Covid symptoms in the mouth; all you need to know
The symptom in the mouth is known as Covid tongue. This rare symptom was studied by researchers and was prevalent during the initial stage of the pandemic.
Researchers in Spain published a paper reporting that around a quarter of patients hospitalised with Covid witnessed changes inside their mouths. But such symptoms were common in mild Covid cases, according to ZOE Covid study app.
A study on a male Covid patient aged 58 years revealed that he had symptoms of fever, respiratory issues, and malaise along with an unusual appearance on the surface of his tongue.
The patient was double vaccinated and had a negative history of smoking and alcohol consumption.
The doctors prescribed him multivitamins and multi minerals and chlorhexidine mouthwash for one month.
The patient observed a significant resolution of dryness of oral mucosa. In the Covid tongue, small patches are developed on the tongue. These patches give a map-like appearance and hence it is also known as a geographic tongue.
The bumps are painful and make it difficult for a person to swallow food. Covid tongue results in loss of taste, ulceration, dry mouth, red or white patch lesions, petechiae, and whitish coating on the surface.
Why does Covid tongue happen?
The exact reason behind this rare symptom is unclear. It might be due to the binding of the virus to the oral epithelial cells angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) receptor.
It can happen from Covid medications that cause the growth of bacteria or fungi in the mouth.
