If you’re not healthy, the coating of your tongue will result to some disease or will tell you what diseases you may have such as
- Bad breath. The main cause for bad breath is formation of a pasty coating(bio film) on the tongue which lodges thousands of anaerobic bacteria resulting in the production of offensive gases. Those who complain about bad breath may have thick coating on the posterior part of the tongue.
- Typhoid fever. In typhoid fever tongue becomes white coated like a fur.
- Candidiasis. It is a fungal infection which affects the mucus surfaces of the body. On the tongue there will be sloughing white lesions.
- In diabetes and hypoadrenalism there will be sloughing white lesions.
- Secondary syphilis. Syphilis is a sexually transmitted diseases caused by triponema pallidum infection. In secondary stage of this disease we can see mucous patches which are painless, smooth white glistening opalescent plaques which cannot be scraped off easily.
- Leukoplakia.Here white keratotic patches are seen on the tongue and oral cavity. This is a precancerous condition.
- AIDS. In these patients hairy leukoplakia is seen.
- Peritonitis. It is the inflammation of the peritoneum(inner covering of abdominal cavity which also covers the intestines and keeps them in position) in this condition there is white furring of the tongue.
- Acute illness. Furring is also seen in some acute diseases.