongue zones to internal organs

Ancient Chinese doctors determined that each section of this muscular organ is associated with a certain element. Modern medicine has established how the areas of the human tongue are associated with diseases of the internal organs. Correspondence is shown in the table:

For a more informative diagnosis, it is necessary to take into account both the general state of the language and the state of its individual sections. It is important to understand that the doctor draws conclusions not only on indirect external changes, but also on the results of laboratory, instrumental studies, and when making a diagnosis, one should rely more on the conclusions confirmed by the analyzes.

Diagnosis by color: what does the color of the tongue say

The color of this organ depends partly on the shade of its own tissues, partly on the plaque accumulated on it. By studying the color of the tongue, you can determine what this sign says and go to the therapist to check your assumptions. Below is a correspondence between the color of the plaque of the tongue and the diseases that may be associated with it:

Presence of spots

The color of the tongue in some diseases is uneven, there may be distinct or indistinct spots, stripes:

Diagnosis by form

The definition of a human disease by language is also based on the analysis of its outline and the shape of the midline:

It is difficult for a person without a medical education to determine from photographs or descriptions which form of an organ is the norm for him. So, a thick tongue can be mistaken for puffiness. So do not draw conclusions about the state of health and treatment on your own, it is better to contact the doctor and tell him about your assumptions.

The nature of the relief

Normal taste buds form a smooth, velvety surface. By the relief of the tongue, you can determine the disease in an adult or a child, how to do it:

Movement and Sensibility

Normally, a person moves the tongue without difficulty, without trembling and pain in the muscle.. If there are diseases of the nervous system and neurasthenic syndromes, a characteristic trembling appears, and with strokes, it is difficult for patients to chew and talk. With hemorrhages in the brain, both the sensitivity of taste buds and the touch of the surface are partially or completely absent.

The causes of trembling can be not only neurological, but also endocrine. The progression of brain diseases in the later stages leads to a decrease in muscle size.

If you experience uncharacteristic sensations, burning, you should contact a neurologist. If only the surface of the organ hurts, it is covered with plaque, turns pale, you need to show it to the dentist, this may be a sign of inflammation of the mucous membrane - stomatitis.

The function of the taste buds is also used in the diagnosis of diseases on the tongue, it can change with burns, smoking or hormonal disruptions and is often accompanied by the accumulation of plaque.

In pregnant women, a change in taste preferences and an aversion to normal food may appear in the first trimester or persist for all 9 months. For some women, this feature is the first sign of successful conception.

Prevention of tongue diseases

To reduce the risk of diseases of the tongue itself and other organs, you need to monitor your diet, daily routine, and have less contact with infectious patients. Care for the tongue itself should be no less thorough than for the teeth.

Accumulating plaque, especially in sick people, is a place of mass reproduction of bacteria and fungi. If it is not removed in time, it will become a source of infectious pathogens that can enter any part of the body.

When cleaning the oral cavity, it is useful to use toothbrushes with a ribbed back surface to clean the tongue from plaque, or special spoons, scrapers. But they must be used carefully so as not to damage the taste buds and mucous membranes. After cleaning, it is advisable to use pharmacy solutions for rinsing or prepare homemade decoctions of herbs.

Is it worth doing a tongue test?

Doctors have been studying the question of what diseases can be identified by language for several hundred years. The results of research by ancient and modern scientists show that this connection exists, but it needs to be properly understood and evaluated. If a healthy person has bumps or the color of plaque has changed, this phenomenon may be the very first symptom of a disease that will manifest itself in the future with other abnormalities.

There is an assumption that the imprints of the disease appear on this organ a few days before its clinical signs, but you should not use diagnostics based on a person’s language for further self-treatment. This is a whole science, and only a good specialist can understand it. You can start treatment only after a full examination and the establishment of a correct diagnosis.

The tongue is not just an organ of the digestive system, but also a specific indicator that accurately tells a person how the body feels at the moment, whether it needs special protection or not.

Often it is the language that attracts attention, makes you think about whether it is time to see a doctor, despite the fact that the general condition and well-being in general does not cause anxiety.

