Health Topics

Healthy Living

June 2011
Are You in the Pink of Health?
Dr. MahuyaSikdar & Dr. DebjitGhosh

Amongst all other organs of the human body,the tongue is the most correct gauge of the state of the digestive tract and the most precise indicator of some internal diseases.

The back of the tongue keenly reacts to different pathological processes taking place in the body,such as indigestion, blood diseases, and infectious diseases and so on. As a result of these diseases, there appears a ‘fur’ of this or that colour in places on the tongue.On the other hand, poor dental hygiene also results in fur forming, gustatory sense disturbance and inflammation.

A healthy tongue should be a pleasant pink colour and any fur indicates a problem.It is necessary to get rid of this fur – even if this won't solve the specific problem, it will improve the health of the mouth. Odours will disappear and the speed of dental deposits forming will diminish.

The Tongue-Health Connection
  • A healthy body:a tongue that is normal in size, without any fur,of a faintly pink colour, of moderate moisture and its sensitivity is not disturbed.
     
  • Gastritis, stomach ulcer and duodenal ulcer:there is a whitish fur in the middle part of the tongue with splits along the sides.
     
  • Fever, diarrhoea, diabetes, anemia:a dry tongue with many splits.
     
  • Indigestion and tongue swelling: there are marks from the teeth on the tongue.
     
  • Spleen diseases:there is swelling and reddening of the tongue on the left side.
     
  • Gastrointestinal tract disturbance:brownish fur.
     
  • Kidney diseases:a white fur along the sides of the back part of a tongue.
     
  • Dysbacteriosis, candidomicos, stomatitis:a white fur on the tongue.
     
  • Cholecystitis:a yellow fur.
     
  • Lung diseases:a white fur along the sides and in the front part of a tongue.
     
  • Scarlet fever:white and red spots(“strawberry” tongue).
The most probable reason of tongue fur forming is a problem in the digestive tract. At the same time, there may be inflammation of the tongue – the mucous covering of the tongue containing a lot of papillae with taste buds becoming inflamed.

People suffering from chronic gastritis with acidity, chronic enteritis, colitis and often constipation, have a white tongue and sometimes it is a little bit enlarged or swollen. And vice versa. People suffering from chronic gastritis with reduced acidity have a little bit of a diminished and furred tongue. Fur can appear on the tongue if a person has an acute stomach ulcer or a duodenal ulcer.

A tongue can be furred after a rich meal even if a person is relatively healthy. Fur appears in the morning and disappears during the day. If it is constantly present, you should go to a doctor.

Eyes, the Mirror of the Body
Study shows that the coloured part of the eye (called the iris) helps to determine potential health problems. The changing patterns and markings in the iris can be used to reveal emerging conditions in every part of the body and to identify inherited weaknesses that may lead to physical and emotional disorders.

Changing Eye Colour
Eye colour can change over time because of age or,disease. Eye disease canalso cause colour change.

Ageing, however, is the usual cause of colour change over time. It does so for 10 to 15% of the normal Caucasian population. These people’s eyes change slowly over many years after they reach adolescence. Some eyes become darker, but most become lighter with increasing age. Pigment in the front layer of the iris (called the stroma) colours the iris. Eye colour lightens when pigment granules drop in number, or when the granules make a lighter colour. The iris can also lose colour if the pigment degrades. Eyes, unlike skin and hair, do not synthesize colour pigment continuously.Instead, eyes keep pigment granules made earlier. So, if the pigment degrades, the eye colour lightens. Likewise, eyes can darken if the number of pigment granules increase or if the granules make darker pigment. Eye colour probably changes for the same reason we have one head instead of two: genes. Genes determine all body characteristics — including changing eye colour as we age.

Dr.Mahuya Sikdar is Consultant Diabetologist
Dr.Debjit Ghosh is Critical Physician ILS Hospital
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