What Causes A White Coated Tongue?

Posted on Sun, 3 May 2015

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sun, 3 May 2015 Answered on

Wed, 20 May 2015 Last reviewed on

Question : I have a "white" coated tongue and I have been very sluggish, are they related??
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Answered by Dr. Dr. Rovena (40 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
detailed below.

Detailed Answer:
Hello.

Welcome to Healthcare Magic.

A white coated tongue might have various causes like dry mouth,dehydration,smoking,alcohol use, poor oral hygiene etc.Mostly it is caused by an overgrowth of bacteria.
You can try to keep a very good oral hygiene and brush gently your tongue twice a day with a soft toothbrush or tongue scraper.You can use an antiseptic mouthwash
and drink plenty of water.
If you have been feeling sluggish for a while now ,you need to get examined.
In this case I would suggest to consult a physician and get examined.A detailed medical history and physical examination are necessary.
Some tests are necessary to exclude common causes like :
-Complete blood count to exclude anemia
-Blood sugar to exclude Diabetes.
-Thyroid function test to exclude Hypothyroidism.

Hope this helps.
Let me know if you have any other question.I would be happy to help.

Kind regards,
Dr.Rovena Murati

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar