Tongue coat - Zettai (English spelling)

Japanese: 舌苔 - ぜったい（英語表記）Tongue coat

What is the disease?

White, tan, or black spots on the surface of the tongue moss ( Moss ) This refers to something that looks like this.

Tongue coating saliva ( Daeki ) of Secretory glands ( Participation ) The functional status, amount of secretion, and state of secretion fluid Oral flora ( Foreign exchange rate ) The salivary glands are also influenced by the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, and are strongly related to the visceral nervous system through the influence of the autonomic nervous system, and are thought to reflect the state of the internal organs. The oral cavity can be considered to have the characteristics of the upper digestive tract, Gastric mucosa ( Year of birth ) When the condition of the tongue is poor, the tongue coating generally becomes thicker and thicker. It is said that the tongue coating protects the stomach and intestines by reducing appetite and food intake by reducing taste and sensation.

In a healthy state, tongue coating is thin and sparse, but a moderate amount of tongue coating helps retain moisture and build a healthy bacterial layer, and promotes cell and Taste buds ( Mirai ) The body is always Homeostasis ( Factory ) There is a mechanism to maintain the balance of tongue coating, and oral bacteria and immune responses are intricately involved in providing a homeostatic mechanism.

What is the cause?

Causes of abnormal tongue coating include: 1) dry mouth due to insufficient saliva secretion, 2) weakened immunity (cold, lack of sleep), 3) mouth breathing, 4) brushing your teeth while leaving a lot of food uneaten, 5) smoking, 6) aging, 7) stress (tension), 8) systemic diseases (febrile diseases, diabetes, Sjogren's syndrome, autonomic nervous system disorder, duodenal ulcer), and 9) side effects of medication.

How symptoms manifest

Even in healthy people, the color and amount of tongue coating changes depending on their physical condition. The normal amount does not affect bad breath. When tongue coating becomes thick, it causes discomfort and abnormal taste, which affects bad breath.

Treatment methods

Treatment will be given if there is an underlying disease, but there is no need to treat the tongue coating itself. Scraping it off with a spatula or other object will damage the mucous membrane and lead to other diseases.

Living a regular life and using your tongue well (enough Chewing ( Chewing ) It is important to stimulate the secretion of fresh saliva. For elderly people who need care and cannot brush their teeth by themselves, lightly remove dirt from the surface of the tongue.

Kazue Miura

Source: Houken “Sixth Edition Family Medicine Encyclopedia” Information about the Sixth Edition Family Medicine Encyclopedia

Japanese:

どんな病気か

　舌の表面に白色または黄褐色、または黒色の苔(こけ)状に見えるものをいいます。

　舌苔は唾液(だえき)の分泌腺(ぶんぴせん)の機能状態や分泌量、分泌液の状態、口腔内常在菌(こうくうないじょうざいきん)、体調などの影響を受けます。また、唾液腺は交感神経と副交感神経の二重支配を受け、自律神経の影響から、内臓神経との関連が強く、内臓の状態を反映すると考えられます。口腔は上部消化管の性状をもつと考えてよく、胃粘膜(いねんまく)の状態が良くない場合には、一般に舌苔は多く厚くなります。味覚や感覚を低下させることで食欲を減らして、食物摂取を減少させることにより、胃腸を保護する働きがあるといわれています。