Our tongue is categorized under the most vital organs our body possesses. It is responsible for handling taste, helps us speak and is sensitive to touch. However, if we further look at the functions, our tongue does more than that. Not only does it work as a cleaning agent for the mouth but also is an overall health indicator. Your tongue changes its color as a warning sign whenever something goes wrong inside the body. Such as in case of dehydration, the tongue will turn white. Let’s discuss this functionality in detail.
Dehydration White Tongue
The human body comprises 70% of water. Every unit inside the body needs a certain amount of water for proper functioning. Fortunately, before things get worse, the tongue turns white, indicating dehydration; in this phase, the patient may or may not suffer from a temperature spike.
Why Dehydration Changes the Tongue Color to White?
The human tongue is muscular, having small projections papillae spread all over, containing receptors that help in food tasting. Inside the mouth, we have salivary glands that produce and secrete saliva, which helps keep the oral cavity, including your tongue, moist.
Saliva is majorly made of water, having added substances for maintaining oral health, including antimicrobial agents such as lysozymes, hydrogen peroxide, lactoferrin etc. which reduces yeast content and microbial load inside the mouth.
When the body is dehydrated, its production decreases to a great extent. With a lack of saliva, microbes like yeast and bacteria grow. One such condition of yeast overgrowth is oral thrush that forms a white patch on the tongue.
Dehydration results in papillae of the tongue swelling up; on them the dead cells, fungi, bacteria and food items stick, forming a white colored layer.
Risks of Dehydration
This condition greatly reduces the quality of life, and it may also result in fatality. Some of the complications associated are listed below:
Seizures Attacks
Electrolytes are essential for the human body. It gets that from the water we drink or other fluids for functioning; these molecules carry electrical messages in the form of impulses from one cell to another. The imbalance created because of inadequate hydration leads to a seizure episode.
Kidney Issues or UTI
Dehydration is one of the prime reasons why the body minerals calcify into a stone. Chronic dehydration contributes to urinary tract infection and other related problems like the formation of kidney stones.
Hypovolemic Shock – Low Blood Volume
It may seem hard to believe, but a low water level in the body produces the effect of low blood volume that in turn decreases blood pressure. Low BP results in oxygen level deprivation, resulting in a fatality.
Heat Injury
The balance between water and electrolytes is essential for maintaining health while exercising. If water intake is not enough and you lose more through sweat, your body may go into heatstroke.
Take Out
The human body uses the tongue as its indicator of anything going wrong, therefore observe and get to the root cause. If you feel that adequate hydration therapy is not working for the dense white layer on your tongue, get in touch with Cypress Dental Clinic for a quick checkup. Call now at 832 427 6620 to book an appointment.