Brown plaque in adults and children: causes and what it means

A brown tongue may indicate serious human health problems. If the plaque does not disappear for a long time and is not accompanied by concomitant symptoms, you should go to the therapist who will conduct the examination and refer you to the right specialist. To find out why a dark coating on the tongue appeared, it is bitter in the mouth, there are abdominal pains, stools are broken, you need to contact a gastroenterologist who deals with gastrointestinal problems.

Brown tongue coating in adults

Photo: brown coating

The reason for staining the tongue may be the use of medications, for example, such as Faringosept (for sore throat), Malavit (for oral hygiene), some antibiotics. It is not required to cancel the administration of drugs and adjust treatment; after the end of drug therapy, the tongue should clear.

A common cause of tan tongue is tobacco addiction, in this case, the smoker's tooth enamel also acquires a yellowish tint. This effect is exerted by the phenols contained in the tar of cigarette smoke. As soon as a person can get rid of a bad habit, his tongue will be cleansed.

One of the most common causes of brown plaque on the tongue in adults is chronic alcoholism in the presence of hepatosis.

If it is still unclear why the tongue is covered with a brown coating, then you will have to seek medical help.

Brown plaque on the child’s tongue

Some products, such as chocolate, cocoa, strong black tea, purchased sweets, can give the mucous membrane a brownish tint (see photo). Brown plaque on the tongue in the infant may appear after the introduction of a new feeding. Such plaque is easily removed after hygiene procedures and never again bothers if products with coloring properties are excluded from the diet.

But even if the cause of the appearance of brown on the tongue was dyeing products or new complementary foods, you need to show the baby to the pediatrician. A symptom could occur due to intoxication of the body due to the development of a serious disease. Only a doctor can conduct a competent diagnosis, make a diagnosis and prescribe an effective treatment.

Causes of brown plaque in the tongue

The cause of the formation of a dark plaque in the tongue may be a dangerous pathological process that occurs in the internal organs, therefore it is impossible to ignore its appearance. Brownish spots are single, multiple, scattered throughout the surface. Dark dense plaque, lying in a thick layer, means the presence of an infectious or chronic disease.

If the patient is unable to remove deposits from the surface of the tongue, then the disease has turned into a chronic form. The inflammatory process deepened, and the development of serious complications began.

It is necessary to consult a doctor if plaque:

• does not disappear within a week;
• accompanied by an unpleasant odor;
• occurs against the background of weakness, discomfort, loss of appetite, digestive upset, abdominal pain, cramping;
• It becomes darker, thickens, and is hardly removed from the tongue.

Plaque Diagnostics

Diagnosis of diseases by the appearance of the language has been practiced since ancient times, even then doctors considered the language an indicator of the state of the human body. According to many modern doctors, plaque at the tip of the tongue indicates diseases of the heart and lungs, at the root - about intestinal pathologies. Diseases of the stomach, pancreas, spleen, liver, gall bladder are reflected on the back of the tongue. Renal pathologies are diagnosed in lateral areas closer to the root. For a more detailed acquaintance with the diagnostics for plaque localization, see the photo.

If the brown film is thin, then the pathogenic process is just beginning to develop. It happens that after 5-7 days the tongue becomes clear, which means that the immune system managed to stop the disease or inflammatory process.

To avoid future problems, you need to think about your health condition. Try to understand why there was a raid, and take preventive measures. If a brown coating appears on the child’s tongue and the reasons are unclear, be sure to consult a pediatrician.

Possible diseases and pathologies

Here's what brown plaque in a tongue can mean:

• 

  Plaque on the tongue with duodenitis (inflammation of the duodenum 12)

  Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Healthy organs receive signals from the taste buds, thanks to which the synthesis of the necessary enzymes is turned on, and the digestion process begins. With pathologies, the signals go in the opposite direction. The appearance in the language of white, black, yellow-gray, yellow-brown or dark brown plaque is the response of the receptor apparatus to these signals. Among the possible pathologies: ulcer, gastritis, pathological reflux, enterocolitis, enteritis, duodenitis, biliary dyskinesia, dysbiosis (destruction of obligate intestinal microflora, for example, after taking antibiotics). A person may experience nausea, suffer from diarrhea, flatulence, pain, heaviness in the stomach and intestines, and taste sour in the mouth.

• 

  Thrush of the oral cavity

  Diseases of the lungs and bronchi. A pronounced brown coloration of the tip of the tongue indicates one of the symptoms of pneumonia.

• Inflammatory diseases of the skeletal system and a lack of vitamins of group B.
• Body poisoning. Intoxication is accompanied by diarrhea and dehydration. Abdominal pains, general weakness, bitterness and dry mouth are felt, severe fever and cramps are possible.
• 

  Stomatitis

  Fungal diseases of the oral cavity. This group of diseases includes advanced candidiasis of the oral mucosa. If you do not start to cure the disease, the white coating on which the tongue is coated will turn light brown. The infection develops with weakened immunity, the use of certain antibiotics contributes to the development of the pathological process.

• Progressive stomatitis. At the initial stage of the disease, a white coating forms on the tongue, over time its color becomes darker. In advanced cases, plaque acquires a light brown tint. In both a child and an adult, stomatitis is accompanied by swelling of the soft tissues of the oral cavity and characteristic rashes.

To establish the exact reason why the tongue has turned brown, you will need to pass clinical tests, do an ultrasound of the abdominal cavity, fluorography.

Preventive actions

The tongue of a healthy person is evenly colored, slightly moistened, has a pink color. For a child and an adult, the norm is a thin, transparent, slightly whitish coating that does not have an unpleasant odor. In the morning, it can be more intense. On the surface of the tongue, which is coated with plaque, dead epithelial cells and food debris accumulate, which allows bacteria and microbes to multiply. Therefore, in the morning plaque must be carefully removed. You can use a regular toothbrush or a special one with silicone bristles located on the back of the head.

It is recommended to rinse the oral cavity with antiseptic drugs, herbal decoctions of the flowers of calendula, chamomile, sage, and yarrow.

To prevent stress, which provokes many diseases, and increase immunity, exercise and fresh air are needed. To maintain normal intestinal microflora, prevention of peptic ulcer, gastritis, vitamin deficiency, you need to take B vitamins, organize a full-fledged diet and establish the right diet.

Each person should limit the use of alcohol, exclude from the diet chips, smoked meats, fatty sauces, pastries and pastries, sweet soda. It is often necessary to brew herbal teas in the morning, drink vegetable and fruit juices, include sour-milk products, fresh vegetables, herbs and fruits in the daily diet, which saturate the body with vitamins and help cleanse the oral cavity.

The reason for the appearance of brown plaque in the tongue, which cannot be removed with a toothbrush, is the development of a pathological process in the body. Preliminary diagnosis can be carried out independently by color, tint, localization and plaque intensity, but an accurate diagnosis of the disease is made on the basis of a medical examination.