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Tongues Don't Lie!
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Ever wondered why the doctor asks you to stick your tongue out before anything else? Well, Dr. Jordan S. Josephson, from Lenox Hill Hospital in NYC, says it's a valid way to start examining someone. He says that in Chinese medicine they believe that the tongue alone reveals all diseases of the body!
Let me start by explaining that a healthy tongue should have a warm, pinkish color. Other colors can mean different things. For example, a white coating all over or in patches may indicate an infection on the tongue, like a bacterial overgrowth from an autoimmune related inflammatory disease. Whereas a dark brown or black color could be caused by some medications, antibiotics, foods, drinks or lozenges.
The top of the tongue is covered with tiny little projections that look like hair. A bacterial infection, taking antibiotics, or having a very dry mouth can cause these projections to grow giving a “hairy” appearance to the tongue. Canker sores, or cold sores, are painful and can happen for various reasons such as having a cold, a fever, eating an excess of citrus fruits, or just biting your tongue. However, these should heal up and go away in about 7-10 days. A sore that lasts longer than this with no sign of healing soon could be a sign of oral cancer, so consulting your otolaryngologist (also known as an ear, nose, and throat specialist) as soon as possible would be wise.
Of course, the tongue is not the only body part that tells us about our health. The hair, nails, urine and bowel movements also provide you with information. Read on to find out what healthy hair, nails, urine and bowel movements look like!
Renee, LD/N, NSCA-CPT, ACSM
“If you had one car to get around in your lifetime, how would you treat it?”
Labels: health
Actually, all adults should receive an annual oral cancer screening from their dentist regardless of whether they see a potential problem or not. The reason is that HPV is now known to be a cause of oral cancer, and in early stages it's almost always udetectable by the naked eye. Some dentists have a device called the VELscope that can help detect cancerous and precancerous tissue that cannot otherwise be seen. The exam takes only minutes, is completely pain-free and non-invasive, and is very affordable.
Most important is for your Dentist to be using the BrushTest on all tiny spots he sees so he can get a diagnosis about possible pre-cancers and stop cancer years before it starts. the Velscope mentioned above is a light it does not provide a diagnosis. The BrushTest is part of a lab. Your dentist send in the sample and you get a diagnosis which can save your life.
Oral CDx (brush test) is a more accurate test for detecting dysplasias (precancerous cells).
Shirley Gutkowski, RDH, BSDH, FACE
Oral CDx is NOT for detection; it is for diagnosis. VELscope detects abnormal tissue; if the clinician determines that it should be biopsied, Oral CDx may be deemed to be the next step. (However, even if Oral CDx comes back with a positive conclusion, a punch biopsy will generally still be indicated.) Bottom line: VELscope and Oral CDx are not competitors; they should be used in combination with each other.
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