Have you ever wondered why we are looking so closely at your tongue during your appointment with us?
In Chinese Medicine, we use the tongue to help guide us to your diagnosis. We look at the shape, the colour, the texture, the motility, and the coating. This is why it is so important you don’t clean your tongue right before seeing us; you might be erasing some diagnostic evidence!
If you are completely healthy your tongue will be light red in colour, it will have a thin, moist, and clear coating, it will be soft and flexible with a uniform shape and smooth sides. Anything less may indicate something is off in the body. Here are some examples we look out for and what they tell us about your condition:
| Tongue Quality | Indication | Common Accompanying Symptoms |
| Swollen tongue shape | Phlegm-damp | Expectorating coughArthritisFoggy in the morning heavy feeling in the limbs plus |
| Scalloped tongue shape | Spleen qi deficiency and Dampness | BloatingFatigueFoggy in the morning heavy feeling in the limbsExcessive mucousLoss of appetite nausea |
| Thin tongue shape | Qi and blood deficiency or deficient type heat | FatigueCatches colds easilyPalpitationsHair lossPoor memory and/or concentration |
| Pale tongue body | Yang and/or blood deficiency | Easily cold/gets chillsIrregular menstruation could hands and feet |
| Purple tongue body | Blood stagnation | Body achesDysmenorrhoea (period pain)Varicose veinsIrregular menstruation heart palpitations |
| Redder tongue body | Heat (can be excess or deficient type) | Cough (often dry)Hot flushesConstipationIncreased thirst |
| Crimson tongue Body | Chronic conditions with extreme heat or ‘fire’ | Extreme thirstFeverAversion to heat |
| Large midline crack | Stomach heat | ConstipationDiarrhoeaBleeding gumsNausea |
| Strawberry dots | Heat | Cough (often dry)Hot flushesConstipationIncreased thirstYellow mucous |
| Trembling tongue | Wind | Common coldGreen mucousSeizures (extreme cases of internal wind)Stroke (extreme cases of internal wind) |
| Stiff tongue | Pericardium heat | Mental confusion Cold hands and feet but hot feeling in bodyFever |
| Limp tongue | Qi and blood deficiency | FatigueCatches colds easilyPalpitationsCold hands and feetHair lossPoor memory and/or concentration |
| Yellow tongue coating | Heat | Cough (often dry)Hot flushesConstipationIncreased thirstYellow mucous |
| White tongue coating | Cold | CoughChillsWhite mucous |
| Black tongue coating | Extremely deficient yin (dry) or yang (moist) | InsomniaExtreme thirstChillsFatigueLethargy |
| Thick tongue coating | Pathogen is deep in the body | Chronic illness |
| Thin tongue coating | Syndrome is mild or pathogen is still in the superficial stage | Acute illness |
| Scanty tongue coat/dry | Yin deficiency | ThirstyDry coughDry stoolsDry skinInsomnia |
| Greasy tongue coating | Damp accumulation | Expectorating coughFoggy in the morning heavy feeling in the limbsPusBloating |
Please remember that sometimes in Chinese Medicine the terminology we use can sound scarier when put through a western medicine lens. For example, what I call blood stagnation may sound like I mean you have a clot but in reality, we use this term to describe someone who’s circulation could be improved or who is experiencing pain caused by injury.
Just because your tongue has one of the qualities above does not necessarily mean you will get all or even any of the symptoms listed. This table is designed to increase your knowledge, not to alarm you so please, if you have any questions or concerns, reach out to us! We are always happy to answer your questions, try my email: eve@rebalancetcm.com or our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Rebalancetcm
Dr Eve (TCM) is now in the clinic Tuesday AND Thursday afternoons so use the link below to book in 😊
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