SCRAPE YOUR TONGUE

Did you know that in other countries, "common wisdom" about health and disease is sometimes completely different than our own? For example, in Scandanavia, "tongue pain" is considered one of the classic symptoms of a common cold. And in India, scraping your tongue is a routine oral hygeine activity- like brushing teeth and flossing.

PRODUCT OF THE WEEK: TONGUE SCRAPER
A tongue scraper is a thin strip of metal, bent into a "U" shape with a little rubber handle on each end. It is designed so that, using both hands, you insert the metal strip to the back of the tongue and scrape forward, scraping all the crap off the top of your tongue. If you do this, you will be amazed- a relatively massive amount of white, brown, and yellow paste will come off your tongue.
Why scrape your tongue? Because like the teeth and gums, the tongue builds up alot of plaque. Plaque is a mortar made of undigested food particles and bacteria- bacteria that can lead to bad breath, cavities, gum disease, and throat infections. Don't you want that bacterial mortar out of your mouth? Sure you do! It is so easy to scrape your tongue, and the best part is that you don't have to do it every day- 1-2 times per week is fine.
Where do you get a tongue scraper? I got mine in a health food store in L.A. 10 years ago. You can buy them online, and some Whole Foods stores have them. Check the bath and cosmetics section of your local food co-op or health food store; most of them have these things.
GUIDELINES FOR USING A TONGUE SCRAPER:
1. Don't scrape too hard. If your tongue bleeds, this is not dangerous and it will stop quickly, but it means you're scraping too hard.
2. Rinse the plaque off the scraper with hot water, and you may need to push some of the thick junk off the scraper with your hand.
3. Periodically sterilize your scraper by wiping it down with alcohol or hydrogen peroxide.
4. Use your tongue scraper a couple times per week. If you have a cold, you will notice the plaque builds up faster, so you can use it daily if you want.
5. Unfortunately, you still need to brush and floss, even if you are scraping your tongue religiously.

MEDICAL QUESTION OF THE DAY: HOW OFTEN DO I NEED A "PHYSICAL?"
Answer: you don't really need a physical, but that's kind of a lame answer. Let me qualify this. You DO need to have some blood work done, and have your blood pressure checked, at least every 2-5 years- and this is USUALLY done in the context of a "physical." But the physical itself, in which the doctor does a comprehensive exam of your body, is a waste of time for most people. The exception is those who are senior citizens, people with diabetes, and people with heart disease- those for whom the physical exam is an important part of monitoring their chronic health conditions.
MY ADVICE: Get yourself a regular primary care doctor (an "Internist" or "Family Practitioner") and ask them to check routine blood work and your blood pressure every 2-3 years. I think "every 5 years" is too liberal- you're likely just to not go at all. They will also be able to give you any recommended vaccines or booster shots. And if you are a woman, PLEASE: get a pap smear and breast exam every 2 years, no exceptions! These tests, unlike much of the "physical," are really worth doing because they really do detect cancers that can kill you.
Any other questions? Leave a comment today!