Man gets green hairy tongue, rare condition linked to smoking

A man from Ohio noticed that he had a hairy tongue and also noticed that it had discolouration so he decided to get it checked out after a few days of monitoring its bizarre changes – his condition was linked to smoking cigarettes, taking antibiotics, or a combination of the two, The New York Post reported.

AN OHIO MAN’S GETS GREEN HAIRY TONGUE CONDITION

According to the New England Journal of Medicine, the unnamed 64-year-old man from Ohio was diagnosed with a rare condition called hairy tongue. The name is derived from its abnormal coating. The man is said to have consulted a doctor a few weeks after noticing that his tongue had changed its colour. And, upon evaluation, it was discovered that his tongue had also “elongated filiform papillae”.

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According to Daily Mail, the man is reported to be a cigarette smoker and had just completed a course of antibiotic clindamycin which he took for a gum infection that he had three weeks before he noticed the changes on his tongue. It is still uncertain whether the changes on his tongue were caused by smoking cigarettes, taking antibiotics, or a combination of the two.

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LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ORAL CONDITION

Hairy tongue might sound and look alarming, however, it is ultimately harmless.

According to the American Academy of Oral Medicine, some of the symptoms individuals with hairy tongue experience include a burning sensation in the area with bacteria, yeast accumulations, gagging, and/ or a tickling sensation in the soft palate of the mouth during swallowing.

To get rid of the problem, individuals can try to maintain good oral hygiene with a toothbrush or tongue scraper or seek medical or surgical treatments. It is important to take care of ones tongue as it’s an important organ that helps with chewing, speaking, and breathing.

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