Tongue
Diagnosis
POSITION
Tongue
Tip
Heart
Channel: Hand Shao Yin
luo
connecting channel link to the root of the tongue
Centre
of Tongue
Spleen
Channel: Foot Tai Yin
internal
branch spread over the surface of tongue.
SP
channel penetrate Tongue
Root
of Tongue
Bladder
Channel: Foot Tai Yang
branch
of muscle/sinew channel binds to the root of the tongue
San
Jiao Channel: Hand Shao Yang
branch
of SJ channel links with the root of the tongue
COLOR
of TONGUE
Normal
Pink
/ Light Red
Red
Deficient
Heat OR Excessive Heat
Red
with Yellow Thick Coating = Excessive Heat + Damp
Red
with Little / NO Coating = Deficient Heat
Red
Tip
Heat
@ Heart
Scarlet
Scarlet
+ Peeled/Shiny Coat = Heat by Yin Deficiency of Heart /Lung
Dark
Red
Internal
Heat, External Evil invade into Ying (nutritive) & Xue (blood)
Level
Blood
Stagnation
Dark
Red Spots + Thin Coat = Ying / Xue Level Damage
Dark
Red + Crack @ Tongue + Little/No Coating = Deficient Heat by Internal
Injury
Pale
Blood
/ Qi Deficienty OR Cold
Pale
+ Moist/ Tender / Swollen = Yang Deficiency (Cold)
Pale
+ Thin Body = Qi & Blood Deficiency
Bluish
Purple / Reddish Purple
purple
= Heat / Cold
reddish
purple = Heat & Blood Stagnation
bluish/greenish
purple = Cold & Blood Stagnation
dried
or no coating with dark reddish purple = fluid damage by excessive
heat
Green
Excessive
Yang Cold / Strong Evil attack Weak Zheng Qi
**
improper Yang can’t move Blood & Fluids = forms Stagnation **
White
Spots
SP &
ST Qi Deficiency + Excess Heat accumulation @ Body
possible
sores & pus
Black
Spots
Qi &
Blood Stagnation OR Heat @ Blood
**
TONGUE BODY **
STIFF
difficult
to move, speech difficulty, slur, mumble
Excess
condition, Damp Phlegm accumulation
Stiff
+ Bluish Purple body = potential / impending Wind-Stroke
Stiff
+ Bright Red body = Heat @ Heart & PC, disturb SHEN
Stiff
+ Thick Sticky Coating = Phlegm misting the Heart
FLACCID
drooping,
soft & hanging loosely, weak & no strength
Deficiency
Fluid
Damage by Deficient Heat OR Qi & Blood Deficiency
Flaccid
+ Pale = Qi & Blood Deficiency
Flaccid
+ Dark Red, Dry, Crack = Excessive Heat damage Fluid
Flaccid
+ Scarlet = Yin Exhaustion
SWOLLEN
enlarged
tongue = Excess OR Deficient
Swollen
+ Pale = Qi Deficiency
Swollen
+ Bright Red + Pain = Heat @ Heart & SP
ENLARGED
or BIG
Phlegm,
Damp, Water Stagnation
Enlarged
+ Pale + Moist Coating = SP & KD Yang Deficiency
Enlarged
+ Red + Greasy Yellow Coating = SP & ST Damp Heat
Half
Tongue Swollen
general
weakness of channels
Swelling
@ ONE SIDE
Local
Swelling + normal color = Qi Deficiency
Local
Swelling + Red = Qi or Blood Stagnation
SWOLLEN
@ LV / GB area
LV
Yang Rising or LV Fire
Swollen
btn Tip & Centre (LU area)
chronic
LU & SP Deficiency tends to become Damp & Phlegm Accumulation
Swollen
TIP
Heart
Problem
Swollen
Tip + Deep Red = Heart Fire
Swollen
Tip + Normal or Pale = HT Qi Deficiency
HAMMER
SHAPED
½
Front = Enlarged @ Side
Spleen,
Stomach, Kidney Deficiency
SERIOUS
condition, possible Mental suffering
SHORT
& Contracted
unable
to stick Tongue out
severe
condition
Short
+ Moist + Pale = Cold Stagnation @ Meridian OR SP Yang Deficiency
Short
+ Deep Red + Dry = Excessive Heat damage Body Fluids, form Internal
Wind
Short
+ Swollen + Tender + Pale = Qi & Blood Deficiency
LONG
Interior
Excess Heat, Heart fire, Phlegm Fire misting the Heart
possible
numbness
THIN
Qi &
Blood Deficiency
DEVIATED
tends
towards one side of the mouth
External
Wind attack or Internal Wind-Damp
TEETH
MARK
Spleen
Qi Deficiency
QUIVER/TREMBLING
Tongue
uncontrollable
trembling = External Febrile Disease OR Excessive Heat damange Yin
Excess
Heat form Internal Wind
Trembling
+ Deep Red = Excess Heat cause Internal Wind
Trembling
+ Pale = Chronic condition of Qi & Blood Deficiency
CRACK
Horizontal
crack = Yin Deficiency
Transverse
crack @ side = SP Qi Deficiency OR Yin Deficiency
Crack
@ Centre = MJ Deficiency
Crack
down Centre to Tip = Heart Pathology
Irregular
Crack = ST Yin Deficiency
reference
from Sacred Lotus Chinese Medicine Website