Kerala Man's Tongue Turns Black And 'Hairy' After He Was Put On A Pureed Diet Following Stroke
A man who was put on a pureed diet following a stroke saw his tongue turn black and covered in a thick carpet of ¡®hair¡¯.
A Kerala man who was put on a pureed diet following a stroke saw his tongue turn black and covered in a thick carpet of ¡®hair¡¯.
The patient, said to be in his 50s, developed a thick carpet of dead skin and bacteria on his tongue after he suffered a stroke, Live Science reported. The curious case was detailed in the journal Jama Dermatology by doctors from the Medical Trust Hospital in Cochin, Kerala.
Medical Trust Hospital/JAMA
The doctors diagnosed him with a
surprisingly common medical condition: "black hairy tongue," known medically as lingua villosa nigra.
Three months prior to his examination, the man had a stroke, which paralyzed his left side, hindering his chewing, and as a result, his left side remained weak at the time of his dermatology appointment.
As a result, doctors put him on a diet of pureed food and liquids. But about two and a half months later, his caretakers noticed "black pigmentation" covering the surface of his tongue.
Medical Trust Hospital/JAMA
Dermatologists ¡ª led by Dr Puravoor Jayasree ¡ª diagnosed him with lingua villosa nigra after taking mucus samples from his tongue.
Writing in the journal, the doctors said: "The patient and caregivers were given advice regarding proper cleansing measures, and the discolouration resolved after 20 days."
Black hairy tongue is a temporary and harmless condition that makes the tongue turn dark and furry.
Representational Image/iStock
According to the American Academy of Oral Medicine, 13 percent of adults experience the condition in their lifetime.
In order to prevent one¡¯s stamp moistener from sprouting a beard, doctors recommend scouring it twice a day with a toothbrush or even a tongue scraper. In other words, you should brush your tongue to avoid needing to comb it.
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