It is by the state of the tongue that many diseases are determined, even at the doctor's office, the examination of the tongue acts as one of the stages of diagnosis.

Anatomy and functions.

The human tongue is by nature a muscular organ that does not have bones. From above it is covered with a mucous membrane. Tasks and functions that it performs:

• participates in the work of the speech apparatus;
• determines the taste of the food a person eats;
• is part of the digestive system - it performs the primary processing of food, mixes it and forms a food lump, which pushes it further into the esophagus.

The structure of the language is simple but interesting. This organ is divided into two parts - the back - the root and the front - the body. Also, the upper surface is called the back and has a velvety texture.

The tongue is covered with papillae, which are divided into 4 groups responsible for recognizing tastes. That is why, with a burn and other injuries of the tongue, a person temporarily loses the ability to perceive one or more tastes.

What does a healthy tongue look like?

A healthy tongue without any pathologies should be pink and have a fold that runs along its entire surface. Also language
in normal condition soft to the touch, does not cause discomfort if moved while talking or eating. Taste buds are usually well defined and pronounced.

A small amount of white coating is normal for a healthy tongue. Its amount may vary depending on the season. Also, the presence of a thin whitish plaque indicates a minor pathology that develops slowly and has a local location.

Lead to the appearance of plaque can:

Caries, gingivitis, gum disease, candidiasis. Problems with the gastrointestinal tract, food allergies and lack of vitamins are the root cause of the formation of yellow or white plaques. Plaque compaction may indicate diseases, including chronic ones, requiring immediate medical attention.

All the colors of the rainbow in the mouth.

Everyone knows that by the color of the tongue you can easily determine that something is wrong with the body, since some diseases are “reflected” on it by the characteristic color of the plaque. The most common of them:

• measles or flu, high fever - burgundy plaque;
• malnutrition, anemia, heart failure - pale tongue;
• diseases of the blood or respiratory tract - purple plaque;
• problems with the gastrointestinal tract, smoking, jaundice - yellow or gray plaque;
• diseases of the liver, spleen, dysentery, abscesses, advanced viral diseases - black plaque;
• kidney disease - blue plaque;
• circulatory disorders, heavy metal poisoning, scurvy - blue plaque;
• dehydration, fungal infection - white tongue;
• diseases of the oral cavity - dark brown plaque.

That is why it is important to pay attention to the details, as they can tell more about health than the person himself.

Plaque formation.

The presence of a plaque in the language of an unhealthy color indicates that changes are taking place with some particular organ or even a group, there is a problem that requires attention and medical intervention. In order to understand exactly what is happening, you need to know the features of the location of the raid.

Most often, the color of the tongue and plaque is different, which allows you to determine the approximate system of organs in need of treatment.

The thickness of the plaque shows the severity of the problem - the thicker it is, the faster changes occur that harm human health.

In the event that white plaque lay down in a thick layer, then the gastrointestinal tract suffers, and the likelihood of constipation increases. If it is located in a thin layer on the tip of the tongue, the main problem is gastritis. At the same time, a thick layer on the tip of the tongue indicates complications with gastritis or that the disease has become chronic.

If the plaque is located at the root of the tongue, then this is the first sign of inflammatory processes in the intestines. In the event that the plaque is gray and concentrated at the root of the tongue, then chronic diseases of the intestines and stomach, such as hyperacidity, can be judged.

Plaque can also be yellow or black - this is an occasion to think about the health of internal organs, including:

• spleen;
• gallbladder;
• liver.

A sign of a serious pathology is a long period of plaque preservation in the tongue. If plaque lasts only a few hours or a day, then in this case it is necessary to take into account the fact that there is a violation of the microbial balance in the oral cavity.

Most likely, the reason is gastrointestinal problems, so consultation with a specialist in this field is necessary to prevent the situation from worsening.

It is important to remember that a white coating on the tongue can also indicate respiratory diseases, such as pneumonia.

This disease can be determined by the gradual darkening of the plaque and its location along the edges of the tongue and on its front. If darkening does not occur, then with a similar placement of plaque, we can talk about inflammation of the lungs.

