Showing posts with label tongue. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tongue. Show all posts

Friday, 26 December 2014

25 Effective Home Remedies To Treat Gum Pain


Image: shutterstock


Do you frequently suffer from gum pain? Are medications being too expensive discouraging you from going for them? Then you should stop looking outside, and start looking within your home – because that is where the treatments for most ailments reside!
Staying fit and healthy is almost everyone’s obsession these days. And why shouldn’t it be? Taking good care of your own self is vital and necessary. Whether it is exercising everyday to stay fit or simply getting a good facial done to ensure our skin is fresh and beautiful; all of us have to go that extra mile to keep ourselves going. Just like your body, skin, and hair need pampering, your oral health needs help too. People who don’t take care of their oral health often fall under the trap of gum diseases that can cause great damage.
Dentists agree that our modern day diet, which is full of artificial and processed food, contributes to bad dental health. But with problems, come solutions! There has been a boom in the kind of treatments that can provide relief from oral diseases. Laser treatments, root canal as well as root extractions can help you see improvement sooner than you can imagine.
But then, you don’t have to opt for expensive treatments right away. Who knows, even simple home remedies can get the job done! And this post deals with those amazing home remedies that can give you respite from your gum pain, sometimes almost instantly!
So what are you waiting for? Continue with this post and don’t ever let gum diseases rob off your happiness! Here you go!

1. Floss:

When you eat, you must be aware that there are food particles stuck to your teeth. This causes the bacteria to spread and ultimately damage your teeth. In order to prevent and stop this, you should floss on a regular basis. You could also use toothpicks for that purpose. This will surely remove food particles from your teeth and keep them healthy.

2. Cleaning Your Tongue:

Another thing you could do at home to prevent, control and get rid of gum problems is clean your tongue well. Get hold of a spoon and use it as a tongue scraper. You should do this for about ten to fifteen minutes.

3. Give Yourself A Gum Massage:

You could also give yourself a good gum massage to get rid of gum pain. This will help in raising the flow of blood into your gum and ensures quick recovery.

4. Green Tea:

You might be surprised, but extracts of green tea may actually act as a good remedy for gum pain and other gum related problems. Make things easier for yourself by drinking two to three cups of green tea every day. You are bound to see a change.

5. Hydrogen Peroxide:

When we speak of hydrogen peroxide, we are basically referring to a bacterial agent that is very strong in nature. This will kill all the bacteria that has accumulated in your gum region and help you get rid of the pain effectively.

6. Baking Soda:

Another popular remedy for your gum problems could be baking soda. All you have to do is take two tablespoons of baking soda with water and make a paste out of it. Now you can rub this on your gums using your fingers to alleviate the pain.

7. Clove Oil:

A natural ingredient that could provide you with great gum health is clove oil. This is one of the best gifts of nature that can fight gum problems and relieve you of gum pain. All you have to do is take some cotton, add a few drops of clove oil in it and place it on the area that is burning.

8. Aloe Vera:

One of the best homemade remedies for swollen and painful gums is aloe vera. All you need to do is take some Aloe Vera gel and massage it gently all over the painful area of the gum. You will find quick relief with this simple remedy.

9. Herbal Rinsing:

A simple and effective remedy for painful gums is herbal rinsing. You simply have to gather fresh herbs, make a paste out of them, and rinse your mouth with it using warm water that has come to room temperature. Doing this twice a day will give you great results.

10. Tea Tree Oil:

Another popular remedy that can be used for treating gum pain is tea tree oil. All you have to do is take a few drops of tea tree oil and apply it on the area you are experiencing pain on. This will prevent the gum disease from getting worse and will help you recover faster.

11. Lemon Juice:

Lemon Juice is not just good for your skin and hair but also for your teeth. This can treat gum problems effectively in no time. Lemon juice contains Vitamin C, which will allow you to fight off the disease. All you need to do is squeeze out some lemon juice and add a pinch of salt to it to make a paste. Now you can apply it and let it stay on your gums and teeth for some time to get relief.

12. Burdock Root:

Did you know that burdock root can also relieve the symptoms of gum pain? Take a cup of it, boil it in water and then wait for it to come to room temperature. Then you can rinse it by swishing it all over your mouth. This will act as a great mouthwash too and will help you see quick results.

