How the state of the tongue will tell about diseases of the stomach

It was not in vain that in the old days the doctor, when examining a patient, first of all asked to show him his tongue. According to many experts, the appearance  and the state of the tongue can tell the doctor quite clear diagnostic nuances that help determine in which organ of the digestive system the pathological process develops.  Manifestations of the disease in the tongue may disappear during remission & nbsp; and reappear when exacerbated, they can stain the tongue in different colors, cover with a bloom or make it brilliantly varnished, deprive of taste sensations and cause a burning sensation from food ingestion. All  these signs should be known to the doctor in order to make a correct and timely diagnosis.

How the condition of the tongue can indicate the presence of diseases of the stomach

The oral cavity is to a certain extent included in the morphofunctional system of the digestive tract, and therefore any failure in its work affects the state of the tongue and mucous membranes. The condition of the tongue in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract has been studied especially well today.

In a number of diseases of the stomach, intestines, liver, changes in the state of the tongue occur, manifesting themselves in varying degrees:

• tongue coating,
• swelling of the tongue,
• change in the condition of the papillae of the tongue,
• desquamation of the epithelium,
• taste disturbance.

Each of the listed changes in the state of the tongue indicates the section of the gastrointestinal tract where the problem lurks, and even allows you to approximately diagnose its essence.

Swelling and features of plaque as a change in the state of the tongue

Coating of the tongue is one of the most characteristic manifestations of digestive problems. A thick layer of plaque covering the back of the tongue and concentrating in its posterior sections is characteristic of colitis, peptic ulcer, and exacerbated gastritis. In this case, the patient does not experience subjective discomfort. Only when the layer of plaque becomes especially dense can taste sensitivity decrease and the condition of the tongue change.

A very important diagnostic feature – plaque color on the tongue. It can turn yellow or brown with cholecystitis, ulcers, chronic hepatitis, the color of the plaque may also change depending on the medications taken.

Puffiness of the tongue is determined by the doctor during the examination. Usually the patient does not feel it, except in those cases when he begins to bite his tongue when talking. But visually, the doctor can see the marks of the teeth on the sides of the tongue and its clearly enlarged size. This condition of the tongue is observed during exacerbation of chronic gastritis.

The state of the tongue, determined by the change in its papillae

Some diseases of the digestive tract can be indicated by the color and severity of the lingual papillae. So, for example, with gastritis with high acidity and with an exacerbation of an ulcer, the papillae are hypertrophied and covered with a dense coating, and the condition of the tongue is characterized as edematous.

If it's  about gastritis with secretory insufficiency or gastroenteritis, colitis, the papillae are flattened, the tongue looks smooth and shiny, sometimes erymatous, and sometimes has a lacquered appearance, with bright red stripes and spots. Foci of desquamation may appear on the back of the tongue – exfoliate the papillary epithelium. In this case, the patient complains of burning and tingling when eating.

The state of the tongue in case of loss of taste sensation

As you know, the taste buds of the tongue are excited in response to impulses coming from the receptors of the gastric mucosa. If there are tumor processes, gastric ulcer, then the transmission of impulses is disturbed, and taste sensations are lost. In addition, the sensation of taste may be lost if there is a thick layer of plaque on the tongue or severe desquamation.

Thus, knowledge of the state of the tongue in various gastroenterological pathologies will help the doctor to make a correct and timely diagnosis, even if other manifestations of the disease are not yet observed.