What causes tongue ulcer and white tongue coating?

Some people in life are particularly prone to mouth sores, and their tongue coating is thick and greasy white. Some people have bad breath, which affects their mood and social life. Many people believe that tongue ulcers and white tongue coating are caused by getting too hot. There is also a saying that bad breath is caused by poor gastrointestinal function. Is this true? What causes tongue ulcers and white tongue coating?

Most people think that a white tongue is a trivial matter, but the medical community has given a new explanation for the impact of a white tongue on human health. So, what causes white tongue coating? Is it a disease problem?

1. What causes thick white tongue coating?

A white coating on the tongue is not necessarily a sign of disease. From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, if the tongue coating appears thick or white, and there are no other discomfort symptoms in the body, it is generally considered to be a manifestation of "getting angry". This condition often leads to an unpleasant odor in the mouth or even bad breath. Therefore, it is recommended that you use a toothbrush to gently brush your tongue coating when brushing your teeth, and it is best to eat light food. If this situation persists for a long time, you should go to the oral department of the hospital, because white tongue coating may also be a symptom of gastrointestinal disease.

The substance on the tongue is usually green or yellow and can be gently brushed off with a small brush. Brushing off the tongue coating before eating can increase your sense of taste. Unconsciously, you will eat less than usual, which can achieve the effect of weight loss.

Tongue diagnosis is an important method of diagnosing diseases in Traditional Chinese Medicine. The tongue is connected to the five internal organs through the meridians. Therefore, the strength and weakness of the internal organs, qi, blood, and body fluids, as well as the severity of the disease, can be objectively reflected in the tongue. Tongue diagnosis can help us understand the strength and weakness of the internal organs and the nature, severity, and changes of the pathogens. Among them, changes in tongue quality mainly reflect the emptiness and fullness of internal organs and the strength and weakness of qi and blood; while changes in tongue coating are mainly used to judge the depth and severity of the external evil, as well as the strength and weakness of stomach qi.

2. What causes a thick and white tongue?

Many people are prone to thick white tongue coating, but many people do not know the cause or solution of this situation. Yitongwuyou.com here shares with you the causes and solutions of thick white tongue coating.

The tongue coating (white tongue) is a manifestation of the stomach’s anger. Zhang Xugu said: "Tongue coating (tongue ulcer) is caused by the vitality in the stomach, and the stomach qi is generated by the heart and spleen. Therefore, people without illness often have a thin coating, which is the vitality in the stomach, like the tiny grass on the ground. If it is a barren land, then the soil has no vitality." Wu Kunan said: "The tongue coating (tongue blistering) is like the ground coating. The ground coating is produced by the rising of moisture; the tongue coating is produced by the rising of stomach and spleen moisture, so it is called coating." Modern doctors believe that the formation of tongue coating is mainly due to the differentiation of filiform papillae. The tips of the filiform papillae differentiate into keratinized trees. The gaps between the branches of the keratinized trees are often filled with desquamated keratinized epithelium, saliva, bacteria, food debris, and exuded white blood cells, which constitute the normal tongue coating. The normal tongue coating is a thin white layer, which is tender but not thick, with moderate dryness and wetness, and is neither slippery nor dry. Observe the tongue coating for its color, thickness, and moisture. Recommended reading: What is the white tongue coating? Looking at the tongue coating can predict physical diseases

(1) Moss color: There are white moss, yellow moss, gray moss, black moss, etc.

① White tongue coating White tongue coating is the most common in clinical practice. Tongue coating of other colors can be considered as transformation from white tongue coating. White tongue coating generally belongs to the lungs, and is mainly related to superficial symptoms and cold syndromes. However, clinically, white tongue coating can also be seen in cases of internal symptoms and heat syndromes. If the tongue coating is thin, white and moist, it indicates wind-cold; if it is thin, white and dry, it indicates wind-heat; if it is internal cold and dampness, the tongue coating can be seen as white, thick and greasy.

② Yellow moss comes in different colors such as light yellow, tender yellow, dark yellow, and burnt yellow. Generally speaking, the darker the color of the yellow tongue coating, the more severe the heat evil is. Light yellow indicates mild fever; tender yellow indicates heavier fever; dark yellow indicates even heavier fever; burnt yellow indicates heat accumulation; yellow and dry indicates heat damaging body fluids; yellow and greasy indicates damp heat.

③Gray-black tongue coating mostly indicates heat syndrome, but also cold-dampness or deficiency-cold syndrome. A gray and dry tongue coating indicates excessive heat and damage to body fluids; a gray and moist tongue coating indicates yang deficiency and excessive cold. Gray-black tongue coating is more common in the more serious stages of the disease.