Tongue Diagnosis

Question 1

pale tongue

Answer 1

Xu Cold (Yang or Qi/Xue Xu)

Question 2

red tongue

Answer 2

internal Heat (Xs or Xu)

Question 3

light red tongue

Answer 3

normal

Question 4

deep red tongue

Answer 4

extreme Heat (Xs) - internal or external

Question 5

deep blue-purple, dry and lusterless tongue

Answer 5

Xue Stasis d/t Heat

Question 6

pale purple, moist tongue

Answer 6

Xue Stasis d/t Cold

Question 7

Purplish spots on tongue surface

Answer 7

Xue Stasis

Question 8

teeth marks on tongue

Answer 8

SP Qi Xu

Question 9

lack of coat in center

Answer 9

ST Qi Xu

Question 10

pale body, white and wet coat

Answer 10

SP Yang Xu

Question 11

pale and swollen body, white coat

Answer 11

KD Yang Xu

Question 12

pale body, slightly dry

Answer 12

SP Xue Xu

Question 13

pale body, paler tip

Answer 13

HT Xue Xu

Question 14

pale body, paler sides

Answer 14

LV Xue Xu

Question 15

pale body, bluish-purple if severe

Answer 15

HT Yang Xu

Question 16

no coat in center; dry wide crack in center

Answer 16

ST Yin Xu

Question 17

red body, no coat, dry, cracks

Answer 17

KD Yin Xu

Question 18

red body, no coat in front, redder tip

Answer 18

HT Yin Xu

Question 19

red body, no coat, cracks anteriorly

Answer 19

LU Yin Xu

Question 20

red body, thick yellow coat

Answer 20

XS Heat

Question 21

purple body

Answer 21

Xue Stasis

Question 22

thick, slippery, greasy coat

Answer 22

Phlegm

Question 23

slightly flaccid body, slightly swollen anterior

Answer 23

LU Qi Xu

Question 24

pale body

Answer 24

HT Qi Xu

Question 25

horizontal cracks

Answer 25

Yin Xu

Question 26

irregular cracks

Answer 26

ST Yin Xu

Question 27

transverse side cracks

Answer 27

SP Qi/Yin Xu

Question 28

vertical center crack

Answer 28

SP Qi Xu

Question 29

long vertical center crack

Answer 29

HT, emotional disorder

Question 30

deep vertical crack plus small cracks

Answer 30

KD Yin Xu Heat

Question 31

swollen tip, red color

Answer 31

HT Fire

Question 32

swollen along central crack, normal color

Answer 32

HT Qi Xu

Question 33

swollen edges

Answer 33

SP Qi/Yang Xu

Question 34

swollen sides

Answer 34

LV Yang Rising or LV Fire

Question 35

thin and pale

Answer 35

Qi and Xue Xu

Question 36

thin and deep red, dry

Answer 36

Fire d/t Yin Xu

Question 37

deviated tongue

Answer 37

Wind stroke

Question 38

rigid tongue

Answer 38

Ext: PC Heat invasion, Turbid-Phlegm retention, XS Heat Int: Wind-stroke

Question 39

pale, flaccid tongue

Answer 39

extreme Qi and Xue Xu

Question 40

deep red, flaccid tongue

Answer 40

consumption of Yin fluids

Question 41

quivering tongue, pale body

Answer 41

SP Qi Xu, HT and SP collapse

Question 42

quivering tongue, red body

Answer 42

extreme Het generating Internal Wind

Question 43

quivering tongue, pale and thin

Answer 43

Yang collapse

Question 44

dry tongue

Answer 44

Heat (XS or XU heat consuming body fluids)

Question 45

excessive moisture, saliva dribbles

Answer 45

harmful water & Damp

Question 46

sticky (hard to scrub, greasy) coat

Answer 46

retention of Damp, Phlegm or Food

Question 47

granular (coarse & soybean curds, easily scrubbed, pasty) coat

Answer 47

XS Yang Heat brings turbid ST Qi upward, retention of Phlegm or Food

Question 48

partially peeled tongue coat (geographic)

Answer 48

consumption of ST Qi and Yin

Question 49

entire tongue coat is peeled (mirror, glossy)

Answer 49

exhaustion fo ST Yin, severe damage of ST Qi

Question 50

thin white coat

Answer 50

normal or exterior Cold

Question 51

thick white coat

Answer 51

interior Cold

Question 52

yellow coat

Answer 52

interior Heat light yellow = mild Heat; deep yellow = severe Heat; burnt yellow = accumulation of Heat

Question 53

grey-yellow and dry coat

Answer 53

Interior XS Heat

Question 54

grey and white and moist coat

Answer 54

Cold or Damp retention

Question 55

black coat

Answer 55

extreme interior condition (Heat or Cold), if also yellowish and dry (with thorns): extreme Heat if also pale and slippery, XS Cold d/t Yang Xu