Bleeding Tongue healed:

Your book, Your Body's Many Cries for Water was mentioned to me several years ago by a co-worker, but I skeptically disregarded this recommendation, having suffered my entire life with a medically unrecognized problems. I was thoroughly disillusioned with all medical professionals. The problem I call "extreme dry mouth" with muscular/tissue hypertension, because I've never seen, heard of or read about a similar case in my 54 years. I now recognize it is a symptom of dehydration.

My tongue first manifested white patches of seemingly dead skin about 17 months of age. Until about 6 weeks ago,other signs of dehydration were obvious (but unrecognizable until I read your book ) - constant runny nose, watery eyes, puffed eyelids, susceptible to colds and flu.
These latter signs cleared almost immediately once I increased my water intake. By the time I was in school, my entire tongue was coated with a white layer that could be peeled off my tongue in strips often accompanied by skin (membrane), laying bare a raw, sometimes bleeding tongue.
No one suggested water - iodine perhaps or yeast medication, but never water. Wisely, I would not allow doctors to experiment with different drug remedies for something they couldn't identify. Aside from my apparent weakened immune system, I was healthy, so just accepted the condition as my lot in life and stopped searching for answers.

I followed the eating principles of Natural Hygiene as outlined in the book by Harvey and Marilyn Diamond "Fit for Life and Living Healthy." Great emphasis was placed upon eating high-water-content foods and omitting animal meat, dairy products and concentrated foods from the diet. However, personal circumstances made it impossible for me to adhere to this regimen, and signs of dehydration re-appeared again.
Within the past year my tongue has appeared reptilian, skinny, long, hard, shiny and thick at the apex. Living with this diseased state proved painful and embarrassing, especially the speech distortion caused by the swollen tip (apex0 and drooling caused by excessive saliva secretion. (Deficiency of salt in one;s daily diet can cause saliva to drooling during sleep)

Since June 2001, I have been enjoying eight 10-ounce glasses of water with sea salt each day and although the pain and drooling have gone, my tongue is still swollen in places in spite of daily local massage to increase circulation. The white membrane/dead skin apparently now is developing a healthy pink membranous layer underneath.

Dr. Batmanghelidj, thank you for your intelligent diligence in revealing that chronic dehydration is a causative agent in the production of disease conditions; you have shown great courage and perseverance in dealing with bureaucratic medical "authorities." I thank and admire you greatly.

Sincerely, R.E.N.
Ottawa, Canada