13. Calcium Rich Foods:

You could incorporate calcium-rich foods in your diet to get rid of gum problems. There are salmon, almonds, and green leafy vegetables to choose from!

14. Citrus Friends:

Another healthy option could be citrus fruits when it comes to treating gum pain. A cup full of fruits every day will keep your gums and teeth healthy. This is because of the high content of fiber in these wonders of nature.

15. Sea Salt Solutions:

Take a small cup and fill it with warm water. Now add some sea salt to it. Take the solution, gargle for about 20 seconds or more and then spit it out to get relief from gum pain.

16. Tea Bags:

Once you have prepared your tea, take out the tea bag and allow it to cool down for some time. Once you think you can handle it, press it gently against your gums. Keep it there for 5 minutes. This will reduce the infection significantly.

17. Honey:

You could also take a little honey and rub it on the region you feel pain. Honey will definitely help you deal with the pain better.

18. Cranberry Juice:

Cranberry is known for its healing properties. It stops bacteria from spreading across the teeth and eradicates gum pain permanently. All you have to do is drink three ounces of cranberry juice every day.

19. Vitamin D Intake:

You could increase the intake of Vitamin D in your diet to heal your teeth. Salmon, fish, and eggs are great sources rich in Vitamin D.

20. Stop Using Tobacco:

An effective way of dealing with gum pain is by giving up tobacco. This will prevent your gums and teeth from becoming unhealthy.

21. Gargle With Listerine:

If you haven’t used Listerine before, then it’s high time you started. This product is beneficial for your teeth and takes good care of it. If you gargle with Listerine twice a week, you will get great results.

22. Use Genigel:

You could also use Genigel to heal gum problems. When you apply this product all over your gum region, you will allow the growth of new tissues. This will reduce all kinds of inflammation and also increases the supply of blood to the gums.

23. Co-Enzyme Q 10:

This is basically a vitamin that helps in converting the sugar and fat into energy. It has been said that if you take this in your mouth, you will be able to fight gum problems effectively.

24. Stop Binging Alcohol:

A little bit of alcohol can be fun, but it can harm your gums! You can take care of your oral health by saying no to alcohol. This will prevent the gum pain from spreading.

25. Prepare A Mouthwash At Home:

You can use two parts of hydrogen peroxide, one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, some vanilla extracts and orajel maximum strength fast acting liquid to make a mouthwash at home. This will stop gum pain quickly!
Follow these remedies today and get rid of gum pain naturally!
Do you know of any other home remedies for gum pain? Share with us in the comments section! 

Sunday, 7 December 2014

What does your tongue say about your state of health?

If you are feeling under the weather, just stick out your tongue – the state it’s in can present an accurate picture of your health. The colour, texture and moisture of your tongue can provide signs of what’s going on inside your body. Many complementary therapies, including Acupuncture and Naturopathy, use the tongue to aid diagnosis.

When examining the tongue, the Acupuncturist looks at the colour of the tongue body, its’ size and shape, the colour and thickness of its’ coating or fur, locations of abnormalities and moistness or dryness of the tongue body and fur. These signs reveal not only overall states of health but correlate to specific organ functions and disharmonies, especially in the digestive system. Not all tongue irregularities are indications of disharmony however. Food and drugs may change the coating or colour of the body of the tongue; for example, coffee yellows the coating.
Furthermore, some people have minor, unchanging cracks on their tongue which are considered normal. Others are born with what is called a “geographic tongue,” which is covered with severe cracks and covered with hills and valleys. This is considered normal by some practitioners but a sign of disharmony by others.
The way a tongue appears is not an absolute indicator of the location of the disharmony but when taken as part of an overall pattern that includes a complete evaluation, they offer strong clues to the location of disharmony.
Tongue diagnosis can be a subtle art. To try it yourself, observe the variations of your tongue and compare it to that of friends or family members. After you have looked at a few tongues, you will see that they differ widely and with a little study can tell you a lot about the overall health of a person.
Surface changes: Run your fingertip across the surface of your tongue, and you should feel lots of tiny nodules that feel slightly hairy or fuzzy. These nodules are calledpapillae, and they’re actually small hairs between which your taste buds are scattered. Changes to these hairs may have no rhyme or reason and be totally harmless, or they may be a symptom of an underlying condition.
  • Smooth: Your tongue may feel smooth due to a nutritional deficiency. A pale, smooth tongue could be a sign of iron-deficiency anemia or a lack of B vitamins, which are important to the body’s use of food for energy.

