62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector’s Edition)

62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)

62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)Common clinical tongue diagnosis charts, dedicated to those who love Traditional Chinese Medicine.

62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)

Tongue Diagnosis of Zang-Fu Organ Locations

62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)

According to the “Neijing” (Inner Canon), different parts of the tongue can reflect pathological changes in different Zang-Fu organs, which has certain reference significance in clinical practice. The tip of the tongue corresponds to the upper jiao (heart and lungs); the middle part corresponds to the middle jiao (spleen and stomach); the root corresponds to the lower jiao (kidneys); the sides correspond to the liver and gallbladder.

The “Shanghan Zhi Zhang ยท Cha She Bian Zheng Fa” also states that “the tip of the tongue belongs to the upper jiao, the middle part belongs to the middle jiao, and the root belongs to the lower jiao”.

Tongue Color Section

1. Normal Tongue

62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)

The characteristics of a normal tongue are: a light red color, moist texture, moderate size, and flexibility; the tongue coating is even, thin, white, and moist, referred to as “light red tongue, thin white coating“.

62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)

The normal sublingual veins are only faintly visible, appearing as purple-red lines, never thick or swollen. Most are single branches, with the largest diameter not exceeding 2.7mm, and the length generally does not exceed 3/5 of the line connecting the tip of the tongue to the sublingual tubercle.2. Pale White Tongue

62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)