Tubercles at the base.

The appearance of tubercles at the base of the root of the tongue may indicate an increase in the tonsils. You can correct the situation at home by washing the nose with special means, but it would be best to consult a doctor, since a full examination will reveal the exact cause of their appearance.

Crack formation.

The tongue does not always have a perfectly flat surface. Often, cracks can be observed on it. If there are a lot of them, then such a language is called “geographical”, it may indicate that problems with the gastrointestinal tract have become chronic, and also that mental disorders are possible.

In addition, many cracks in the tongue speak of:

• disorders in the work of the brain;
• the presence of an allergic reaction;
• somatic disorders in the body.

Also, if there are cracks in the tongue, it is necessary to consult a doctor, since the pathology of the hypoglossal nerve is likely.

You can recognize it if, along with the cracks, there is a deviation of the tongue to the side. According to the location of the cracks, the side on which the organs are under stress or there is a disease is diagnosed.

For example, if they are exactly in the middle of the tongue, then there is a high probability of problems with the spine. A curved crack located at the root of the tongue indicates problems in the lumbar region, at the tip of the tongue, then in the cervical region.

Ulcers and sores on the tongue.

Ulcers on the surface of the tongue are not uncommon and can occur for a variety of reasons:

• tongue injury;
• burn;
• dental problems in the oral cavity;
• Crohn's disease and other gastrointestinal problems.

Usually the sores are small in size, but present in large numbers, so they cause a lot of inconvenience and discomfort to a person. It is impossible to ignore wounds and ulcers on the tongue, especially if they arose without a reason.

One of the types of disease in which the body gives such a symptom is syphilis, therefore, the treatment must be immediate and professional. However, in the case of this disease, the sore will be present on the tongue in the singular.

Its surface is bright red, shiny and hard. In addition, it is completely painless. The formation of warts at the root of the tongue or along its sides is a sign of HIV, and flat sores on the tip of the tongue, lateral sections or along the midline indicate the onset of tuberculosis.

There is another division in which the place in the language is assigned to the organ. So the front part of the surface of the tongue tells about the health of the liver, heart and lungs, the middle gives an understanding of how the stomach, pancreas and spleen work. The root of the tongue helps in diagnosing the intestines. The sides of the tongue let you know how the kidneys work.

Thus, the tongue is a universal way to quickly and accurately diagnose the work of internal organs. Its significance for a person is not limited to the processing of food and participation in the formation of speech, since the language is a real doctor who will always help to recognize the most complex disease.

Appearing changes should be taken into account, as they indicate the emergence and development of pathologies and changes in the body. It is necessary not only to notice the signs of the disease in a timely manner, but also to promptly take measures to eliminate it - consult a doctor.

SPOT ON THE TONGUE:

In children, such a phenomenon as geographical language is very common. In medicine, this phenomenon is called benign migratory glossitis. A characteristic feature is irregularly shaped spots on which there are no papillae. Language becomes like a geographical map. That's where the name comes from. It is important that the spots constantly change their location: they appear in one place, and then disappear and appear in another.

Geographic tongue is a benign condition that is inherited. Some babies are born with a cracked tongue.

The spots may be white or red, rough or smooth. As a rule, they are painless. Although eating hot, spicy, cold foods can cause discomfort in a child.

Why brush your tongue?

During fasting and during the transition period to a raw food diet, the body is cleansed and toxins are eliminated. A large number of them are excreted through the oral mucosa and especially through the tongue.

Cleansing the tongue not only keeps you hygienic, but it also helps keep your taste sensations vibrant. The tongue is responsible for the perception of taste. A pure language perceives it more clearly. You will discover new nuances of taste, and, oddly enough, you can start eating less. The need for food not only satisfies hunger, but also saturates the mind with tastes. When taste perception is dulled, it leads to overeating and overweight.

Bacteria and fungi growing on the tongue are the cause of many oral problems and various general health problems. This is a favorable environment for microorganisms that cause inflammation and poison the body. Besides, The bacteria decompose and release volatile sulfur compounds on the back of the tongue. These molecules cause 50-80% of all cases of bad breath.

