Tongue Inspection Flashcards

Flashcards for reviewing key concepts related to tongue inspection in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

What are the main components assessed during a Tongue Inspection?

Property, Vitality, Color, Shape, Motility, Coating (Color, Thickness, Humidity, Property, Distribution, Peeling off of the lingual coating), Rooted and superficial changes

Give the rationales of Tongue Inspection

1) The tongue is the opening of Heart, which is the chief of all internal organs. 2) The tongue is connected with Kidney. Spleen, and liver according to the Theory of Meridians: besides. Governor. Vessel Meridian links up with the tongue. 3) The coating of the tongue is an outward exhibition of Stomach Energy.

Where are the general distributions of internal organs on the Tongue?

Tip: Upper Jiao (Ht, Lu); Root: Lower Jiao (Kid); Mid Part: Mid Jiao (Sp, St); Edge: GB, Lv

Describe a Normal Tongue

Light red with thin, white, and moist coating covered on the surface evenly. The Tongue body can move voluntarily.

What does a pale tongue indicate?

Deficiency of Qi and Blood

What does a red tongue indicate?

Heat Syndrome

What does red on the tip of the tongue indicate?

Flaming up of Heart Fire

What does red on the lateral sides of the tongue indicate?

Liver/Gallbladder Fire

What does red on the middle of the tongue indicate?

Damage of Stomach Yin

What does red tongue with blood spots indicate?

Pericardium Heat

What does a red tongue with petechia indicate?

Blood Stasis

What does a bright red tongue indicate?

Extreme Heat in epidemic febrile disease or Deficiency of Yin in consumptive disease

What does a crimson or deep red tongue indicate?

Exuberance of Heat or the Nutrient System has been invaded

What does a crimson or deep red tongue with sticky and greasy coating indicate?

Turbidity is involved in the disease

What does a crimson or deep red tongue with yellowish white coating indicate?

Warm evil has not left Qi level completely

What does a crimson or deep red tongue with dry surface in the middle part indicate?

Exuberance of Stomach Fire and the exhaustion of body fluids

What does a bright crimson tongue indicate?

Pericardium is invaded

What does a glossy crimson tongue indicate?

Depletion of Stomach Yin

What does a dim crimson tongue that is dried and withered indicate?

Depletion of Kidney Yin

What does a purple and tumid tongue indicate?

Offending of the Heart by alcoholic toxin

What does a dim purple tongue generally indicate?

Blood stasis

What does a moist, slippery, purple tongue indicate?

Yin syndrome

What does a purple tongue with dry and yellow coating indicate?

Long-detained Heat

What does a blue tongue indicate?

Extremely cold or extremely heat condition

Solid, dark colored appearance means what?

Excess syndrome

Tender, light colored tongue appearance means what?

Deficiency syndrome

What does a stiff tongue indicate?

Apoplexy, High fever with impaired consciousness, Fluid depletion

What does a plump tongue or a tongue with teeth prints indicate?

Water infiltration, Excessive Phlegm due to Spleen deficiency, Accumulation of dampness-Heat

What does a thin, emaciated, shriveled tongue indicate?

Heart deficiency, Blood deficiency, Internal heat damaged Yin

What does a swollen, stiff tongue that is red or purple in color and without pain indicate?

Hyperactivity of Heart Fire, Accumulation of heat in Heart and Spleen

What does a shortened, contracted tongue with inability to protrude indicate?

Cold, heat, dampness, or phlegm

What does a curled tongue with ascended testes indicate?

Complete exhaustion of Liver Meridian Energy, Terminal stage of an acute febrile disease, Severe cerebral vascular accidents

What does a glossy tongue without coating or mirrorlike tongue indicate?

Extreme exhaustion of Stomach Yin

What do sores sunken below the lingual surface usually indicate?

Flaring up of deficiency fire due to the deficiency of Liver/Kidney Yin

What do sores jutting on the lingual surface usually indicate?

Upward attack of Heart Fire

What does a wry (deviated) tongue indicate?

Apoplexy, Epidemic meningitis, Encephalitis B

What does a tremor of the tongue indicate?

Internal wind or alcoholism

What does a sluggish tongue or retracted tongue indicate?

Obstruction of Heart Aperture by Phlegm, Depletion of Yin by Heat, apoplexy, epidemic meningitis, encephalitis B, and their sequela.

What does playing with the tongue usually indicate?

Morbid condition, exuberance of Heat in Heart and Spleen generally. Also an omen of convulsion and poor mental development in infants.

What does a wagging tongue in children usually indicative of?

Cerebral hypoplasia or Febrile disease when CNS is involved.

What does a flaccid tongue with weak and unable to curl and protrude usually indicate?

The extreme exhaustion of Qi and Blood, The depletion of Yin and fluid.

What does a numb tongue, ineffective usually indicate?

Deficiency of both Qi and Blood.