Tongue

Question 1

Pale

Answer 1

• Deficiency

- Cold syndrome - caused by def of Yang or Qi/Blood

Question 2

Red

Answer 2

• Heat syndrome

- Interior excess or deficiency

Question 3

Deep Red

Answer 3

Extreme Heat

- Exogenous - Pathogenic heat in Ying/Blood levels
- Endogenous - Yin deficiency leading to fire

Question 4

Purple

Answer 4

• Blue purple - blood stasis due to cold or heat
• Deep blue purple - Blood stasis due to heat
• Pale purple, moist - Blood stasis due to cold
• Purplish spots - blood stasis

Question 5

Swollen

Answer 5

• Whole
  
  • Delicate in quality, pale in color, teeth marks - SP or KD Yang deficiency producing harmful water
  • Deep red in color, occupying the entire space of mouth - excessive heat in the HT or SP
  • Blue-purplish, dark - Toxicosis
• Partial
  
  • Edges - SP Qi/Yang def
  • Sides - LV Yang excess or LV fire
  • Tip - HT Fire (red color)
  • Along central crack - HT Qi Def - normal color
  • Half of tongue - weakness of channels
  • Localized one side - Def/Stag in chest
  • Half surface - LU Qi def
  • Hammer shaped - Serious def of SP/ST/KD

Question 6

Thin

Answer 6

• Pale - Qi and blood def

- Deep red, dry - Fire due to Yin def

Question 7

Cracked

Answer 7

General

- Deep red - excess heat
- Pale - blood def
- Normal - Not deep and remain there all the time unchanged

Specific

- Horizontal - Yin def
- Ice Floes - Yin def from aging
- Irregular - ST Yin def
- Transverse - SP Qi/Yin def
- Vertical center - SP Qi def
- Long vertical - HT, emotional disorder
- Transverse (LU) - Prior LU disease or present LU Yin def
- Deep + small - KD Yin def heat

Question 8

Thorny

Answer 8

• Red - Internal accumulation of pathogenic heat

- Severity - More severe pathogenic heat will result in more severe thorns

Question 9

Deviated

Answer 9

Wind stroke - early signs warning sign of wind stroke

Question 10

Rigid

Answer 10

Exogenous

- Invasion of the PC by heat
- Retention of Turbid-Phlegm in the interior
- Excessive pathogenic heat consuming body fluids

Endogenous
-Wind stroke or early signs

Question 11

Flaccid

Answer 11

Pale
-Extreme Qi and blood def
Deep red
-Consumption of yin fluids

Question 12

Quivering

Answer 12

• Pale body - SP qi def, HT and SP collapse
• Red body - Extreme Heat generating internal wind
• Pale and thin - Yang collapse

Question 13

Thick/Thin

Answer 13

Thick - Deeper progression - retention of damp or food

Thin - Superficial portion - Def of anti pathogenic Qi

Question 14

Moist/Dry

Answer 14

Dry - Consumption of body fluids, excess heat or yin def-heat

Excessive moisture, saliva dribbles (slippery) - Harmful water and Damp

Question 15

Sticky/Granular

Answer 15

Sticky (hard to scrubs, greasy) - Retention of damp, phlegm or food

Granular (coarse and soybean curds, easily scrubbed, pasty) - excessive Yang heat brings turbid ST Qi upward, retention of phlegm or food

Question 16

Peeled

Answer 16

Partially - geographic - consumption of ST Qi and Yin

Entire (mirror, glossy) - exhaustion of ST yin, severe damage of ST Qi

Question 17

White

Answer 17

Thin - exterior cold or normal

Thick - Interior cold

Question 18

Yellow

Answer 18

Interior Heat - Deeper yellow coating indicates more severe heat
light - mild heat
deep - severe heat
burnt - accumulation of heat

Question 19

Grey

Answer 19

Yellowish and dry - interior excess heat
Whitish and moist - retention of cold or damp
Progression - Can develop to grayish or black

Question 20

Black

Answer 20

Extreme interior condition - extreme heat or extreme cold
Prior coating - usually a progression from grey or yellow
Yellowish and dry, possibly with thorns - extreme heat
Pale and slippery - excessive cold due to Yang def