Purple Tongue
Just as its name implies, a purple tongue is an oral condition when the tongue turns to a purplish or dark-blue color. A purple discoloration on the tongue suggests poor blood circulation, and it usually causes no harm to the body. Some possible triggers of a purple tongue include chromogenic bacteria, grape juice, blueberries, ice pops, bismuth-containing drugs, trauma, and varicose veins. Though the majority of the causes are harmless, people still need to be cautious with a purple tongue linked to health issues.
- Vitamin B2 Deficiency
Nutritional deficiencies can make the tongue discolored. In addition, people can also have other symptoms such as fatigue, mood changes, skin inflammation, mouth sore, etc.
- Osler-Weber-Rendu Disease
Osler-Weber-Rendu disease (OWRD) is a rare inherited genetic disorder that can cause vascular dysplasia. Therefore, people with OWRD can have reddish or purplish spots on the tongue.
- Increased Platelet Count
A purple tongue can be also associated with a high platelet level. In this case, it is recommended to have a further examination of the association between increased platelet counts and the recurrence of epithelial ovarian cancer. [4]