What is a coated tongue?
A normal human tongue is pink to reddish in color, but a tongue that is considered “coated” often looks white, yellow or brown, and can feel “hairy.” The cause of a coated tongue can vary widely, as can treatments for it.Coated or ‘Hairy’ TongueAccording to the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology (AAOMP), the coated tongue known as a “hairy” tongue is usually due to short-term irritation–such as drinking a too-hot beverage–to the keratin cell layer on your tongue. Also, when the tongue does not shed keratin cells properly, you can actually feel the tiny “hairy” projections of keratin on your tongue.Yellow-Coated TongueYellow or brown-coated tongue is caused when tiny projecting papillae (known as taste buds) become irritated and enlarged due to smoking, dehydration and the effects of flu, fever and other types of nasal congestion, according to the Mayo Clinic.Treating ‘Hairy’ or Yellow-Coated TongueAccording to the AAOMP, using a tongue scraper once a day to help rem