Regular tongue cleaning helps:

– get rid of a huge number of pathogenic microbes that cause various diseases of the oral cavity
- get rid of bad breath;

– enrich the taste sensations that are dulled due to plaque on the tongue

- through the massage of the receptors of the tongue, activate and stimulate the work of the internal organs.

– regular cleaning of the tongue reduces the number of pathogenic bacteria in the oral cavity by 10 times;

– reduces the formation of tartar by 33%

- thanks to cleaning not only the teeth, but also the tongue, bad breath is reduced by 85%; and when brushing your teeth - only 25%.

It is very easy to clean the tongue and no special tools are needed; for cleaning, you can use a toothbrush, an ordinary spoon or the blunt side of a knife.

The procedure for cleaning the tongue is short and simple, but it will give pleasure and health.

Sometimes its changes appear before all other signs of the disease.

The domestic experience of diagnosing by tongue was first summarized in the work “Recognition of diseases by tongue” by the head physician Mikhail Nechaev back in 1835.

Language- the organ of taste and speech. The tongue has many tasks: mixing food during chewing, and determining taste, and, of course, speech. The tongue consists of muscles covered on top with a mucous membrane. It is divided into two departments, between which, however, there is no clear boundary. The back of the tongue, which fuses with the mucous membrane of the mouth on one side, is the root.

The front part, which moves freely in different directions, is called the body of the tongue. The upper surface of the tongue is called its back. You probably paid attention to the fact that the tongue seems velvety outwardly, not as smooth and shiny as the oral mucosa.
Its entire surface is covered with papillae, the main task of which is to distinguish the taste of food. It is these papillae that give the tongue a velvety appearance. There are 4 types of papillae. The smallest of them - filamentous - cover the entire surface of the tongue and outwardly resemble the pile of a carpet. Larger papillae - mushroom-shaped - are located on the back of the tongue between the filiform ones.
Foliate papillae are somewhat reminiscent of the gills of fish. They are located on the lateral surfaces of the tongue, and are less visible in adults than in children. The largest papillae are trough-shaped. There are not very many of them - from 7 to 11. They are located on the back of the back and actually serve as the boundary between the body and the root.

The tongue of healthy children and adults has a pale pink color, a flat surface, at the tip composed of small papillae, in the middle third - from large ones, and at the root of the tongue - from massive clusters of papillae. These papillae are about ten thousand taste, heat and biochemical analyzers, which are directly, in the most simple way (through nerve conductors) connected with various parts of the intestine, liver, gallbladder, spleen and central nervous system.

We are so arranged that many organs of the digestive system are projected onto certain parts of the surface of our tongue. For example, the stomach is on the entire middle part of the tongue, the liver is at the level of small molars, and on the tip of the tongue is the sigmoid and rectum. Therefore, inflammatory and non-inflammatory diseases of these organs are necessarily manifested by changes in the appearance of the tongue.
There are very few rules in medicine without exceptions, but among them there is one such rule: the symptoms of diseases appear on the tongue about a day or two before the affected organs begin to hurt. Check your tongue often!

Food products affect the internal organs of a person in different ways. We perceive taste with the tongue when the tongue is wet. A dry tongue cannot perceive the taste. If a person ceases to taste sweet, sour, salty, or bitter, diseases of the nervous, endocrine system are likely.

Sour and bitter juices formed during good grinding of food with teeth, or used in the form of vegetable, fruit or artificial juice solutions, reduce blood circulation in the intestines, but at the same time increase blood circulation in the brain (“lemon cleanses the brain”), lower skin temperature (not without reason, for example, cranberry juice recommended for patients with fever) and increase blood pressure.
Sweet solutions they increase blood circulation in the intestines (therefore, after taking sweets, a hungry person feels a surge of warmth), but they reduce the level of blood circulation in the brain (“it makes you sleepy from sweets”).

As already mentioned, the tongue of a healthy person has a smooth pink surface and is covered with a small whitish coating, which also forms on the teeth. There is not much of it, and therefore the pink color of the tongue is preserved, and the papillae on its surface are clearly visible.

