Which Diseases Can Our Tongue Reveal?
Oil rinses can help cleanse the digestive system and keep your mouth and tongue healthy.
Our tongue is an indicator of our state of health. When we are healthy, the tongue is uniformly red and moist.
When we have an imbalance in one of our organs, it shows a change in color or texture, or certain characteristics in the various areas.
Traditional Chinese medicine tells us how to interpret these changes and also improve some diseases.
In general, one can say that a diagnosis of the following organs can be made almost like on a “health map” if we look at the tongue from the front:
- Central area: stomach and spleen
- Side area: liver and gallbladder
- Inner area: kidneys
- Tip of the tongue: heart
The color of the tongue
The color gives us clues as to which organs are currently weakened. Yellowish colors indicate problems with the liver, gall bladder, and stomach. The greener the tone, the more one can assume a liver problem.
A grayish color is related to the liver and intestines.
The color white can indicate parasites, anemia, kidney or hormone problems, poor blood circulation or malnutrition.
In the following, we explain other features of the tongue that can help you identify any imbalances in your body.
White-yellowish coating
If the tongue has a white and / or yellowish layer, especially on the inside, the person is suffering from an imbalance in the secretion of bile, which is a major cause of digestive problems.
Any leftover food that has not been properly digested and assimilated then turns into toxins through fermentation and putrefaction.
Tooth notches on the outside of the tongue
Sometimes you can see irregular notches on the tongue as the molars make them, and sometimes the affected person also has to expel the whitish mucus.
In this case, digestion will not work properly and the nutrients will not be properly absorbed by the small intestine. These complaints are also related to a mineral deficiency.
Small grains on the tongue
These granules are small inflamed spots that are also caused by poor digestion and leftover food.
Cracks on the tongue
Cracks are common and then look like small cuts that are not always the same depth and can appear in different areas of the tongue.
These furrows also indicate problems in the intestinal walls that have been present for a long time. The intestinal walls suffer badly from toxic acids, which is the result of poor digestion.
This can also have a negative effect on the absorption of vitamins. In some cases, you can also see a build-up of slime.
Mucus build-up in the throat and mouth
Mucus builds up in the throat and can get into the mouth, causing or worsening inflammation such as pharyngitis or sinusitis.
Again, it is a consequence of poor digestion. Poor digestion leads to the body becoming overloaded with pollutants.
If you also get a bitter taste in your mouth, there may also be bile in the mucus.
It is also the case that our body forms more acid when digestion is poor, which also contributes to mucus. The body wants to protect the walls of the digestive tract with the mucus so that they are not unnecessarily irritated.
Mouth sores
Sores in the mouth are a sign of poor digestion and indicate that there is inflammation or ulceration in some part of the digestive tract. Often these occur when we have eaten too much the day before.
Sometimes the spots appear outside of the mouth, such as at the corners of the mouth, and can even turn into scabs. These signs can indicate duodenal ulcers, which are causing indigestion.
In order to improve the symptoms that are reflected on the tongue, we should also change our diet in order to detoxify the organism.
If necessary, we should take natural supplements to improve our digestive system. You can also do daily oil rinses, which can cleanse your system and keep your tongue and mouth healthy.
Images courtesy of Mike Burns
