Yellow Tongue Symptom
The Facts about Yellow Tongue Symptom
When you look in the mirror and see a yellow tongue, you most likely have the yellow tongue symptom of a specific condition or disease. It is a symptom which can have several different origins. Usually, a yellow tongue is not a cause for concern, but if you are having liver or gallbladder problems, it is worth a trip to the doctor.
Tongue discoloration is quite normal for several conditions. Geographic tongue, for instance, means you have raised, rough patches on the tongue which are white or yellowish. They are usually not painful and no one knows what causes them. It most likely is a reaction to certain types of food.
Black, hairy tongue doesn’t sound very attractive, but it really should not be a concern either. In fact, no hair is involved. It is just the name given to a black tongue. It can be caused by medications, such as antibiotics or antacids. You can remove the color by brushing your tongue with your toothbrush.
A red tongue in children can be the result of Kawasaki disease, an autoimmune illness. A red tongue can also indication that you are not eating enough niacin. Your tongue can become discolored or red and swollen because of injury. Injury to the tongue is quite painful as the tongue is one of the most sensitive areas of the body.
Yellow tongue symptom can be the result of bacteria. A fungal infection, such as candidiasis, can appear as a white film over the tongue that might look pale yellowish in color. If you smoke, chew tobacco or eat foods with yellow coloring, you are also likely to develop a yellow tongue from the stain. Eating too much beta carotene, an antioxidant in carrots and other vegetables, can cause a yellow tongue symptom as well.
If you have a yellow or discolored tongue and any type of growth or sore in the mouth, it is time to visit the doctor. You could have herpes, syphilis, a virus, an allergy, an immune system disorder or the beginnings of oral cancer. A tongue which is the most vividly yellow can be the result of jaundice and it can appear in children and adults.
If you have jaundice, there can be some serious health problems developing so a visit to a physician is necessary as soon as possible. Jaundice also starts to color the skin and eyes yellow in addition to giving you a yellow tongue symptom. The color comes from a substance in the liver called bilirubin. You can also see the coloring when you have a bruise which changes from black and blue to yellowish or orange.
Normally our bodies discard red blood cells each day. Scientists report that 1% of our red blood cells are replaced with new ones every day. The old blood cells are processed by your liver and leave the body in your stools. If you start to turn yellow with jaundice, it means that your liver is not properly taking care of these blood cells and they are starting to build up.
Jaundice is of particular concern because it can mean that your liver is diseased or damaged. If you go to your doctor with jaundice, he or she will most likely run tests to make sure that your liver is OK. Jaundice is a normal condition in babies, especially right after they are born and during the first week of their lives.
Bilirubin builds up at that time because it takes a while for the mother’s milk to get started moving through the digestive tract and for stools to form and emerge. When this happens, it means you have a healthy baby so it is really a good sign. Premature babies are the most likely to have this condition.
Because a yellow tongue symptom can mean you have a liver problem, get to a doctor if the coloring is persistent.