Diagnosis of diseases by language

Diagnosis of diseases by language is an important step in examining a patient in Tibet, China and India. According to the Five Elements theory, the tip of the tongue is associated with the state of the heart and lungs, the lateral parts of the tongue - the liver and gallbladder, the back of the tongue - the stomach and spleen, the root of the tongue - with the state of the kidneys.

When diagnosing the state of health by the tongue, you should pay attention to its size, shape, color, size, the presence of plaque, wrinkles, cracks, ulcers and asterisks, as well as sensitivity.

Look at your tongue in the mirror. Observe its size, surface and outline.

When examining the tongue, note:

2. The nature of the plaque in different areas of the tongue.

3. The shape and nature of the surface. The surface can be: dense, smooth, loose, striated, etc.

4. Various formations in the tongue - papillomas, blisters, aphthae. The place of their localization indicates a diseased organ.

5. Mobility of the tongue.

This allows you to judge the functional state of various body systems. Changes in the surface integument of the tongue are most often observed in diseases that are not directly related to the pathology of the oral cavity.

Dryness of the mucous membrane of the tongue can be a sign of a large number of diseases. Sometimes the reason lies in the production of insufficient saliva or thirst.
A dry tongue can become with an increase in body temperature, as well as with some serious diseases (for example, with a coma that occurs due to diabetes mellitus), with intestinal obstruction, peritonitis (inflammation of the peritoneum).

Often the dryness of the tongue is combined with a brown coating on it. Sometimes the mucous membrane loses so much moisture that cracks even appear on it.

General characteristic changes in the language in some diseases:

Change in color, moisture, or shape of the tongue

When examining the tongue, the following signs are often noted:

The layout of the "areas of responsibility" of the internal organs in the language

Each of the internal organs in the tongue has its own place. In Chinese medicine, the tongue is divided into three parts, the root of the tongue corresponds to the lower body, the body of the tongue corresponds to the middle part of the body, and accordingly the tip of the upper body. But there is another opinion, in which each organ is assigned its place, and it is more accurate.

The front of the tongue is a mirror image of the liver, heart and lungs, the middle shows the stomach, pancreas and spleen. The intestines can be diagnosed by the root of the tongue, but the kidneys by the lateral parts of the tongue. Various changes in the ulcer, redness of the plaque in these projections indicate one or another pathology of the corresponding organ. It is necessary to notice the signs of the disease in a timely manner and take timely measures.

The language of a healthy person

The tongue of a healthy person is pale pink in color with an even fold that runs along the tongue. The tongue is soft, and does not bring any discomfort when moving.

The papillae on the tongue are clearly visible and not flattened. Depending on the season, a healthy tongue may have a little white coating, in summer the coating is a little thicker, and the papillae of the mucous membrane are still visible through it. In winter, the plaque may take on a yellowish tint, and in autumn the plaque becomes lighter and drier. In addition, the presence of a thin coating on the tongue may indicate a minor pathology that develops locally in the oral cavity, such as gum gingivitis, oral candidiasis, and even caries. Thickening of plaque, in which it is already difficult to distinguish the back of the tongue, is a signal for action, and may indicate some diseases, including even chronic ones.

What does the color of the tongue say?

Many diseases can be determined by the color of the tongue, and each of them has its own characteristic color.

• Enlarged, evenly red, but not a raspberry varnished tongue is most often a sign of a metabolic disorder.
• In severe renal, toxic disorders, the tongue has dark red color.
• With infectious diseases, such as measles or flu, the color of the tongue becomes burgundy, in addition, this color of the tongue indicates the presence of heat.
• M aline color tongue signals severe infections, poisoning with high fever, pneumonia
• Redness the middle part of the tongue and its edges on both sides- for a serious lung disease (previously primarily referred to as Tuberculosis, now - chronic pneumonia and oncological diseases).
• Redness and mild soreness of the tip of the tongue(of course, not related to his burn) definitely indicate some kind of disease of the pelvic organs: sigmoid or rectum, bladder, uterus.
• Pale tongue speaks of malnutrition, blood pathology - anemia, or heart failure. If, at the same time, against the background of a normal pink color, bright red spots, which means that the disappearance of the papillae is a sign of anemia (anemia). A pale, bloodless tongue indicates a sharp depletion of the body.

