Tongue Indications

Question 1

Pale
Small, dry body
Thin, white coating

Answer 1

Qi and Blood Deficiency

Pathogenesis:
Deficiency of Qi and Blood fails to fill the tongue vessels and nourish the tongue

Question 2

Crimson
Dry, small body
No coating

Answer 2

Internal Yin Deficiency / Exhaustion

Pathogenesis:
When Yin is deficient or exhausted the blood will concentrate leading to a deeper red color

Question 3

Red
Tough body
Thick, yellow coating

Answer 3

Heat Syndrome - Internal Excess

Pathogenesis:
Heat in body causes Qi and Blood to overfill the vessels of the tongue with fresh red color

Question 4

Red
Small body with or w/o fissures
No coating

Answer 4

Heat Syndrome - Internal Deficiency

Pathogenesis:
Heat in body causes Qi and blood to overfill the vessels of the tongue with fresh red color

Question 5

Red tip/red tongue edge

Thin, yellow coating

Answer 5

Heat Syndrome - External

Pathogenesis:
Heat in body causes Qi and Blood to overfill the vessels of the tongue with fresh red color

Question 6

Crimson
Dry body
Dry coating

Answer 6

Exogenous Febrile Disease

Pathogenesis:
Pathogenic Heat invades the Nutritive and Blood levels, consumes th Blood and Body Fluids which concentrates the Blood leading to a darker color

Question 7

Crimson w/ purple hue

Thin, moist coating

Answer 7

Internal Blood Stagnation

Pathogenesis:
Blood stagnation leads to a slower flow of Blood which then accumulated and produces a deeper color

Question 8

Pale
Moist body
Thick, white coating

Answer 8

Cold Syndrome

Pathogenesis:
Cold causes Blood vessels in the tongue to constrict which prevents Blood from entering the tongue

Question 9

Pale
Flabby, moist body
Thin, white coating

Answer 9

Yang Deficiency

Pathogenesis:
Deficiency of Yang fails to lift Qi and Blood up to tongue

Question 10

Purple/Blue-Purple (Pale)
Moist
White coating

Answer 10

Blood Deficiency

Pathogenesis:
Invasion of exopathogenic Heat, Cold, or Damp. Or internal pathogenic changes can both lead to the stagnation of Qi and Blood which accumulated in or overfills the vessels giving rise to the purple color

Question 11

Purple/Blue-Purple (Pale)

Dry body

Answer 11

Blood Stagnation

Pathogenesis:
Invasion of exopathogenic Heat, Cold, or Damp. Or internal pathogenic changes can both lead to the stagnation of Qi and Blood which accumulated in or overfills the vessels giving rise to the purple color

Question 12

Purple/Blue-Purple (Pale)
Moist body
White coating

Answer 12

Internal Cold

Pathogenesis:
Invasion of exopathogenic Heat, Cold, or Damp. Or internal pathogenic changes can both lead to the stagnation of Qi and Blood which accumulated in or overfills the vessels giving rise to the purple color

Question 13

Purple/Red-Purple
Dry body
Yellow coating

Answer 13

Extreme Heat

Pathogenesis:
Invasion of exopathogenic Heat, Cold, or Damp. Or internal pathogenic changes can both lead to the stagnation of Qi and Blood which accumulated in or overfills the vessels giving rise to the purple color

Question 14

Dark red-purple

Greasy coating

Answer 14

Phlegm Damp

Pathogenesis:
Invasion of exopathogenic Heat, Cold, or Damp. Or internal pathogenic changes can both lead to the stagnation of Qi and Blood which accumulated in or overfills the vessels giving rise to the purple color

Question 15

Dark red-purple

No coating

Answer 15

Yin Exhaustion

Pathogenesis:
Invasion of exopathogenic Heat, Cold, or Damp. Or internal pathogenic changes can both lead to the stagnation of Qi and Blood which accumulated in or overfills the vessels giving rise to the purple color

Question 16

Dark red-purple

Dry coating

Answer 16

Alcohol Toxin

Pathogenesis:
Invasion of exopathogenic Heat, Cold, or Damp. Or internal pathogenic changes can both lead to the stagnation of Qi and Blood which accumulated in or overfills the vessels giving rise to the purple color

Question 17

Blue (entire tongue)

Glossy coating

Answer 17

Cold Accumulation

Pathogenesis:
Natural color is blue-green vessels. Pathogenic Cold Attack can cause blood vessels spasms and Blood stagnation. With the absence of the flow of red Blood the blue color of the vessels appears

Question 18

Blue (sides of tongue)
Possible:
Dry mouth with dislike of swallowing water
Dry coating

Answer 18

Blood Stagnation

Pathogenesis:

