Encyclopedia of Health and Medicine

H
hairy tongue The common term for the circumstance
of overgrown filiform papillae on the
tongue, a condition known clinically as lingua villosa.
Filiform papillae are long, resemble hairs,
and do not contain taste buds. Their purpose is to
help move food during chewing and swallowing.
Normally the wear and tear of this function breaks
them off, a process called desquamation. Various
circumstances inhibit desquamation, allowing the
filiform papillae to grow up to 10 times longer
than normal. The overgrown filiform papillae then
trap food debris and other substances that impart
color (such as coffee and tea), giving the characteristic
“colored hair” appearance of hairy tongue.
The causes of hairy tongue are numerous and
include eating habits centered around soft foods,
which do not scrape the tongue, and inadequate
ORAL HYGIENE.
From a medical perspective hairy tongue is
harmless, though people in whom it develops tend
to find it aesthetically displeasing and in some it
tickles or irritates the soft palate during swallowing.
Brushing the tongue as a routine aspect of
oral hygiene, or using a tongue scraper, nearly
always restores the desquamation process and
reduces the length of the filiform papillae. Hairy
tongue is also slang for a bad hangover, probably
stemming from the correlation between chronic
ALCOHOL abuse and poor oral hygiene habits.
See also HALITOSIS.
halitosis The clinical term for bad breath.
Halitosis can indicate numerous local or systemic
health conditions. Local halitosis occurs when an
abundance of BACTERIA that release sulfur as a waste
byproduct colonize in the mouth. Systemic halitosis
occurs as a response to metabolic and chemical
changes that the disease process causes in the body.
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LOCAL CAUSES
OF HALITOSIS
poor ORAL HYGIENE
food stuck between TEETH
inadequate saliva
production
TONSILLITIS, adenoiditis, SINUSITIS
POSTNASAL DRIP
SYSTEMIC CAUSES
OF HALITOSIS
PEPTIC ULCER DISEASE
GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX
DISORDER (GERD)
certain cancers
DIABETES
LIVER disease
kidney disease
Treatment for underlying conditions often
reduces or eliminates halitosis. When the source is
ineffective ORAL HYGIENE, improved brushing and
flossing techniques can help clean food debris
from the MOUTH, which reduces the presence of
sulfur-producing bacteria. Medications can cause
dry mouth and even leave unpleasant odors in the
mouth. Some people are predisposed to mouth
conditions that support the presence of bacteria.
Typically, a dentist treats halitosis related to oral
hygiene, PERIODONTAL DISEASE, DENTAL CARIES, and
other dental conditions. A doctor may recommend
approaches to minimize halitosis that exists secondary
to other health conditions. Thyme, eucalyptus,
peppermint, and caraway are among the
herbal remedies for halitosis.
See also GINGIVITIS; GLOSSITIS; HAIRY TONGUE.
hearing aid An external device that amplifies
sound to compensate for HEARING LOSS. A hearing
aid incorporates a receiver (microphone) to pick
up sound waves, an amplifier to magnify the
sound waves, and a battery that powers the
receiver and amplifier. Sound quality with a hearing
aid is different from sound quality the natural
EAR perceives, and it takes time to become accustomed
to using hearing aids. Hearing aids cannot
restore normal hearing though they can increase