• Pale coloration of the underside of the tongue indicates pathology of the liver and gallbladder.
• white tongue speaks directly about a fungal infection or dehydration.
• With scarlet fever, the tongue resembles strawberries with sour cream - alternating white and red spots.
• Yellow or gray tongue occurs in smokers, with jaundice, or indicates problems with the gastrointestinal tract.
  If the color is yellowish, there is excess bile in the gallbladder or a disorder in the liver. Yellow plaque increases with seasonal exacerbations of the liver and gallbladder.
  One of the signs of developing jaundice is yellowness in the lower part of the tongue, which is detected when it is raised to the sky.
• yellow green or red tongue speaks of an exacerbation of peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum (may become too red, but wet).
• Talking about kidney disease blue tongue color.
• Bluish tint of the tongue occurs in poor circulation, scurvy, and heavy metal poisoning, especially mercury.
• Bluish tint of the upper and especially the lower surface of the tongue long before the appearance of “heaviness” on the heart, pain and sudden weakness, it will tell you about cardiovascular failure in middle-aged people who are usually not ready to face a sudden heart attack, and will help older people suffering from chronic heart failure to take preventive measures.
  At the same time, a sharply cyanotic tongue is a formidable sign of imminent death.
• purple tongue signals not only about blood diseases, but also indicates diseases of the respiratory system.

• Problems in the oral cavity can be judged by the presence of dark brown tongue a, which indicates bleeding in the oral cavity and in particular with periodontitis and gingivitis.

• black tongue, which so frightens parents, and by the way for good reason, speaks of weakness of the liver and spleen, dysentery, serious viral infections and even abscesses.
• Tongue with black coating there is a formidable indication of a violation of the digestive system, especially the gallbladder and pancreas. Black plaque also indicates a violation of the pH of the blood towards acidosis (acid-base balance), due to dehydration of the body.
  Another thing is when such coloring is caused by a disease - Crohn's disease. At the same time, the amount of adrenal hormones in the body decreases, as a result of which an increased amount of melanin (the same pigment that forms during sunburn) is produced in the skin and mucous membranes. As a result, the tongue is covered with bluish-black spots of various shapes and sizes, and even becomes completely black. At the same time, the color does not fade after cleaning and over time until the disease is treated.
• When the tongue is covered blue-black spots of various shapes and sizes or becomes all black, this indicates a reduction in the production of hormones by the adrenal glands. The color of the tongue will become normal only after the disease has been cured.
• black tongue may indicate cholera infection.

Causes of plaque in the tongue

The main reason, of course, is poor oral hygiene. It is necessary to take care not only of the teeth, but also of the tongue. For these reasons, special brushes have been released that are suitable for brushing teeth (bristles) and for the tongue, the reverse side of such a toothbrush has a ribbed surface. But not all children, due to their age, can use a toothbrush; toothbrushes with a ribbed working surface are also perfect for such purposes.

• But not only poor hygiene provokes the formation of plaque, various problems in the oral cavity of a dental nature can provoke the formation of plaque. At the first suspicions and the appearance of plaque on the tongue, it is necessary to initially contact the dentist to exclude dental pathology.

• Violation of the stomach or the entire gastrointestinal tract as a whole is also a provocateur in the formation of plaque.
  If the tongue is covered intense white coating, swollen and wet, then this indicates poisoning, appendicitis, cholecystitis, peptic ulcer of the stomach or duodenum, gastritis

• Plaque covering the tongue, indicates toxins in the stomach, small intestine, or large intestine. If only the back of the tongue is coated, the toxins are in the large intestine; if the plaque is in the middle of the tongue, the toxins are present in the stomach, duodenum, and small intestine.
• With plaque on the middle part of the tongue and a light red color of its tip and edges one can think of a violation of the acid-forming function of the stomach.

