The causes of black tongue coating in children

Many parents usually pay attention to some abnormal conditions of their children so as to discover their children's health conditions in time; some parents report that their children have black tongue coating, and inexperienced parents don’t know what to do and are very anxious. We all know that children's tongue coating is mostly light red or light yellow, and rarely black. So, what is the reason for the black tongue coating? Is the child sick?

Traditional Chinese medicine divides the tongue into the tip, middle, root and sides of the tongue. It is believed that the tip of the tongue belongs to the heart and lungs, the middle of the tongue belongs to the spleen and stomach, the root of the tongue belongs to the kidneys, and the sides of the tongue belong to the liver and gallbladder. The fact that different parts of the tongue reflect different organ lesions has certain reference value in clinical practice, but it cannot be viewed mechanically and needs to be considered in combination with other symptoms and signs.

It is generally believed that gray-black tongue coating is mostly a symptom of heat syndrome, but it can also be a symptom of cold-dampness or deficiency-cold syndrome. A gray and dry tongue coating indicates excessive heat and damage to body fluids; a gray and moist tongue coating indicates yang deficiency and excessive cold. Gray-black tongue coating is more common in the more serious stages of the disease.

A black tongue coating is not necessarily a sign of disease. From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, if the tongue coating appears thick or black, and there are no other discomfort symptoms in the body, it is generally considered to be a manifestation of "getting angry". This condition often leads to an unpleasant odor in the mouth or even bad breath. Therefore, it is recommended that you use a toothbrush to gently brush your tongue coating when brushing your teeth, and it is best to eat light food. If this situation persists for a long time, you should go to the oral department of the hospital, because black tongue coating may also be a symptom of gastrointestinal disease.

Through reading the above, we all know that a child's black tongue coating may be a sign of getting angry, or it may be a physical discomfort; after parents find this situation, they should change the child's diet and focus on light food; if the tongue coating remains black, they should go to the hospital for examination and active diagnosis and treatment. Therefore, parents should observe their children's conditions more often and judge their baby's recent physical condition in a timely manner.