  • Map-like patches: If you spot patchy lesions on the tongue that seem to change location from day to day, you may have a harmless but sometimes uncomfortable condition called geographic tongue. It is thought that B vitamin deficiency may be to blame for this tongue surface change, but it could also be due to irritation by alcohol or certain foods.

  • Wrinkled: A tongue that bears grooves, wrinkles, or furrows could be scrotal tongue, a harmless, usually inborn condition that can rarely cause burning sensations when spicy foods are eaten and make it difficult to keep the tongue properly clean and clear of bacteria.

Sores or bumps: We’ve all bitten our tongue at one time or another, perhaps hard enough to leave a sore spot. In some instances, a spot on the tongue can be a result of something more than surface trauma.
  • A bump on top of the tongue could be a warning of bacterial or viral infection or of an allergic reaction to a food or medication.

  • Canker sores more often pop up on the underside of the tongue, and can be identified by a round, red border and yellow or white center.

  • A white or gray lesion with a hard surface that feels thick and raised from the tongue could beleukoplakia, a disorder of the mucous membranes caused by irritation from dentures, crowns, fillings, or tobacco use. Hairy leukoplakia, which occurs in people with weakened immune systems due to illnesses like HIV or the Epstein-Barr virus, appears as a fuzzy, white lesion that usually crops up on the side of the tongue.
  • A sore or lump on one side of the tongue may be a sign of cancer and should be looked at by a doctor. Untreated syphilis can develop into a cancer on the top of the tongue.

Colour changes: You’ve probably noticed how your tongue can change colour depending on what you eat (remember all of the rainbow colours you could achieve as a kid sucking on popsicles?). Variance from the usual healthy pink may be a sign that you’re overdoing it with certain habits – or it could signal an underlying condition.
  • Black: From time to time, a person’s tongue may take on a black, hairy appearance. “Black hairy tongue” is a harmless, temporary, but unsightly overgrowth of tongue “hair” (papillae) that traps bacteria and other mouth debris. Poor oral hygiene could be the culprit, as could mouth-breathing, excessive use of tobacco, mouthwashes, some antibiotics, or bismuth-based stomach medications (e.g., Pepto-Bismol). Along with the colour change, you might notice a metallic taste in your mouth and generally bad breath. Brush, floss, and try using a tongue scraper to remove bacteria. Black hairy tongue resolves on its own, but check with a doctor if symptoms last beyond 10 days or so.

  • Yellow: As in the case of black hairy tongue, an overgrowth of papillae on the tongue can trap bacteria and appear yellow. These small hairs that coat the tongue can become inflamed by, among other things, smoking, fever, mouth-breathing, and dehydration. Improve your oral hygiene, and the yellow hue should subside.

  • White: White tongue often means the same thing as black or yellow tongue – bacteria stuck in dense tongue hair. And it shares some of the same causes, too: smoking, dehydration, dry mouth due to mouth-breathing. The white look means there are bacteria, dead cells, and debris wedged in the papillae. Pay special attention to your brushing and flossing habits, and add a tongue scraper to your oral hygiene routine. Less commonly, a pale, smooth tongue indicates anemia, and a white film on the tongue could be a sign of oral thrush, a type yeast infection.

  • Red: A red tongue more often signals underlying problems in children’s health. A strawberry or raspberry-coloured tongue can be one of the first symptoms of scarlet fever or Kawasaki disease. Adults less often manifest these signs. But if your mouth hurts and your tongue looks smooth and red, your diet may be deficient in niacin, an important B vitamin.

  • Brown: A spot on the tongue that has turned brown or otherwise darkly discoloured could possibly be a form of skin cancer called melanoma.

Any time that you notice pain, burning, swelling, changes in your ability to taste, abnormal movements, or difficulty moving the tongue, do not hesitate to see a doctor.