The accumulation of plaque in the tongue in children occurs for various reasons. The most common cause of plaque on the tongue in infants is oral candidiasis. In children of puberty, plaque can form due to a hormonal surge, and inflammatory diseases of the oral mucosa, the so-called youthful gingivitis.

What does the color of plaque on the tongue say?

The color of plaque can tell about a particular disease, about a particular problem with a particular organ and even a group of organs. But, for a complete understanding of the process, it is still necessary to take into account the location of the plaque, only by adding these two components, we can say with almost 100% probability that this is precisely this pathology.

In some diseases, for example, gastritis, gastric ulcer or duodenal ulcer, insufficient kidney function, appendicitis, cholecystitis, infectious diseases (for example, measles), as well as poisoning with poor-quality food or certain drugs, the tongue changes color due to for excess flight.
Such a tongue looks slightly swollen and moist. Most often, it is covered with a powerful white coating, due to which the papillae are practically invisible. Plaque is removed with a toothbrush, but after a while it is again covered with plaque.

The coating on the tongue in most cases differs from the color of the tongue. The thicker the plaque, the more serious the pathological process. Plaque is the first sign of a decrease in immunity, according to the thickness of the plaque on the tongue, it can be concluded that what immunity is being violated (general or local).

The shape and size are just as important in diagnosis as the color of the tongue itself and the color of the plaque. It must be remembered that the tongue belongs to the organs of the gastrointestinal tract, and it is practically the beginning of digestion.

• Often the tip or lateral edges of the tongue fall between the teeth, and the person constantly bites it. As a result, one can see not only a clearly enlarged tongue, but also teeth marks along its edges. Such signs may indicate a decrease in the amount of thyroid hormones in the blood - hypothyroidism.

• T thick or wide tongue indicates a lack of calcium and vitamin D, or a violation of metabolic processes, diseases of the lymphatic system. In this condition, one can also talk about inflammation of the tongue itself, diseases of the pituitary gland.
• With a gradual decrease in size or sudden compression diseases of the central nervous system, general exhaustion of the body, including dehydration, can be suspected.
• Swelling and redness of the right half of the tongue from the tip to its middle indicate inflammatory liver disease. The same changes on the left - disease of the spleen.
  The appearance of ulcers in these areas means the severity and chronic nature of the disease.
• If there is discoloration of the tongue, its flaccidity, or elevation of its sphere- means this important body has a defect. For example, if you see the imprint of teeth on the edges of the tongue, this indicates insufficient intestinal absorption.

The appearance of the language

• varnished tongue has a shiny, smooth, bright red surface due to atrophy of the taste buds. In some diseases, the number of papillae decreases, they become almost invisible, and sometimes completely absent. Because of this, the tongue looks smooth and shiny, like the entire mucous membrane of the mouth. Occurs in stomach cancer, chronic colitis.
• Smoothness of the entire surface of the tongue indicates a reduced secretion of gastric juice (hypocidal gastritis), which may occur as a result of stomach disease itself, but may be the result of other diseases (for example, diseases of the liver and gallbladder).
• Rough, inflamed or non-inflamed papillae all over the tongue more often observed with increased secretion of gastric juice (hyperacid gastritis).

• White or grayish-white patches on the tongue and buccal mucosa appear most often occur with constant irritation of the mucous membrane (for example, when smoking). By themselves, such spots are not dangerous, but later they can cause the development of a malignant tumor.
• A tongue with deep grooves of various sizes and colors is called geographic. It is characterized by the presence on its surface of various in color and size areas with deep furrows and reliefs. Geographic tongue occurs in chronic lesions of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as in some forms of mental disorders. In this language, you can almost immediately diagnose the allergic condition of individual organs.
  "Geographic" language in children is always a sign of food allergy, and the location of inflamed and non-inflamed areas of the mucosa (“continents” and “seas”) very accurately indicates the involvement of one or another organ of the digestive system in an allergic disease.
• Foam strips on both sides of the tongue indicate the presence of rheumatic fever.
• If the function of the cerebellum, cerebral circulation is impaired, the tongue may bend or deviate to the side. According to some reports, the curvature of the tongue may be associated with somatic disorders of the body. If the function of the organs of the left or right half of the body is impaired, the corresponding side of the tongue slightly increases in size, and the tip changes position - it deviates. With pathology of the hypoglossal nerve or with paresis, the tongue can also change its position.

