White hairy tongue

[Chmorgs23]

I seem to have developed a white spiky coating at the back of my tongue. It’s not thrush cause they’ve done a swab. How can I get rid of it? It causes me to cough and I’m scared I’ll end up gagging

[Zest]

Hi Chmorgs23 ,

I would suggest asking your GP about this - but there is some information here that might be of help:

nhs.uk/conditions/coated-or...

Hope you are able to get your issue sorted out.

Zest

[Fismith69]

You should see your dentist, or buy a tongue scraper from your pharmacy and gently clean your tongue every few days 😊

[Chmorgs23 in reply to Fismith69]

I do actually scrape my tongue first thing in the morning and last thing before bed which helps a little but it doesn’t seem go away completely 😔 it’s really worrying me. It just builds up throughout the day.

[BadHare]

Ooh, lovely! Tongue diagnosis is widely used in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

What's your diet & digestion like?

Try cutting out processed foods, especially anything with bad fats such as margarine & sunflower oil, & artificial sweeteners, & adding more fruit & veg to your diet.

About half an hour before meals, & first thing in the morning, drink a small glass of water (or weak green/white tea) with a teaspoon or two of organic apple cider vinegar (ACV). It's around £3-£3.30 for a 750ml bottle, so it's inexpensive. Make sure you buy the type that contains a probiotic culture, sometimes labelled as containing "the mother". This will be settled at the bottom of the bottle, so you need to give the bottle a wee jiggle to mix it in before you pour. If you can tolerate it, try swishing half a spoon of ACV on your tongue to get rid of the coating, though try to keep the ACV away from your teeth. Best to clean them first then rinse thoroughly afterwards swishing with ACV to rinse the acidic vinegar from your teeth. ACV will get rid of the gunk on your tongue & improve your digestion so your food with be better broken down & absorbed.

Once the gunk's gone, you could use ACV every morning or before your main meal as a preventative measure, or more often if you feel it helps.

Adding some foodss such as ginger & cinnamon to your diet will also help, & warm up your gizzards. You could make a green/white tea & infuse it with those spices, or if that's too much effort, buy some proprietary ginger spiced tea bags.

Once the coating seems to be gone, try adding a good probiotic such as kefir to your diet to improve your gut health & digestion.

[Chmorgs23 in reply to BadHare]

I don’t really eat any processed food at the moment only fruits, vegetables and whole grain pasta, bread and cereals. So it’s worrying me that it isn’t going away. I have lost so much weight cause of all the processed crap I cut out. I also have a dry mouth which doesn’t seem to help matters. That paired with anxiety about it! I’ll look into the ACV!

[BadHare in reply to Chmorgs23]

Try cutting out gluten completely, though that might take 3 months to work if it's causing the growth..

[mistydawnh]

Oil of oregano is anti-bacterial and seems to help with yeast overgrowth for me that causes a host of issues. Genetics seems to play a part with yeast over growth for us. Olive leaf is another I keep on hand. Tea tree oil might help, also. These are very strong in smell and taste. Even pill forms can cause indigestion. I sandwich in between HCI capsules.

[BadHare in reply to mistydawnh]

Tea tree oil is definitely not safe for oral consumption!

For a natural antibiotic, unpasteurised raw honey & lemon would be safer alternative.

[mistydawnh in reply to BadHare]

Yes, I do both of those daily but neither touch a UTI or yeast infection for me. Glad they work for some.

[BadHare in reply to mistydawnh]

I've never had to treat either of those, but I know oral use of essential oils isn't safe practice: fht.org.uk/fht-statement-on...

This is a more detailed: planttherapy.com/blog/2014/...

I'll put 3% lavender solution in my ears, which I ca taste afterwards, though that's the only oil that safe to use undiluted topically.

[mistydawnh in reply to BadHare]

Tea tree oil has been around a lot longer than the essential oil craze. Tea tree oil is used to treat fungus resistant issues and acne but I can’t get past the smell. Research all extensively before using anyone’s suggestions.

[BadHare in reply to mistydawnh]

Humans have always used plants medicinally. They can be as beneficial, as they are dangerous if used inappropriately.

[ShootingStars]

I don’t want to scare you. That looks like it might be leukoplakia. Please see a qualified doctor immediately. That needs to be biopsied right away to rule out something sinister. Hopefully I’m wrong and it’s something minor. Only a biopsy will tell you.

[Chmorgs23 in reply to ShootingStars]

I was told that it isn’t leukoplakia cause it’s not on the side of my tongue only on the top. But I’m pretty sure you can get patches of leukoplakia on the top of your tongue as well?!

[ShootingStars in reply to Chmorgs23]

You are correct. Leukoplankia can occur on any mucosal surface. If a doctor told you it can only occur on the sides of the tongue, they are not worthy of taking people's lives into their own hands. Leukoplankia is considered a pre-cancerous condition. I am probably wrong, but it does resemble leukoplankia. Further diagnostics are required to determine exactly what it is. Lichen planus is another of several possibilities.

Do you smoke, chew tobacco, eat a lot of cinnamon or have any health conditions?

[Chmorgs23 in reply to ShootingStars]

Never smoked or chewed tobacco. I do have low iron, fatty liver, gallstones...I recently lost 18kg in 4 months due to anxiety and other issues with my mouth (lumps on the sides of my tongue which led me to only eat soft food for a while)...

[ShootingStars in reply to Chmorgs23]

What kind of lumps on the sides of your tongue? What was the cause? Do you happen to have an enlarged tongue? Ever been tested for B deficiency or do you have thyroid disease? An autoimmune disease?

[Pola11]

Hello, did your condition improved? Have you found a way to get rid of the coating?

[Dolphin14]

I would see someone for that. Your dentist could refer you to an oral surgeon for evaluation and necessary biopsies.

I would skip the home remedies for now and get medical attention. If it is something serious it needs a proper treatment plan.