If the eyes are the window to the soul, the tongue is the window to the body, at least in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The tongue is to TCM what a stethoscopeis to Western medicine.
For at least 3,000 years, tongue diagnosis has provided a simple yet highly effective diagnostic tool.
When you stick out your tongue, a TCM practitioner takes note of the following:
The coating on top of the tongue, the color, size of the crack, bumps, saliva levels…The tongue represents in TCM theory a map of the organs and meridian system.
A normal tongue looks pretty in pink, with minimal or no crack in the middle, a normal amount of saliva, no sores and a minimal amount of white coating.
One of the most common TCM diagnoses is dampness retention, which manifests as bloating, lethargy and a feeling of heaviness, to name a few symptoms. A tongue indicative of this TCM pattern appears a bit swollen with a thick white greasy coating.
When someone is hot-headed and angry, their tongue is a reflection of their emotions. In TCM theory, frequent anger is a sure-fire sign of damp heat, which can also be caused by eating lots of heavily-cooked meats (barbecue) as well as cold foods and drinks (ice cream, beer, soda). Besides having a beet-red tongue, a tell-tale sign of Damp Heat is a yellowish, greasy coating. Other manifestations of this pattern include skin problems and urinary tract infections.
Just like in weather patterns, heat can accompany damp conditions or dry ones. The TCM pattern of “Heat” is associated with the dryness, which not surprisingly manifests as thirst, as well as constipation. A tongue indicative of Heat pattern is also red but with a thinner yellow coating than Damp Heat.
Yin Deficiency essentially means the body’s cooling engine isn’t working. That’s why night sweats and hot flashes are common symptoms of this TCM pattern. The Yin Deficiency tongue appears bright red. Cracks may be present all over the tongue, not just in the middle of the organ. There’s also very little or no coating.
While purple might be an attractive color elsewhere in nature, say, on a flower, on a tongue, it’s an indication of a serious issue with blood circulation. Unfortunately, because of the prevalence of sedentary lifestyles coupled with lack of exercise, many people have purple tongues with black spots, sure signs of blood stasis.
The hallmark symptom of this pattern is tiredness. And a Qi Deficiency tongue mirrors the lack of vibrancy. The tongue appears pale with a thin white coating.
If Yin Deficiency is a lack of cooling energy, a deficiency of yang energy is the opposite. If you feel cold even if the weather is pleasant, you may have this pattern. A Yang Deficiency tongue is pale. A thick white coating lines the top of the tongue with this pattern. Other physical manifestations of this pattern include back pain and a pale complexion.
The paleness of a Blood Deficiency tongue is accompanied by an absence of a coating. This pattern arises when not enough Blood is manufactured, a condition caused by Spleen Qi Deficiency. Spleen is the organ in TCM that transforms nutrients from food into Qi energy and Blood. Poor cognitive function, dizziness, fatigue and insomnia are common manifestations of this pattern.
When energy is stuck in one or more organ systems, this is indicative of Qi Stagnation. With this pattern, the tongue appears normal in the back three-quarters of the muscle (yes, the tongue is technically a muscle). But the tip and first quarter closest to the entrance of the mouth is bright red. Stress and emotional instability cause this pattern.
So what TCM tongue do you have? If you don’t have a normal tongue, no need to panic. Chinese herbs and Acupuncture may help restore balance in your body, and one day, you may enjoy sticking your pink, crack-free tongue out. In the meantime, visit our Eastland Acupuncture Clinic where you’ll find natural herbal formulas for these TCM patterns.