• Clearly visible midline of the tongue is directly related to the spine and may indicate problems with it. A curved line at the root of the tongue indicates problems in the lumbar spine, if it is curved in the middle - the middle part of the back, and accordingly if the curve is at the tip of the tongue, then the problem lies in the cervical spine.

• Deep teeth marks on the lateral surface and front of the tongue characterize a stressful state, latent neuroses, and the more pronounced the neurosis, the clearer the imprints.

Cracks or ulcers

• Ulcers on the surface of the tongue This is a wound that does not heal for a long time. Ulcers on the surface of the tongue can occur for various reasons. Before panicking, it is necessary to exclude a simple injury to the tongue, for example, when biting, or when damaged from dilapidated teeth. The latter option is very dangerous, as permanent trauma can cause glossitis inflammation of the tongue.

• Ulcers in Crohn's disease inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract) usually small, appear at once in several pieces and cause a lot of discomfort.

• If one ulcer appears on the surface of the tongue (most often on the back) (it can be of different sizes), round or oval, with clear boundaries, with a bright red, shiny, hard surface - this is a sign of the primary period of syphilis.
  A syphilitic ulcer almost never hurts. Its edges only slightly rise above the surface of the tongue or are on the same level with it. Sometimes its bottom can be covered with a grayish-yellow film.
• warts- growths of the skin or mucous membrane, which almost never cause discomfort to their owner, because they do not hurt. The appearance of warts on the skin can be caused by a virus. This happens quite often. On the mucous membranes, and even more so on the tongue, warts rarely occur, and therefore their appearance should alert. For example, small warts that appear on the sides of the tongue closer to its root can be a sign of HIV infection.
• flat sores, which are located on the tip of the tongue, lateral sections or along the midline, indicate a tuberculous process.
• On the predisposition to vascular disorders of the brain indicates tongue with deep transverse fissures.

Unpleasant sensations in the tongue

• The unpleasant sensations themselves are diverse and can be manifested by pain, excessive dryness, burning, etc. Dryness of the tongue and mouth is called xerostomia, and is a signal to study for diabetes mellitus. Dryness can also be associated with a violation of the activity of the salivary glands, increased body temperature, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and dehydration. With prolonged xerostomia, the color of the coating on the tongue becomes dark and cracks appear.

• Pain in the tongue or glossalgia occurs usually with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, disorders of the endocrine system, or with neurological disorders. Pain with glossalgia of a different nature, is localized at the tip of the tongue and can change throughout the day. Sharp, hot and pickled foods can provoke pain.
• With anemia due to iron deficiency in the body, there is burning and tingling in the tongue. In some types of anemia, there is a smooth, as if scraped off tongue, devoid of the papillary layer.

• Diabetes is characterized dry tongue, the surface of which has numerous cracks. With a diabetic coma, the tongue can also acquire a brownish-brown color, which develops in patients with diabetes mellitus in the absence of proper treatment.

• With the appearance of itching and burning of the tongue the first step is to be examined by a dentist and check for fungal infections of the tongue (thrush). Burning can also be a sign of anemia or increased acidity of the gastric juice.
• Trembling tongue indicates a brain disease or a deep neurotic disorder.
• Trembling of protruding tongue. A very striking sign of some diseases (for example, hyperthyroidism) is the trembling of the protruding tongue. In severe forms of the disease, fingers, eyelids, and sometimes the whole body also tremble. In some neurological and psychiatric diseases (for example, chorea), the protruding tongue deviates to the side.

• Small flutter of the tongue noted in chronic alcoholics, moderate intensity tremor - in patients with neurosis, fibrillar twitching and atrophy of the tongue - in patients with lesions of the medulla oblongata.
  According to the newspaper "Zhivi" and sites www.stranamam.ru, kunpendelek.ru