tongue diagnosis basics

Question 1

what does tongue spirit indicate?

Answer 1

• denotes seriousness of illness
• if the tongue has a vital color the prognosis is good
• if the color is dark/whithered, the prognosis is bad

Question 2

what does tongue body color indicate?

Answer 2

• condition of yin organs, blood, and nutritive qi

- denotes condition for chronic illness (tongue color changes over time)

Question 3

what does tongue body shape indicate?

Answer 3

differentiates excess & deficiency, organs, qi, and blood

Question 4

what does tongue coat color indicate?

Answer 4

• hot / cold influences

- tongue coat is the manifestation of ST qi (KD is involved with formation)

Question 5

what does tongue coat thickness indicate?

Answer 5

• intensity of externally contracted pathogenic factor, or weakness of body’s qi
• thick coat: stronger pathogen
• thin coat: weaker pathogen

Question 6

what is a normal tongue color?

Answer 6

normal shape, pink color

Question 7

what is a normal tongue coat?

Answer 7

thin, white coat

Question 8

what does tongue coat moisture indicate?

Answer 8

reflects the condition of fluids

Question 9

what does a red tongue indicate?

Answer 9

heat

Question 10

what does a pale blueish tongue indicate?

Answer 10

cold

Question 11

what does a bluish purple tongue indicate?

Answer 11

stasis

Question 12

what does a yellow tongue coat indicate?

Answer 12

heat

Question 13

what does a white tongue coat indicate?

Answer 13

cold

Question 14

what does rootedness refer to?

Answer 14

• a rooted tongue coat looks like it grew out of the tongue

- an unrooted tongue coat looks like you could scrape it off

Question 15

T or F: a quivering tongue is normal

Answer 15

false – could indicate an emotional or HT issue

Question 16

T or F: a deviated tongue could indicate wind

Answer 16

true

Question 17

is a normal tongue dry or moist?

Answer 17

moist

Question 18

what do distended sublingual veins indicate?

Answer 18

qi deficiency & qi stagnation

Question 19

what do dark purple sublingual veins indicate?

Answer 19

blood stasis

Question 20

what does an Excess Cold tongue look like? (body, coat, moisture)

Answer 20

• pale or blue body
• thick white coat
• overly moist or slippery

Question 21

what does an Excess Heat tongue look like? (body, coat, moisture)

Answer 21

• red or dark red body
• yellow coat
• dry

Question 22

what does a Blood Stasis tongue look like? (body, sublingual)

Answer 22

• purple body w/ purple or red spots

- dark purple sublingual veins

Question 23

what does a Damp (Cold or Heat) tongue look like?

Answer 23

slippery, greasy

Question 24

what does a Yin Deficiency tongue look like?

Answer 24

• red body (due to heat)
• no coat; possibly peeled
• dry (bc no fluids)
• if severe Yin Deficiency: mirror-like

Question 25

what does a Yang Deficiency tongue look like?

Answer 25

• pale body
• thin, white coat
• wet

Question 26

what does a Qi Deficiency tongue look like?

Answer 26

• pale body, maybe flabby
• if SP qi xu: scallops or tooth marks on sides
• if LU qi xu: swelling in anterior
• if ST qi xu: thinning of coat or coat w/o root
• if HT qi xu: pale body w/ swollen tip

Question 27

What does a Blood Deficiency tongue look like?

Answer 27

• pale body
• dry
• if severe Blood Deficiency: orange hue

Question 28

what does a Deficiency Cold tongue look like? (body, coat, moisture)

Answer 28

• pale body
• thin white coat
• overly moist (bc fluids aren’t being transformed)

Question 29

what does a Deficiency Heat tongue look like?

Answer 29

• red body
• no coat (bc Zheng Qi not strong enough)
• dry

Question 30

what are the geographic zones of the tongue, as related to the organs?

Answer 30

• tip of tongue – HT
• just beyond tip – LU
• middle of tongue – ST/SP
• sides of tongue – LV/GB
• back of tongue – KD, SI, LI, UB, uterus