Natural color is blue-green vessels. Pathogenic Cold Attack can cause blood vessels spasms and Blood stagnation. With the absence of the flow of red Blood the blue color of the vessels appears

Question 19

Pale
Small, dry body
Thin, white coating

Answer 19

Qi and Blood Deficiency

Pathogenesis:
Deficiency of Qi and Blood fails to fill the tongue vessels and nourish the tongue

Question 20

Crimson
Dry, small body
No coating

Answer 20

Internal Yin Deficiency/Exhaustion

Pathogenesis:
When Yin is deficient or exhausted, the Blood will become more concentrated which gives it a deeper red color

Question 21

Tongue body color indicates:

Answer 21

Conditions of Blood, Nutritive Qi and Yin organs

Reflects conditions of Heat and Cold, Yin and Yang

Question 22

Tongue body shape indicates:

Answer 22

The state of Blood and Nutritive Qi

Reflects conditions of Excess or Deficiency

Question 23

Tongue coating indicates:

Answer 23

State of the Yang organs

Reflects conditions of Heat or Cold, Excess or Deficiency

Question 24

Tongue moisture indicates:

Answer 24

State of the Body Fluids

Question 25

Pale tongue color indicates:

Answer 25

Deficiency of Yang (slightly too wet) Deficiency of Blood (somewhat dry) At sides: Liver-Blood deficiency Pale/orange: severe Liver-Blood deficiency

Question 26

Red tongue body indicates:

Answer 26

Heat With coating: Full-Heat (Excess Yang; pathogenic factor) No coating: Empty-Heat (Deficient Yin) Red tip w/ coating: Heart-Fire Red tip w/o coating: HT Empty-Heat Red sides w/ coating: Liver-Fire or GB Heat Red sides w/o coating: Liver-Yin deficiency with Empty-Heat Red center w/ coating: ST Heat Red center w/o coating: ST Empty-Heat Red points on tip: HT-Fire Red points on sides: Liver-Fire Red spots on Root: Heat in Lower Burner Red points around center: ST Heat

Question 27

Crimson tongue color indicates:

Answer 27

Severe Heat Same clinical significance as Red tongue but more severe

Question 28

Purple tongue color indicates:

Answer 28

Stasis of Blood Red-Purple: Heat and Blood stagnation - Develops from Red tongue At sides: Liver-Boood stasis Blue-Purple: Cold and Blood stagnation - Develops from Pale tongue At sides (female): Blood Stagnation in UT Purple at center: Blood stasis in ST

Question 29

Blue tongue color indicates:

Answer 29

Interior Cold giving rise to Blood Stagnation

Question 30

Thin tongue body shape indicates:

Answer 30

And pale: Blood Deficiency And red w/o coating: Yin Deficiency

Question 31

Swollen tongue body shape indicates:

Answer 31

Dampness or Phlegm! Partially swollen: Heat And red at tip: severe HT-Fire And red at sides: LV-Fire And pale at sides: SP Deficiency At front third: Phlegm in Lungs

Question 32

Stiff tongue body indicates:

Answer 32

Interior Wind or Blood Stagnation

Question 33

Flaccid tongue body indicates:

Answer 33

Deficiency of Body Fluids

Question 34

Long tongue body indicates:

Answer 34

Heat, HT-Heat

Question 35

Short tongue body indicates:

Answer 35

Pale and wet: Interior Cold Red and peeled: Severe Yin Deficiency

Question 36

Cracked tongue body indicates:

Answer 36

Full-Heat or Yin Deficiency Short horizontal or vertical cracks: ST Yin Deficiency Long midline crack to tip: Heart pattern Shallow wide crack in midline not to tip: ST Yin Deficiency Short traverse cracks at sides, middle section: chronic SP Qi or SP Yin deficiency

Question 37

Quivering tongue body indicates:

Answer 37

SP Qi deficiency

Question 38

Deviated tongue body indicates:

Answer 38

Interior Wind

Question 39

Toothmarked tongue body indicates:

Answer 39

SP Qi deficiency

Question 40

Tongue coating gives an indication of:

Answer 40

The presence or absence of a pathogenic factor and of its strength: exterior Wind, Dampness (interior or exterior), Cold, retention of food, Phlegm, Heat, Fire Thick coating: presence of pathogenic factor and thicker the coating, the stronger the pathogenic factor W/o root: ST Qi deficiency Partially peeled: ST Yin deficiency Completely peeled: ST/KI Yin deficiency Completely peeled and red: KI Yin deficiency with Empty Heat White: Cold pattern Yellow: Heat pattern Grey/black, wet: extreme Cold Grey/black, dry: extreme Heat