A pale white tongue is often seen in conditions of Yang deficiency and excess cold, Qi deficiency, and blood deficiency. This tongue is pale white, with a thin white and moist coating, indicating Qi and blood deficiency.3. Withered White Tongue62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)The tongue color and the gums and lips show no blood color, referred to as “withered white”. This tongue appears withered and dry, unable to extend, indicating decline of essence and Qi, critical condition.4. Red Tongue62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)A red tongue is seen in conditions of external heat or Yin deficiency with excess fire. This tongue is red, with a thin yellow coating, and the tongue texture is rough, indicating excess heat in the Qi level.5. Red Tip of the Tongue62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)A red tip of the tongue is often seen in conditions of heart fire rising, indicating heat in the upper jiao. This tongue has a red tip with the rest being light red and moist, indicating excess heat in the upper jiao.6. Deep Red Tongue (1)62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)A deep red tongue, referred to as “scarlet tongue”, is a sign of excess heat. In cases of external diseases, it indicates evil heat entering the Ying level; in internal injuries and mixed diseases, it is also commonly seen in severe Yin deficiency with excess fire. This tongue is deep red and dark, with leaf-like shallow cracks on the surface and little coating, indicating excess heat, Qi and blood stagnation, and damage to Zheng Qi.7. Deep Red Tongue (2)62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)This image is from a patient with chronic gastric fire, showing a deep red tongue, dry with no coating, and shallow cracks on the surface, indicating internal heat blazing, gastric Yin depleted, and severe damage to gastric Qi.8. Deep Red Tongue (3)62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)The tongue is deep red with little coating, and the front part has many red spots (i.e., bacterial-like congestion), indicating excess heat blazing, Qi and Yin both injured.9. Cyanotic Purple Tongue62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)A cyanotic purple tongue is caused by poor circulation of Qi and blood. This image shows a patient with chronic bronchitis and secondary infection, pulmonary emphysema, and heart failure, with a dark purple tongue and white greasy coating, indicating phlegm and fluid retention, lung and kidney Qi deficiency, and blood stasis.10. Pale Purple Tongue62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)A pale purple tongue is often seen in conditions of Yang deficiency and excess Yin. This image shows a patient with pulmonary heart disease, with a pale purple tongue and thin white moist coating, indicating insufficient Yang Qi, poor blood circulation.11. Pale Purple Stagnation Tongue62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)This image shows a patient with menstrual irregularities (dysmenorrhea), with a pale purple tongue and many purple spots, and a thin white moist coating, indicating insufficient Yang Qi, cold congealing blood stasis.12. Purple Red Tongue62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)This image shows a patient with a body constitution of Yin deficiency, with a red tongue and little coating, due to lung infection and heart failure, with a purple-red tongue, accompanied by fever and cough, indicating internal heat prevailing, Qi and blood stagnation.13. Scarlet Purple Tongue62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)The tongue is scarlet and purple, with a red tip, indicating phlegm heat stagnation.14. Stasis Spot Tongue62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)The tongue has stasis spots or stasis points, indicating blood stasis. This image shows irregularly shaped stasis spots on the sides and edges of the tongue, which are signs of blood stasis in the liver channel.Tongue Coating SectionThe normal tongue coating is generated by the stomach Qi and stomach Yin rising to the tongue surface, while pathological tongue coating is formed when the stomach Qi carries evil Qi upward. This “Atlas” introduces various common tongue coating changes based on coating color and texture changes.1. Thin White Moist Coating62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)This image shows a normal tongue coating. The coating is moist, and through the coating, a light red tongue texture can be seen, referred to as “thin white moist coating”, indicating abundant stomach Qi and fluid fullness.2. Thin White Slippery Coating62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)The tongue coating is excessively moist, feeling slippery and wet, and may even drip saliva when the tongue is extended, referred to as “slippery coating”, often due to water dampness or phlegm retention. This image shows an overly moist tongue surface, with a thin white coating, slightly thicker at the root, a plump tongue body, and teeth marks on the edges, indicating Yang deficiency not moving, water dampness retained.3. White Greasy Coating62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)The characteristics of greasy coating are: the coating is fine and dense, tightly adhering to the tongue surface, and does not come off when scraped, often caused by damp turbidity, phlegm retention, or food stagnation.4. White Slippery Greasy Coating62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)This image shows a patient with chronic bronchitis, with a white greasy coating, excessive moisture on the tongue, a pale purple tongue, and stasis points at the tip, indicating insufficient Yang Qi, phlegm retention.5. White Sticky Greasy Coating62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)The greasy coating is covered with a layer of dirty, slippery mucus, referred to as “sticky greasy coating”, indicating excess damp turbidity, obstructing spleen and stomach Yang Qi.6. White Thick Greasy Coating62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)This image shows a patient with liver