Many patients today do not complain of the classic symptoms like breathlessness or loss of taste and smell, instead, they are complaining of a wide range of symptoms which quite distinct from one another. COVID tongue is one among them.
How to spot it?
A COVID tongue looks white, patchy, and swollen. Some people might also have bumps or open areas called ulcers on their tongue. Because of this, many people might experience pain while eating.
In addition to this, people may experience a loss of taste and a burning sensation in their mouth.
Causes
Oral thrush fungus caused either by the coronavirus or medications used to treat COVID might be the reason behind COVID tongue.
The Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE) receptors that help with the entry of coronavirus can cause the swelling in the COVID tongue.
Another reason for COVID’s tongue is dry mouth. Due to COVID-19, the salivary glands of the mouth secrete less saliva which leads to dryness in the mouth.
The Omicron variant-induced infection showed symptoms like common cold and COVID tongue along with a few other signs like muscle pain, diarrhea, and skin rashes.
Treatment
There is currently no targeted treatment for the COVID tongue. In some cases, the treatments you receive for COVID will be enough to resolve the COVID tongue. When COVID tongue is more severe and doesn’t respond to overall treatment, you might receive specialized treatment.
More information about the COVID tongue will be available as more research occurs in the future.
Source: Medindia
