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Written By: Editorial Team | Published : September 8, 2018 6:25 PM IST
Black hairy tongue, antibiotic effect © Shutterstock
A 55-year-old woman developed a black hairy tongue following a car crash. Yes, this is very weird but this was a side-effect of the medicines she was on. even the image of her black tongue has gone viral. According to the infosurhoy.com report, the woman was rushed to a hospital after she met with a car crash and her legs got totally crushed. And it was during the treatment that she developed a black hairy tongue. The reports have been published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Even the black discolouration of her tongue caused her nausea and a bad taste in her mouth.
A black hairy tongue is a condition where the bumps on the tongue increase in size and turn into brownish-black colour. It gives an impression of having a thick layer of hair in the tongue. According to the Latestly.com report, a study named the 'Drug-induced black hairy tongue' describes the phenomenon as, 'Black hairy tongue (BHT) is a benign, self-limiting disorder characterized by abnormally hypertrophied and elongated filiform papillae on the surface of the tongue.
There are several causes of this condition. However, some of the common condition include various inflammatory lesions, heavy smoking, dyspepsia, irradiation and the use of certain toothpaste.
However, in this woman, minocycline was discontinued, and an alternate antimicrobial regimen was started. She was advised to practice good oral hygiene. Her tongue returned to its normal colour within four weeks after the minocycline was stopped.
NHS doctors advised that if it happens to someone then giving up alcohol and smoking would be better. Other treatments include "eating fresh pineapple", as it contains Bromelain which can breakdown elongated papillae.