cirrhosis and ascites, with a pale purple tongue and a thick white greasy coating in the middle, indicating internal Yang deficiency, excess Yin, water dampness accumulation, and blood circulation stagnation.7. White Thick Loose Coating62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)The tongue coating changes from greasy to loose, with coarser particles, floating on the tongue surface, and can be scraped off, indicating Yang Qi recovering, gradually transforming cold damp Yin evil.8. White Greasy Coating Transforming to Dry62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)This image shows a patient with chronic bronchitis, originally with a white thick greasy coating, now most of the white greasy coating has transformed to dry, with cracks in the coating, and a patch of coating has fallen off, while the edges still have white coating that has not yet dried. This indicates phlegm and fluid stagnation transforming into heat, gradually damaging stomach Qi and fluids.9. Yellow Greasy Coating Transforming to Dry62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)This image shows a tongue with yellow greasy coating covering the surface, with the middle and front parts of the greasy coating gradually transforming to dry, indicating internal heat blazing, damp evil transforming to dryness.10. Thin Yellow Coating62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)This image shows a patient with respiratory tract infection and fever. The tongue is slightly red, with a thin yellow coating, indicating exterior evil entering the interior, excess heat in the Qi level.11. Yellow Greasy Coating (1)62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)Yellow greasy coating is often seen in conditions of damp heat, phlegm heat, food stagnation transforming to heat, summer heat, damp heat, and obstructed bowel Qi. This image shows a patient after influenza, with a light yellow thick greasy coating, chest tightness, and poor appetite, indicating damp heat obstructing, spleen losing healthy function.12. Yellow Greasy Coating (2)62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)This image shows a patient with biliary tract infection, with yellow greasy coating, indicating liver and gallbladder damp heat accumulation.13. Yellow Greasy Coating (3)62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)This image shows a patient with liver cancer, with a red tongue and yellow thick greasy coating, red spots on the tip, indicating damp evil and obstructed heat.14. Yellow Sticky Greasy Coating62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)This image shows a patient with intestinal obstruction, with yellow greasy coating, and a layer of yellow sticky mucus covering the tongue surface, caused by obstructed bowel Qi, damp turbidity evil rising to the tongue.15. Yellow Slippery Coating62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)Yellow coating can also be seen in cold damp conditions, characterized by yellow and moist coating with abundant fluid, a plump tongue, and often pale white color, or with teeth marks on the edges, indicating Yang deficiency, phlegm retention, or cold dampness.16. Yellow Dry Coating (1)62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)This image shows a patient with lung infection, with the tongue coating changing from white to yellow (the edges still have remnants of white greasy coating), indicating disease transforming from cold damp to heat, and drying out, damaging fluids.17. Yellow Dry Coating (2)62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)The tongue surface is very dry, with yellow thick dry coating, rough particles, and cracks on the front part of the tongue, indicating excess heat blazing, damaging fluids.18. Yellow Petal Coating62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)The tongue coating is cracked into petals, yellow in color, with a red tongue and shallow cracks, indicating a sign of excess heat damaging fluids. This image still shows white greasy coating, indicating that the original evil was phlegm, damp turbidity, and other Yin evils.19. Gray White Greasy Coating62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)The tongue coating changes from white greasy to gray, often seen in conditions of Yang deficiency with cold dampness, phlegm retention, and other Yin evils accumulating in the middle jiao, not resolving over time.20. Gray Yellow Greasy Coating62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)This image shows a patient with pulmonary heart disease, with gray yellow greasy coating and dark purple tongue, indicating damp turbidity phlegm transforming to heat, poor circulation of Qi and blood.21. Greasy Coating with Dirt62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)The tongue coating is greasy and sticky, gray-yellow in color, resembling a layer of dirty substance, referred to as “greasy dirt coating”, indicating excess damp turbidity evil.22. Black Greasy Coating62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)This image shows a patient with lobar pneumonia, with the tongue coating changing from white greasy to black greasy, the coating is not dry, and the tongue is red scarlet, with a prickly tip, indicating internal heat blazing, damp turbidity evil entering and transforming into fire.23. Charred Black Coating62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)This image shows a patient with biliary tract infection, with a red and dry tongue, the root of the tongue has black and dry coating, and the sides still have a little white greasy coating, indicating excess heat prevailing, damp turbidity transforming to dryness damaging fluids.24. Black Dry Coating62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)This image was taken from a patient with gastric cancer two days before death, with a black and dry tongue coating, the root has black coating resembling black hair, the tongue body is shriveled, and the tongue texture is pale white and lifeless, indicating depletion of Yin fluids, extreme internal heat.25. Coating Shedding62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)Where