Why is my tongue orange?

Most orange tongues fall into one of two patterns:

• A short-lived tint that appears right after eating or drinking something orange and fades the same day.
• An orange-tinged coating that builds over days, often thickest at the back of the tongue, sometimes with bad breath or a stale taste.

In both, the tongue tissue underneath is normal. The color is held by the rough surface of the filiform papillae, which the MSD Manual notes can be stained by certain foods, vitamins, tobacco and colored bacteria.

Foods and drinks

Cleveland Clinic names foods high in beta-carotene as a cause. Carrots, carrot juice, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, mango and apricots are the usual suspects, along with heavily colored snacks such as cheese puffs, orange soda, sports drinks and orange candy. Turmeric and saffron dishes can give a yellow-orange tint. These stains are brightest within an hour of eating and fade with saliva and brushing.

A coating that has picked up color

Poor oral hygiene is the most common cause on Cleveland Clinic's list. Without daily tongue cleaning, debris and bacteria build up between the papillae and take on the color of whatever passes over them. Dry mouth makes this worse because saliva is the tongue's main rinse.

Antibiotics

Cleveland Clinic lists certain antibiotics. A course of antibiotics can shift the balance of bacteria and yeast on the tongue and leave a thicker, discolored coating for a while.

Rifampin and related medicines

Rifampin, used mainly for tuberculosis and some other infections, has a distinctive side effect. MedlinePlus says it can cause temporary yellow, reddish-orange or brown discoloration of the skin, teeth, saliva, urine, sweat and tears. It can also permanently stain soft contact lenses. This is expected and not a reason to stop the medicine, but tell the prescriber if you also notice yellowing of the skin or the whites of the eyes, which MedlinePlus lists as a reason to call a doctor right away.

Vitamins and supplements

Some chewable or liquid vitamins and supplements are colored with dyes or contain beta-carotene, and MedlinePlus lists dyes in medicines among things that can affect the tongue surface.

People often search "orange tongue liver" because jaundice can make the body look yellow. Jaundice comes from a buildup of bilirubin in the blood, and Cleveland Clinic notes that it can tint the tongue, but it describes this as a rare cause of a yellow tongue. The tell-tale sign of jaundice is yellowing of the whites of the eyes and the skin, not the tongue on its own. If your eyes or skin look yellow, or you have dark urine or pale stools, see a doctor promptly. An orange tongue with clear eyes and normal skin is far more likely to be food or coating.

Eating very large amounts of beta-carotene can also turn the skin yellow-orange, most visibly on the palms and soles. MedlinePlus notes that yellow skin with white eyes is usually not jaundice for exactly this reason. DermNet explains that this skin effect spares the whites of the eyes and the lining of the mouth, so an orange tongue after carrots or mango is a surface stain from the food itself, not a sign that carotene has built up in your body.

1. Think back 24 hours. Orange food, drink, candy or a new vitamin explains most cases. Wait a day and see whether it fades.
2. Clean the tongue. Brush your teeth, then scrape or brush the tongue from back to front. A stain on a thin coating usually lifts in one or two sessions. Our scraping guide covers technique.
3. Drink water through the day, especially if your mouth feels dry.
4. Rinse after colored drinks or supplements.
5. Keep taking prescribed medicines, including antibiotics and rifampin, unless the prescriber tells you otherwise.

See a dentist if an orange coating does not improve after a week or two of daily cleaning, or if your tongue is sore, burning or patchy. See a doctor promptly if the whites of your eyes or your skin turn yellow, if your urine is dark, or if you feel unwell with an orange tongue while taking rifampin. If you have white patches underneath the color that leave red, sore areas when wiped, ask about oral thrush.