TCM III - Tongue Diagnosis

Question 1

Tongue Diagnosis –Practicalities

Answer 1

Apart from the nails, the tongue is the only inside part of the body we can see. It tells a lot about a person’s health
o Use natural light & asked patient to stick tongue out in a relaxed manner
o Look at the tongue in short intervals – if it stays out too long it will change
o Some patients find this quite embarrassing
o Tell children this is the chance to stick their tongue and not get told off!

Question 2

Areas

Answer 2

The tongue has four distinct areas:
* Root / Back: Lower abdomen – Kidneys, bladder, intestines & reproductive organs
* Centre: Central abdomen – stomach and spleen
* Sides: liver and gallbladder
* Tip and front: chest – heart and lungs

Question 3

Record

Answer 3

• Shape, Body colour, Coating (thickness, moisture and colour), Cracks, Spots/lumps/sub-lingual veins

Question 4

Shape

Answer 4

• Tongue shaped: Normal
• Swollen: Qi / Yang deficiency
• Thin (flat): Blood deficiency
• Deviated: Wind
• Teeth marks: Weak digestion

Question 5

Body colour

Answer 5

• Pale pink or pale red: normal
• Red: Heat
• Pale moist: Qi / Yang Deficiency
• Purple: Blood status
• Mauve / blue: Cold

Question 6

Coatings/moisture

Answer 6

• Thin white: Normal
• Dry yellow: Excess heat
• Greasy yellow: Damp heat; Hot phlegm
• Greasy white: Cold damp; cold phlegm
• No coat: Yin deficiency
• Peeled (patches w/no coating next to normal coating): Yin deficiency

Question 7

Cracks

Answer 7

• Transverse cracks (fine, thin cracks across): Yin Deficiency (diagnose by area they appear in)
• Centre crack (longitudinal): stomach heat

Question 8

Spots/lumps (by area)

Answer 8

• Red spots: Heat
• Red spots: Heat
• Purple spots: Blood stasis
• Raised lumps: Stagnation
• Purple sublingual veins: Blood stasis