Tongue Diagnosis Flashcards
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Questions and Answers

What lighting is best for tongue diagnosis?

Natural light

How long should the patient hold their tongue out for?

15-20 seconds

Order of observation of the tongue?

Body colour, Body shape, Coating, Moisture, Shén

What do the tongue body color indicate?

<p>Heat or cold, Yin or Yang deficiency (xu)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What do the tongue shape indicate?

<p>Xu (Deficiency), Shi (Excess)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What do the tongue coating indicate?

<p>Fu (Stomach qi), Heat/cold, Xu/Shi (Deficiency/Excess)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does tongue moisture level indicate?

<p>State of body fluids, Cold/heat conditions, Yang deficiency, Yin deficiency</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the Shèn of the tongue indicate?

<p>No Shén (dull) = poor prognosis, With Shén (lustre) = good prognosis</p> Signup and view all the answers

In general, what do the tongue body color and tongue coating indicate respectively?

<p>Body colour = Zang, Tongue coating = Fu</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the thickness of a tongue coating indicate?

<p>Strength of pathogenic factor or weakness of body's qi, state of the Fu</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the root of the tongue coating indicate?

<p>Strength of the body's Kidney and Stomach qi</p> Signup and view all the answers

Describe a normal tongue following the order of tongue inspection.

<p>Body colour is pale red, Body shape is thin, not swollen, not stiff or flabby; without cracks, Coating is thin and white, Moisture is slightly moist, Shen is with shen; fresh, radiant, brilliant</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is indicated by a Heart heat/fire?

<p>Heart heat/fire</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is indicated by Lung heat?

<p>Lung heat</p> Signup and view all the answers

What can be diagnosed from analyzing the chest/breast area of the tongue?

<p>Heart, Lungs, or breasts in females</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which parts of the body are affected for each image? (Select all that apply)

<p>Stomach/Spleen</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which parts of the body are affected for each image? (Select all that apply)

<p>Liver</p> Signup and view all the answers

What part of the body is affected?

<p>Chest area</p> Signup and view all the answers

What can teeth marks only in the breast/chest area indicate?

<p>A problem in the breasts in women (possibly carcinoma) occurring against the background of severe qi deficiency</p> Signup and view all the answers

The same area on the sides of the tongue that reflects the Liver/GB, in women also reflects the ___________________ (especially if purple)

<p>Uterus</p> Signup and view all the answers

What might the purple sides of the tongue indicate in women?

<p>Blood stasis in the uterus</p> Signup and view all the answers

Where is the heat located in the body?

<p>Stomach heat</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the swelling on the sides around the centre indicate?

<p>Spleen deficiency with dampness</p> Signup and view all the answers

What do small, transversal cracks on the sides around the centre indicate?

<p>Spleen-yin deficiency</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is indicated from the transversal cracks?

<p>Spleen-yin deficiency</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the anatomical name of papillae at the root of the tongue?

<p>Circumvallate papillae</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is indicated by these structures?

<p>They have no clinical significance in TCM - if we see these two papillae, we are looking too far back</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is indicated from this tongue?

<p>This tongue is almost normal in terms of body colour, shape, and coating (only abnormality is slight swelling)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is indicated from this tongue colour?

<p>Blood Xu (Deficiency) (tongue is pale)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How can you tell if a red tongue indicates a full heat or empty heat?

<p>Red tongue with coating indicates Full Heat (Yang Shi/excess), Red tongue without coating indicates Empty Heat (Yin Xu/deficiency)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is indicated from these tongue coatings? (Select all that apply)

<p>Red with coating: Full Heat</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is indicated from red, without coating?

<p>Yin deficiency with Empty Heat</p> Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Tongue Diagnosis Overview

  • Natural light is essential for accurate tongue diagnosis.
  • Patients should hold their tongue out for 15-20 seconds to prevent darkening; allow resting before re-evaluating.

Order of Observation

  • Key aspects to observe in sequence:
    • Body colour
    • Body shape
    • Coating
    • Moisture
    • Shén (spirit)

Body Colour Insights

  • Tongue body colour can indicate:
    • Heat or cold conditions
    • Deficiencies in Yin or Yang

Body Shape Indicators

  • Tongue shape suggests:
    • Xu (Deficiency)
    • Shi (Excess)

Coating Analyses

  • Tongue coating reveals:
    • Fu (stomach qi) status
    • Heat/cold conditions
    • Xu/Shi (Deficiency/Excess) balance

Moisture Significance

  • Moisture level reflects:
    • Body fluid status
    • Cold or heat conditions
    • Yang deficiency
    • Yin deficiency

Shén Interpretation

  • States of Shén indicate prognosis:
    • No Shén (dull) reflects poor prognosis.
    • Presence of Shén (lustre) suggests good prognosis.

Associations of Colour and Coating

  • Body colour represents Zang (organs).
  • Tongue coating corresponds to Fu (functions).

Coating Thickness Implications

  • Coating thickness signals:
    • Strength of pathogenic factors or weakness in body qi.
    • Overall state of the Fu system.

Tongue Coating Root

  • The root of the tongue coating reflects the strength of Kidney and Stomach qi.

Normal Tongue Characteristics

  • Normal tongue traits include:
    • Pale red body colour
    • Thin, not swollen or flabby shape without cracks
    • Thin white coating
    • Slightly moist moisture level
    • Shén presence noted as fresh, radiant

Heat Indicators

  • Heart heat/fire indicated by specific tongue observations.
  • Lung heat can also be detected through tongue characteristics.

Diagnostic Areas

  • Analyzing the chest/breast area can provide insights into:
    • Heart, Lungs, or breast issues in females.

Parts of Body Impacted

  • Different tongue areas correspond to:
    • A) Liver
    • B) Stomach/Spleen
    • C) Chest area

Diagnostic Concerns

  • Teeth marks in the chest area may indicate severe qi deficiency or breast issues like possible carcinoma in women.

Uterus Reflection

  • Tongue sides relating to the Liver/Gallbladder also reflect the uterus in females, particularly if purple.

Blood Status Indicators

  • Purple sides of the tongue in women may signal blood stasis in the uterus.

Heat Location

  • Stomach heat can be identified through specific tongue observations.

Spleen Status

  • Swollen sides around the centre of the tongue suggest:
    • Spleen deficiency with dampness.
  • Small transversal cracks indicate:
    • Spleen-yin deficiency.

Anatomical Observations

  • Circumvallate papillae are located at the tongue's root but have no clinical significance in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

Normality Assessment

  • A nearly normal tongue with slight swelling suggests a potential issue that may need further investigation.

Blood Deficiency Indicators

  • A pale tongue indicates Blood Xu (Deficiency).

Heat Indications by Tongue Coating

  • Red tongue with coating indicates Full Heat (Yang Shi/excess), while a red tongue without coating signals Empty Heat (Yin Xu/deficiency).

Coating Interpretation

  • Specific tongue conditions indicate:
    • A) Red with coating: Full Heat.
    • B) Normal colour, no coating: Yin deficiency.
    • C) Red, no coating: Empty Heat due to Yin deficiency.

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Description

Test your knowledge on tongue diagnosis with these flashcards. Learn about the best lighting conditions, duration for holding the tongue, and the key aspects to analyze. Perfect for students and practitioners in traditional medicine.

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