What's wrong with the black spots on the tongue?

Some people will be surprised to find that their tongue coating has turned black. After a professional examination, they find out that it is caused by insufficient local blood flow. In addition, long-term use of antibiotics can also cause the tongue coating to turn black. Therefore, in daily life, you must develop good living and eating habits, avoid staying up late often, and exercise appropriately to promote blood circulation.

1. What is the cause of black spots on the tongue?

Modern medical research shows that the formation of tongue coating is related to the overall nutritional status, local blood flow conditions, autonomic nervous function, saliva secretion and acute inflammatory stimulation, and it is believed that black tongue coating is mostly related to fungal infection. In addition, long-term and high-dose use of antibiotics can also easily cause black tongue. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the tongue coating is derived from the stomach qi, and the twelve meridians also receive qi from the stomach. Therefore, the diseased qi of the internal organs can directly or indirectly connect with the tongue through the meridians to cause the appearance of black coating.

2. Clinical manifestations

1. Gastrointestinal dryness and heat

Tongue image: black and dry tongue coating with red tongue body. Main prescription: Da Chengqi Decoction and Xiao Chengqi Decoction with modifications.

2. Internal accumulation of dampness and heat

Tongue image: black greasy tongue coating, mostly evolved from yellow greasy tongue coating. Main prescription: modified Dayuanyin.

3. Excessive cold and dampness

Tongue image: moist black tongue coating with pale tongue quality. Main prescription: Zhenwu Decoction combined with Ling Gui Zhu Gan Decoction with modifications.

4. Yin deficiency

Tongue image: black fur with red tongue, more common in patients with kidney yin deficiency or stomach yin deficiency. Main prescription: Liuwei Dihuang Decoction or Yunu Decoction with modifications.

5. True Yin loss

The tongue is thin and dull with black fur, and Fumai Decoction can be used with modifications.

In addition, some foods, beverages and bad living habits can also lead to the occurrence of black tongue coating, also known as dyed tongue coating. Such as bayberry, coffee, olives, frequent smoking, etc., the identification mainly depends on the surface of the tongue coating, and the undyed tongue coating can be found exposed in the black coating.

3. Preventive health care

Because black tongue often occurs in the severe stage of the disease and is relatively rare in clinical practice, it often causes psychological burden to patients and their families. Therefore, it is particularly important to understand the causes of black tongue coating. After excluding the possibility of dyeing the tongue coating, symptomatic treatment often has obvious effects. Therefore, we must first reduce the psychological burden of patients, and at the same time develop good eating and living habits, and strive for early diagnosis and treatment of the disease.