Tongue/Pulse/Complexion Flashcards
diagnostic methods
looking
hearing
asking
pulse/palp
tongue
what to observe when looking?
body condition
complexion
mobility
shen
tongue
what to observe when hearing/smelling
tone of voice
communication
breathing
odour
asking
ask how you can help them
focus on their main symptoms
history of their complaint
ask about general health
medical history
medications
treating critical patient
complaint
symptoms
tongue and pulse
if an area is hot
inflammation
if an area is cold
qi xu or internal cold
if an area is swollen
dampness
if area is tender
qi/xue stagnation
when to take tongue and pulse
after consultation, when patient is settled
what does the pulse tell
condition of zang, fu, qi and xue
six pulse positions reflect
the 12 meridians (zangfu pair)
tendons, blood, eyes pathology
liver imbalance
muscle, mouth
spleen imbalance
sinus, skin
lung imbalance
ear, bones
kidney imbalance
tongue, blood vessel
heart
dry eyes
liver blood / yin syndrome. always consider the root of the issue
in order to make a diagnosis
ask your patient what is normal for them
consider the person as a whole
avoid assumptions
when in doubt
trust the tongue and pulse
which channel spreads over the surface of the tongue
spleen primary channel
eyes are dull
complexion is grey
body is soft
slow responses
lack of vitality
severe mental health illness
severe loss of essence and qi
loss of vitality
more severe than lack of vitality
reasons for loss of vitality
decline in essence
excessive pathogens
complexion colour-red
heart fire excess
seen at cheeks and nose
heat syndrome
complexion colour - blue
heart fire imbalance
sudden shock/trauma
cold syndrome or pain
seen around the mouth
complexion colour - green
liver wood imbalance
migraines
seen on the temples
complexion colour - white
lung metal imbalance
cold or xu syndrome
seen on whole face
complexion colour - yellow
spleen earth imbalance
suggests spleen (qi) xu
bright-yang
dull-yin
complexion colour - black
indicates kidney syndrome
blood stagnation/xu
dark circles - kidney or liver xu
if a person always leans forward while sitting
lung syndrome
texture of sputum shows
if still at a damp stage, or if thicker at phlegm stage
excessive saliva
due to spleen xu and cold in spleen and stomach
looking at vomit tells us
how well stomach qi is breaking down food
how well liver qi is controlling flow of qi
normal stool
is yellow, cylindrical and well formed
variation indicates imbalance internal temp and ZF
watery stool
spleen dysfunction
usually due to excessive cold/raw foods
foul smelling stool
indicates damp heat in stomach/large intestine
normal urine
light yellow and clear
naturally lightens in winter and darker in summer
tongue regions - root of tongue
kidney at the sides root, bladder and intestines in the center root
tongue regions-sidewalls of tongue
liver and gallbladder
tongue regions - direct middle of tongue
spleen on top, stomach bottom
tongue regions - tip of tongue
very tip is heart, just above is lungs
the existence and disappearance of tongue coating shows
the condition of stomach qi
if tongue coating suddenly thickens
suggests pathogenic factor moving into the interior body
if tongue coating suddenly peels
indicates abundance of pathogenic factor and decline of healthy qi
things that can change tongue coating
lighting, food, drink, meds, lifestyle
long term meds (especially antibiotics) make tongue coating look
black and greasy
healthy tongue coating should be
white, thin and dry but with lustre
if you can see the tongue body, coating is
thin
if you cant see tongue body, coating is
thick
thick coating indicates
pathogenic factors, prolonged disease, retention of phlegm
if thin coating becomes thick
suggests disease is worsening
if thick coating becomes thin
suggests vital qi is strengtheing against pathogen
peeled coating indicates
xu of yin (area of organ)
peeled all over-severe exhaustion of yin
slippery (moist) coating indicates
cold or damp syndrome
dry coating with no fluid indicates
heat pathogen consuming body fluid OR false heat
curdy coating indicates
excess heat rising, steams up turbid stomach qi
swollen tongue indicates
retention of fluid or phlegm, usually pale due to yang xu
teethmarks tongue indicates
spleen qi xu, just like swollen tongue
thin/small tongue indicates
qi and blood xu of heart and spleen
cracked tongue indicates
essence and blood xu
all cracks mean the same thing
trembling tongue indicates
qi and blood xu
consumption of body fluid
moving tongue indicates
heat in the heart and spleen
short tongue indicates
internal cold, qi and blood xu
prickled tongue indicates
excess toxic heat
sublingual veins indicate
circulation of qi and blood
where is CunKou pulse taken
radial side of each wrist
what does CunKou pulse reflect
actions of ZangFu organs
balance between 3 jiao
take the pulse of your patient
with your opposite hand
pulse is measured in
beats per patient breath
regular paced pulse is measured at
4 beats per patient breath
four elements of pulse taking
location
speed
consistency
power
pediatric pulse is taken
at the same location but with one finger instead of three - hold the childs hand
children under 3 pulse
use index finger and look at veins
children 6-8 yrs pulse
take pulse using your thumb
children 10+ yrs pulse
take pulse as adult
pulse can be affected by
menstruation
pregnancy
season
geography
age
body build
pale tongue indicates
qi and blood xu
red tongue indicates
excess heat syndrome
crimson tongue indicates
intense heat pathogen
heat in blood, heart and stomach
purple tongue indicates
stagnation of qi and blood
may be due to cold or heat
blue tongue indicates
reduced blood circulation
orange tongue indicates
liver blood xu
white tongue coating
normal unless thick
yellow tongue coating
indicates heat
grey tongue coating
indicates serious disease, chronic illness of digestive tract, dehydration
black tongue coating
indicates critical stage of disease
indicates extreme internal hot or cold
root of illness
primary aspect - syndrome which came first
branch of illness
secondary aspect(s) - syndromes occur because of initial imbalance
