wk6 - tongue coat

Question 1

which changes more quickly: tongue coat or tongue body?

Answer 1

tongue coat

Question 2

tongue coat changes more quickly in acute or chronic situations? give an example.

Answer 2

acute situations, like external invasion of wind-cold or wind-heat

Question 3

describe a normal tongue coat

Answer 3

• thin, white, moist
• contiguous, evenly distributed (though thinner in front and thicker in back)
• rooted (equivalent of spirited)
• generally not much coating on sides

Question 4

if a patient’s tongue coat moves from the tip to the center over a period of one day or several hours, what does this indicate?

Answer 4

• disease process moving from exterior to interior (since the tongue coat progression has a rapid onset & quick progression)
• tip of tongue represents exterior; center represents interior

Question 5

if a patient’s tongue coat moves from the sides to the center over a period of one day or several hours, what does this indicate?

Answer 5

• disease process moving from exterior to interior (since the tongue coat progression has a rapid onset & quick progression)
• sides of tongue represent exterior; center represents interior

Question 6

what does a tongue coat on only the LEFT side indicate?

Answer 6

LV pathology

Question 7

what does a tongue coat on only the RIGHT side indicate?

Answer 7

• Shao Yang disorder (half-exterior & half-interior)

- or GB pathology

Question 8

what pathology is associated with WHITE tongue fur?

Answer 8

normal or cold

Question 9

what pathology is associated with YELLOW tongue fur?

Answer 9

heat

Question 10

what pathology is associated with BLACK or GREY tongue fur?

Answer 10

extreme heat (though be careful, this is not necessarily excess)

Question 11

what pathology is associated with NO tongue fur?

Answer 11

yin vacuity

Question 12

how would the tongue coat progress from early stage, to middle stage, to late stage yin vacuity?

Answer 12

• dry (early stage yin vacuity)
• thin, yellow, dry, red or scarlet body, horizontal lines (middle stage yin vacuity / heat signs)
• no coat, scarlet body, center line with horizontal cracks off it (late stage yin vacuity)

Question 13

what does THICKNESS of tongue coat indicate?

Answer 13

strength of pathogen

Question 14

what does THINNESS of tongue coat indicate?

Answer 14

weakness of patient

Question 15

if coat distribution is THICKER in the center, what does this indicate?

Answer 15

ST/SP excess (pathogen is strong)

Question 16

if coat distribution is THINNER in the center, what does this indicate?

Answer 16

ST/SP deficiency (patient is weak)

Question 17

what pathology is associated with GREASY or TURBID tongue coats?

Answer 17

• damp or phlegm (excess pathology)
• sometimes could be a deficiency which shows up as excess (e.g. ST/SP vacuity presenting as a depression in center, with a greasy coat over it)

Question 18

what pathology is associated with a MOLDY tongue?

Answer 18

• damp or phlegm (probably a longer term chronic condition than a greasy/turbid coat)
• usu. ST heat
• or chronic damp

Question 19

T or F: there are generally not many changes in the HT location in terms of tongue coat

Answer 19

true

Question 20

T or F: changes in tongue coat in the LU location are common

Answer 20

true

Question 21

what do changes in tongue coat in the GB location (right side) indicate?

Answer 21

• Shao Yang disorder

- LV/GB damp presentation

Question 22

what do changes in tongue coat on BOTH SIDES indicate?

Answer 22

LV/GB presentation, usu. with yellowish and greasy coat

Question 23

do ST pathologies present quickly or slowly on the tongue coat?

Answer 23

quickly, bc the ST is directly related to fluids & tongue coat

Question 24

what do changes in tongue coat in the LOWER JIAO indicate?

Answer 24

• lower jiao damp heat presenting as thick, greasy, yellow in back (e.g. UTI, diarrhea)
• or UB, SI, LI issues (damp turbidity moving down)
• KD yin vacuity (usu. starts with peeling)
• KD yang vacuity (at first thicker white coat due to failure of transformation; over time phlegm)

Question 25

what does variable tongue coat color, or a combination of two colors indicate?

Answer 25

• possibly a mixed condition

- most likely you’re witnessing a transformation

Question 26

what pathology is associated with a BLACK tongue coat?

Answer 26

extreme hot or extreme cold

Question 27

what pathology is associated with WHITE HOT tongue coat that looks dry & powdery?

Answer 27

• heat (although usu. heat is yellow and white is cold)

- tip: think of white hot state of a burning log