An Indian man’s tongue turned black and covered with a layer of hair after he was suggested to use a pureed diet following a stroke.
According to Live Science, the man, aged nearly 50, developed a thick layer of bacteria and dead skin over his tongue after he had suffered a stroke.
Doctors from the Medical Trust Hospital in Cochin Kerela detailed the special case in Journal Jama Dermatology.
The man was diagnosed with a surprisingly common medical condition called “black hairy tongue” medically known as lingua villosa nigra.
The patient had had a stroke three months before, after which his left side was paralyzed, causing hindrance in chewing and as a result, his left side remained weak.
The doctors as a result of the paralysis had put him on a pureed food and liquid diet. But, his caretakers noticed “black pigmentation” covering his tongue about two and a half months later.
The Dermatologist team took mucus samples from his tongue and reached the conclusion that he had a special condition named lingua villosa nigra.
“The patient and caregivers were given advice regarding proper cleansing measures, and the discolouration resolved after 20 days,” the doctor said in the journal.
However, the black hairy tongue condition is temporary and harmless.
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13 per cent of adults experience the condition in their lifetime said the American Academy of Oral Medicine.
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.
