Yellow Tongue: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment

Yellow tongue is usually a harmless symptom caused by bacteria buildup. The yellow tongue can also result from certain lifestyle habits or underlying health issues. Rarely, jaundice, or yellowing of the skin and eyes, can include yellow tongue. Yellow tongue can also be a phase before a condition called black hairy tongue. If a yellow tongue doesn't disappear with lifestyle changes or better oral hygiene, it might help to see a healthcare professional, especially if there are other concerning symptoms present.

This article discusses the symptoms of yellow tongue, its causes and risks, and diagnosing and treating the condition.

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Yellow tongue can vary in appearance and include some other symptoms. A yellow tongue might look like:

Other symptoms that might be present include:

Yellow tongue is the result of bacteria that gathers on the tongue. This can result from habits like:

Additionally, certain underlying health issues can cause yellow tongue, including:

Studies have found that some medications could change the color of the tongue, including:

Usually, improving or adding to oral hygiene can resolve yellow tongue, including:

Lifestyle changes that can reduce or eliminate yellow tongue might include:

Addressing underlying health concerns like diabetes and pancreas issues could also help treat yellow tongue.

If yellow tongue doesn't go away with lifestyle changes, an examination and tests might be necessary to finalize a diagnosis or determine any underlying issues. In this case, a healthcare provider might:

Testing for other health conditions might include:

If yellowing of the tongue doesn't disappear with better oral hygiene or if you experience other physical symptoms, like yellowing of the skin or constant dehydration, a healthcare specialist could help with diagnosing the cause and recommending treatment options.

Yellow tongue is a phenomenon caused by bacteria on the tongue, and it is usually harmless unless caused by underlying undiagnosed health issues. Causes of yellow tongue can include caffeine and alcohol consumption, needing to improve oral hygiene (like brushing, flossing, and scraping the tongue adequately), and smoking. If yellow tongue doesn't disappear with improved oral hygiene, a healthcare professional might need to make an official diagnosis.

Yellow tongue is caused by extra bacteria on the tongue. This can be a result of poor oral hygiene or consuming too much alcohol or caffeine. smoking, some prescription medications and cancer treatments, and illegal drugs. Sometimes yellow tongue can point to underlying health issues like diabetes, pancreas issues, and in rare cases, jaundice.

In addition to brushing, flossing, and using a tongue scraper regularly, brushing the tongue with a solution of one part hydrogen peroxide and five parts water and rinsing with water once a day can help treat yellow tongue. Reducing alcohol, caffeine, tobacco, and illegal drug consumption can also help, as can eating more raw fruits and vegetables.

A recent review of 40 studies found that tongue color changes and other oral health issues seemed linked to COVID-19 infection. This might be because enzymes (chemicals that cause reactions in the body) in the mouth are receptive to the virus, resulting in changes to the balance of bacteria in the mouth. Drugs that treat COVID-19 can also affect the body's bacteria. Also, infection can lessen saliva in the mouth, which causes bacteria to remain on the tongue.

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By Neha KashyapNeha is a New York-based health journalist who has written for WebMD, ADDitude, HuffPost Life, and dailyRx News. Neha enjoys writing about mental health, elder care, innovative health care technologies, paying for health care, and simple measures that we all can take to work toward better health.