A man's tongue in Ohio turned green and developed hair due to smoking cigarettes while on antibiotics. A detailed study on this topic was published in the "New England Journal of Medicine."
According to the research publication, a 64-year-old anonymous smoker informed the doctor several weeks after starting the antibiotic and smoking simultaneously about the discoloration of his tongue and the appearance of fine hair.
Doctors diagnosed his condition as an "abnormal layer" of skin cells that forms on the tongue when the filiform papillae, which are small cone-shaped projections containing taste buds, become enlarged, leading to discoloration due to bacterial accumulation. This gives the tongue a hairy appearance, which can grow to nearly an inch if the tongue is not scraped regularly.
The American Academy of Oral Medicine noted that a hairy tongue can appear brown, white, green, or pink, depending on the specific cause and other factors such as mouthwash or even candy.
In general, due to poor oral hygiene, this condition can worsen in adults over the age of 40 and is more common in men due to smoking, which causes the accumulation of bacteria and plaque on the tongue.
Another potential reason for the man's tongue turning green was that he had just completed a course of the antibiotic clindamycin for a gum infection. According to "WebMD," taking antibiotics can disrupt the oral microbiome by altering the number and types of bacteria, causing them to accumulate on the tongue's surface.
Doctors did not determine whether the condition resulted from smoking, the use of antibiotics, or a combination of both. Fortunately, this generally temporary condition is non-harmful, with the worst symptom being a burning sensation on the tongue.
Patients can scrape this oral buildup by cleaning their tongues with a toothbrush or tongue scraper. The man from Ohio was advised to gently brush his tongue four times a day and was also counseled to quit smoking.
