The 2-Second DIY Tongue Test To Do Right Now

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A yeast infection — on your tongue? It’s more common than you might think. (Photo: Getty Images/RunPhoto)

Blue-raspberry slushees aside, you probably don’t pay much attention to the color of your tongue. But here’s a fact that will make you say “aah” and check it out the next time you pass a mirror: A white tongue is one of the telltale symptoms of an oral yeast infection — a condition that’s more common than you might think.

The infection, commonly known as oral thrush, is usually caused by the same yeast involved in vaginal yeast infections. Its characteristic symptoms are a white coating on the tongue that doesn’t scrape off easily, or white plaques on the cheeks, says Robert L. Wergin, MD, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians and a family doctor at Milford Family Medical Center in Milford, Nebraska.

Oral thrush is most common in babies and people with compromised immune systems. But for a variety of reasons, it can also show up in otherwise healthy adults.

“When people get oral thrush, it’s when the immune system is imbalanced in some way,” says John Krouse, MD, PhD, director of the Temple Head and Neck Institute at Temple University School of Medicine. “Anything that tends to throw the immune system out of balance can take that candida, that fungus that normally lives in harmony with our bodies, and make it grow and become symptomatic.”

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The list of thrush infection triggers is long. Poorly controlled diabetes, steroids (such as inhaled steroids to control asthma), and antibiotics can all encourage the yeast to grow. “They’re not uncommon because many people use antibiotics regularly, many people are being treated for asthma or use a steroid of some sort, and they’ll get a sporadic oral yeast infection,” Krouse tells Yahoo Health.

Antibiotics are probably the most common trigger in healthy adults, Krouse adds. “The antibiotics kill off the normal bacteria that are usually present that keep the fungus under control,” he explains. “If you change that balance, you allow the fungus to grow and patients will become symptomatic.” Wergin recommends taking probiotic supplements or eating yogurt with probiotics to help keep the body’s levels of healthy bacteria in balance.

Related: 5 White Foods You Should Be Eating

How do you know if you have it? It takes just two seconds to check: Look in a mirror while in good lighting, and examine your tongue and cheek for a white coating that doesn’t come off easily (like bits of food might). It can be difficult to tell, if the infection is minor.

(Editor’s note: Some readers may find the following photos graphic.) 

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A minor oral thrush infection can be hard to diagnose on your own. Look for a white coating that doesn’t go away for a few days, fissures in the tongue, or tiny cottage cheese-like lumps on the back of the tongue. (Photo: iStock)

More severe infections are characterized by a cottage cheese-like coating that does scrape off, often with bleeding underneath, Krouse says. Some people also feel soreness on their tongue or the inside of their cheek.

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A more severe oral thrush infection is easier to identify by the telltale white lumps, which you can scrape off with the side of a toothbrush. (Photo: iStock)

The good news: If you do have oral thrush, Wergin says, it’s usually easy to treat with an antifungal mouth rinse or lozenges. He recommends visiting your primary care doctor for a diagnosis if you think you might have the infection.

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