Tongue Diagnosis Flashcards
Luster/Flourishing
the tongue is moist, red and lustrous, suggesting uninjured to the body resistance and a mild condition.
Lusterlessness/Withering
tongue is wizened, suggesting injury to the body resistance and a severe condition.
Pale tongue
Deficiency and cold caused by insufficient yang-qi and blood
Red tongue
A heat syndrome caused by an excess of qi and blood, usually seen in the syndrome of interior heat, or endogenous heat due to yin deficiency
Crimson
A deep red tongue is a sign of severe endogenous heat, usually found at the advanced stage of febrile diseases, or in protracted and critical cases, suggesting hyperactivity of fire due to deficiency of yin.
Purple/Dusky
Either cold or heat syndromes
purple tongue with deep red coloration
indicates inadequate fluid; it suggests that exuberant heat has led to consumption of yin and fluid, and stagnation of qi and blood.
pale purple or moist blue-purple tongue
blockage of vessels due to preponderant endogenous cold.
Purple spots
suggest stagnation of blood
flabby tongue-pale in color
indicating insufficiency of spleen-yang and failure in the transformation of body fluids and a retention of phlegm and dampness due to excessive heat in the heart and spleen
swollen, crimson
exuberant heat in the heart and spleen
swollen, dark blue purple
indicates poisoning.
thin tongue
It is small and shrunken, indicating consumption of yin and blood
thin and pale
deficiency of qi and blood
thin, deep red and dry tongue
hyperactivity of fire due to deficiency of yin and consumption of fluid.
cracked tongue
It has fissures of different depth on its surface, indicating consumption of yin and fluid
cracked, deep red tongue
injury to body fluids due to exuberance of heat
pale cracked
tongue found in a healthy person does not have any clinical significance
teeth imprints
teeth imprints along its outer edge as a result of the pressure of teeth. Often called Scalloped tongue. Spleen deficiency, often associated with flabby or swollen tongue..
thorny
Swollen papillae
thorny dry tongue
exuberance of heat and the more exuberant the heat is the more “ thorns” may appear on the tongue.
Rigid/Stiff
stiff tongue body, unable to move freely, impeding speech. caused by invasion of the pericardium by heat, accumulation of phlegm disorder of body fluids in cases of high fever and excess of heat
Flaccid
a weak tongue, unable to protrude and curl or move freely. severe consumption of qi and blood and yin fluid, resulting in failure of the tongue muscles and vessels to be nourished
Trembling/Quivering
trembling continuously and involuntarily. In long term illness qi, blood or yang xu Or wind stirred up from external heat or internal heat.
