You mouth, being a gateway to most things that you consume, can be the greatest warning bell to the nature of your health. Whether it is the color of your tongue, or having bad breath, your mouth can be the first step in diagnosing any problems you might have. For instance, your tongue can tell you a lot about your diet. If you notice your tongue is red, or the color of a strawberry, it may indicate a deficiency of folic acid and vitamin B12. If it has reddish spots with a white border, it may indicate stress, hormonal changes, or allergies, perhaps even scarlet fever (a strep infection that may require antibiotics).
Furthermore, if you see/feel canker sores on your tongue, you are more than likely stressed, or it might be an indicator of a poor diet. Canker Sores, often mistook for cold sores if they are on the lips, are not usually serious. However these sores can be an indication and inside cheeks (painful and very common but, fortunately, not usually serious) can be signs of an immune deficiency. They are often found in patients undergoing chemotherapy, or who have Crohn’s disease, and can be triggered by citrus fruits, trauma (from tooth brush or braces), stress, lack of sleep, and vitamin deficiency. Although the canker sores are not necessarily serious, you should always be on the lookout for those sores that are not “painful”. Since oral cancer is not painful, these painless canker sores might be an indicator of this type of cancer,
Deep fissures on the other hand, which appear on the top of your tongue, would be a result of one or several of the following: a yeast infection, or other medical conditions such as anemia, or vitamin or mineral deficiencies. Whenever your feel a burning sensation on your mouth on your tongue, this could mean that you have a bacterial or viral infection. This might also result from an allergic or alcohol reaction. When you feel a burning sensation, it can be from bacterial or viral infections, or a reaction to alcohol, even an allergic reaction to toothpaste, mouthwash, or dyes. Persistent changes in surface texture and color should be taken seriously as possible indications of cancer.
