Tongue

Question 1

Pale

Answer 1

• Always Deficient*
• def cold (yang def)
• qi def
• blood def

Question 2

Red

Answer 2

• EXCESS or DEFICIENT*

- Always HEAT

Question 3

Deep Red

Answer 3

• EXCESS or DEFICIENT*

- Extreme Heat

Question 4

Blue Purple

Answer 4

• excess*

- Blood stasis due to cold or heat

Question 5

Deep Blue Purple, Dry Lusterless

Answer 5

• excess*

- Blood stasis due to heat

Question 6

Pale Purple, moist

Answer 6

• excess*

- Blood stasis due to cold

Question 7

Purplish spots on tongue surface

Answer 7

• excess*

- blood stasis

Question 8

Swollen & Pale (delicate, w/ toothmarks)

Answer 8

• Deficient + Excess*

- KD or SP Yang producing harmful water

Question 9

Swollen & Deep red (occupying whole space of mouth)

Answer 9

• Excess*

- excessive heat in HT or SP

Question 10

Swollen, blue purplish and dark

Answer 10

EXCESS

-Toxicosis

Question 11

Thin

Answer 11

• DEFICIENT*
• pale: qi and blood def
• deep red, dry: fire d/t yin def

Question 12

Cracked

Answer 12

• excess or def*
• deep red: excess heat
• pale: blood def

Question 13

Thorny

Answer 13

• EXCESS*
• red: internal accumulation of pathogenic heat
• the larger the thorn, the more severe

Question 14

Deviated

Answer 14

Wind stroke or early signs of wind stroke

Question 15

Rigid

Answer 15

• excess or excess w/ underlying deficiency*
• exogenous: invasion of PC by heat, retention of turbid phlegm in interior, excessive pathogenic heat consuming body fluids
• endogenous: wind stroke or early signs of wind stroke

Question 16

Flaccid

Answer 16

• Deficient*
• Extreme qi and blood deficiency or consumption of yin fluids
• Pale: qi and blood def
• deep red: yin collapse

Question 17

Thick Coat

Answer 17

EXCESS

• deeper progression
• retention of food/damp

Question 18

Thin Coat

Answer 18

• weak pathogenic factor, deficiency of anti-pathogenic qi

- disease in early stages

Question 19

Dry Coat

Answer 19

• excess or def*

- consumption of body fluids d/t excess or def heat

Question 20

Moist Coat (excessive moisture, saliva dribbles)

Answer 20

• excess*

- harmful water or damp

Question 21

Sticky (hard to scrub or greasy)

Answer 21

• excess*

- retention of damp, phlegm or food

Question 22

granular (curd like, easily scraped off)

Answer 22

• excess*

- excessive yang heat brings turbid ST qi upward, also retention of phlegm or food

Question 23

Peeled Coat

Answer 23

partial (geographic): consumption of ST qi and yin

entire (mirror or glossy): exhaustion of ST yin and damage of ST qi

Question 24

White Coat

Answer 24

• excess or def*
• thin: exterior cold or normal
• thick: internal cold

Question 25

Yellow Coat

Answer 25

• excess*

- internal heat, deeper the yellow the more severe the pathogenic heat

Question 26

Grey Coat

Answer 26

• excess*
• Interior heat, cold or damp
• yellowish and dry: interior excess heat
• whitish and moist: retention of cold or damp
• can develop to greyish or black

Question 27

Black

Answer 27

• excess or deficiency*
• EXTREME INTERIOR CONDITION: extreme heat or cold
• yellowish and dry (possible thorns): Extreme heat ( yang ming level heat)
• pale and slippery: excessive cold d/t yang deficiency

Question 28

Effect of Antibiotic on Tongue

Answer 28

peeled in patches

-tends to injure ST yin

Question 29

Effect of Corticosteroids on Tongue

Answer 29

red and swollen (after about a month)

Question 30

Effect of Bronchodilators on Tongue

Answer 30

tongue tip to become red after prolonged use

-due to injured LU

Question 31

Effect of Diuretics on Tongue

Answer 31

peeled (yin def)

-peeing out your fluids

Question 32

Effect of Anti-Inflammatory of Tongue

Answer 32

red points, thinner body, peeled (after prolonged use)

Question 33

Effect of Anti-neoplastics (cytotoxic drugs) on Tongue

Answer 33

very thick brown or even black and dry coating