Traditional Chinese Medicine Diagnostic Signs Lecture

Comprehensive vocabulary terms and diagnostic associations from the lecture notes on Traditional Chinese Medicine signs for hair, movement, facial colors, skin, ears, nose, mouth, throat, and excretions.

Dry and withered hair

Indications of Blood deficiency

Losing hair easily

Indications of Essence deficiency

Sudden, localised hair loss

Indications of Qi and blood deficiency due to wind affection

Hair loss in youth or Premature greying

Indications of Kidney qi deficiency, heat in the blood, or Kidney deficiency

Dull, splitting hair

Indications of Lung deficiency

Excessive, jerky movements

Indications of Yang, heat, or excess

Lack of or slow movements

Indications of Yin, cold, or deficiency

Likes to lie down

Indications of Spleen dampness

Small, fidgety movements

Indications of Yin deficiency or deficiency heat

Tremors or convulsions

Indications of Internal wind (liver wind)

Rigid and stiff movements

Indications of Qi and blood stagnation, qi and blood deficiency, internal wind, or pathogenic cold

Paralysis

Indications of Internal wind

Green / Blue Five Elements Associations

Wood, Liver, Spring, Wind, and indications of Pain or Excess

Red Five Elements Associations

Fire, Heart, Summer, Heat/fire, and indications of Excess

Yellow Five Elements Associations

Earth, Spleen, Late summer, Dampness, and indications of Deficiency or pain

White Five Elements Associations

Metal, Lung, Autumn, Dryness, and indications of Pain

Black Five Elements Associations

Water, Kidney, Winter, Cold, and indications of Pain

Dark green or Dark blue green facial color

Indications of Cold

Sudden blue green facial color

Indications of Pain

Blue green/purple facial color

Indications of Stasis

Redness of the whole face

Indications of Excess heat

Red cheeks

Indications of Deficiency heat

Redness in a specific region

Indications of heat in the corresponding organ or channel

Pale, light yellow complexion

Indications of Spleen deficiency

Yellow and puffy complexion

Indications of Spleen dampness

Bright or orange yellow complexion

Indications of Dampness heat

Dull yellow complexion

Indications of Dampness cold

Bright white complexion

Indications of Yang deficiency

Pale or dull white complexion

Indications of Qi or blood deficiency

Bluish white complexion

Indications of Cold

Dark black and moist complexion

Indications of Kidney yang deficiency

Dry, scorched black complexion

Indications of Kidney yin deficiency

Purple black complexion

Indications of Blood stasis

Dry withered skin

Indications of Blood or fluid deficiency

Itchy skin

Indications of Internal wind

Jaundice

Indications of Dampness heat

Puffiness or vesicles

Indications of Dampness

Pitting oedema

Indications of kidney yang deficiency

Non pitting oedema

Indications of qi stagnation

Red or purple macules

Indications of heat in the blood

Blue or green macules

Indications of cold accumulation

Papules

Indications of heat in the lung or stomach

Blue venules

Indications of cold in blood

Long and full ear lobe

Indications of a strong constitution (kidney qi)

Thin and small ear lobe

Indications of a poor constitution (kidney qi)

Swollen ear

Presence of external pathogen (full pattern)

Thin ear

Indications of Qi and blood deficiency

Swelling and pain in the ear

Indications of Heat in the Shaoyang

Shiny or moist ear lobes

Indication of a good prognosis

Dry and withered ear lobes

Indication of a poor prognosis or kidney qi or yin exhaustion

Red nose tip

Indications of heat in the lung or spleen

White nose tip

Indications of blood deficiency

Yellow nose tip

Indications of dampness heat

Blue or green nose

Indications of abdominal pain

Grey nose tip

Indications of water congestion

Clear nasal discharge

Indications of external wind cold pattern

Thick yellow nasal discharge

Indications of external wind heat pattern

Flapping of the ala nasi (nostrils)

Indications of heat in the lung or qi exhaustion of the lung and kidney

Pale lips

Indications of blood deficiency

Slightly white lips

Indications of qi and blood vacuity

Blue or purplish lips

Indications of cold or blood stasis

Red, dry lips

Indications of stomach and spleen heat consuming body fluids

Green tinge around mouth

Indications of liver qi or blood stagnation

Deviated mouth

Indications of internal wind

Mouth breathing

Indications of lung qi deficiency

Salivation during sleep

Indications of spleen deficiency, dampness, or stomach heat

Painful swollen gums (may bleed)

Indications of stomach heat

Painless swollen gums (may bleed)

Indications of deficiency heat of stomach and kidney

Pale gums

Indications of blood deficiency

Dry teeth

Indications of kidney essence deficiency

Grinding of teeth

Indications of stomach heat

Swollen, restricted, painfully acute throat

Indications of wind heat invasion

Swollen, restricted, intensely painful throat with yellow or white spots

Indications of fire blazing in the stomach and lung

Sore, dry throat without swelling

Indications of deficiency heat

Thin, clear, and abundant saliva

Indications of cold in the spleen

Sticky, frequent production of saliva

Indications of dampness heat in spleen

Yellow, thick phlegm

Indications of a heat pattern

White, profuse, and easy to expectorate phlegm

Indications of damp phlegm or cold pattern

Purulent or blood streaked phlegm

Indications of heat in the lung or gallbladder

Clear, thin vomitus

Indications of a cold pattern

Yellow and bitter vomitus

Indications of gallbladder and stomach heat

Sour and smelly vomitus

Indications of stomach heat due to food retention

Loose, yellow, sticky stools

Indications of dampness heat in the intestine

Watery stools with undigested food

Indications of dampness cold

Dark red, purplish, or black stools

Indications of blood stasis or bleeding in higher GIT

Bright blood in stools

Indications of bleeding in the lower GIT

Clear and profuse urine

Indications of deficiency cold

Dark and scanty urine

Indications of a heat pattern

Cloudy urine

Indications of dampness due to spleen or kidney deficiency