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?
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What do the tongue shape indicate?
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What do the tongue coating indicate?
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What does tongue moisture level indicate?
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What does the Shèn of the tongue indicate?
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In general, what do the tongue body color and tongue coating indicate respectively?
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What does the thickness of a tongue coating indicate?
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What does the root of the tongue coating indicate?
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Describe a normal tongue following the order of tongue inspection.
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What is indicated by a Heart heat/fire?
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What is indicated by Lung heat?
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What can be diagnosed from analyzing the chest/breast area of the tongue?
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Which parts of the body are affected for each image? (Select all that apply)
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Which parts of the body are affected for each image? (Select all that apply)
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What part of the body is affected?
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What can teeth marks only in the breast/chest area indicate?
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The same area on the sides of the tongue that reflects the Liver/GB, in women also reflects the ___________________ (especially if purple)
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What might the purple sides of the tongue indicate in women?
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Where is the heat located in the body?
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What does the swelling on the sides around the centre indicate?
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What do small, transversal cracks on the sides around the centre indicate?
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What is indicated from the transversal cracks?
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What is the anatomical name of papillae at the root of the tongue?
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What is indicated by these structures?
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What is indicated from this tongue?
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What is indicated from this tongue colour?
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How can you tell if a red tongue indicates a full heat or empty heat?
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What is indicated from these tongue coatings? (Select all that apply)
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What is indicated from red, without coating?
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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.