the tongue coating has shed, the tongue surface is smooth and without coating, referred to as “coating shedding”, indicating stomach Yin and Qi have been depleted, or insufficient Qi and blood, unable to nourish and regenerate new coating.26. Greasy Coating with Shedding (1)62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)This image shows a patient with pulmonary heart disease and heart failure, originally with a white greasy coating, now the middle and front of the tongue have partially shed, while the sides still have yellow and white greasy coating, with a cyanotic purple tongue, indicating phlegm heat obstructing, poor circulation of Qi and blood, and depleted stomach Qi.27. Greasy Coating with Shedding (2)62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)The tongue coating is white thick greasy, with shedding coating, indicating phlegm and dampness not yet transformed, stomach Qi has been damaged, the disease belongs to a mix of deficiency and excess.28. Pseudo-Shedding Coating62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)This image shows a patient with gastric ulcer, with multiple areas of coating shedding, where the shedding areas still have new papillae, referred to as “pseudo-shedding coating”, indicating insufficient Qi and Yin, slow regeneration of tongue coating.29. Geographic Tongue62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)Geographic tongue is a type of coating shedding, as the shedding appears map-like, irregular in shape, slightly raised at the edges, and the location changes over time, also caused by insufficient stomach Qi and Yin. It is often seen in individuals with allergic constitution. This image shows the tongue after treatment, where the shedding areas have regrown new coating.30. Mirror Tongue62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)The tongue has atrophied papillae, with all coating shed, and the tongue surface is smooth like a mirror, referred to as “mirror tongue”, indicating depletion of stomach Qi and Yin. It is often seen in late stages of heat diseases damaging Yin, internal Yin deficiency, and dual deficiency of Qi and blood.31. Rootless Coating (1)62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)The tongue coating floats on the tongue surface, scraping it off easily, and cannot regenerate new coating underneath, caused by severe damage to stomach Qi and Yin, leading to loss of nourishment for the tongue coating. This image shows a patient with late-stage liver cancer, with a red scarlet tongue, yellow muddy coating, and prickly surface, indicating internal heat blazing, severe damage to stomach Yin.32. Rootless Coating (2)62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)This image shows the tongue after scraping, where most of the granular yellow coating has been scraped off, and there is no new coating regrowth, indicating stomach Qi and Yin have been damaged, and the condition is serious.33. Thin White Coating and Yellow Thick Greasy Coating62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)(Thin White Coating)62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)(Yellow Thick Greasy Coating)The dynamic changes of tongue appearance are of great significance for judging the progression and outcome of diseases. These two images show the same patient at different times. When the disease first appeared, the tongue coating was thin white, and a few days later, as the evil gradually entered the interior and transformed into heat, the tongue coating also changed to yellow thick greasy.34. Yellow Thick Greasy Coating and62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)(Yellow Thick Greasy Coating)62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)(Thin White Coating)Yellow thick greasy coating is due to drug allergies, initially showing yellow thick greasy coating, which has mostly retreated after damp transformation treatment (as seen in thin white coating), indicating that damp turbidity has transformed.Tongue Lesions1. Tongue Ulcer (1)62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)(Tongue Surface)62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)(Sublingual)This image shows a patient with lung infection and heart failure, with a bright red tongue leaning towards purple, followed by white ulcerative spots on the tongue surface and sublingual area, some merging into patches, spreading to other parts of the mouth, scraping them off easily, and they quickly regenerate.Also known as “ulcerative coating” or “moldy coating”, indicating injury to both Qi and Yin, with turbid evil rampant. Often seen in patients with chronic illness and depleted Zheng Qi. Long-term use of antibiotics, hormones, etc. can also lead to this.2. Tongue Ulcer (2)62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)This image shows a patient with pulmonary heart disease, heart failure accompanied by lung infection, where the front half of the tongue coating has shed due to prolonged illness, and white curd-like substances appear on the tongue surface. The prognosis is poor.3. Tongue Sores62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)One or more superficial yellow-white ulcers appear on the tongue, surrounded by congestion and causing pain, referred to as “tongue sores”. This condition occurs intermittently and is often caused by Yin deficiency with excess fire, heart fire, excessive stomach heat, Qi deficiency, or Yang deficiency. It is easily triggered after fatigue.4. Heavy Tongue62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)The sublingual blood vessels are swollen, resembling another small tongue overlapping the main tongue, referred to as a heavy tongue. This is often caused by heart fire rising or external evil stirring heart fire.5. Tongue Fungus (Tongue Cancer) 62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)Fungus-like malignant growth appears on the edge of the tongue, with ulceration and severe pain, producing extremely foul saliva. This is caused by heart and spleen stagnant fire, Qi stagnation, and is classified as a malignant tongue lesion.6. Tongue Fungus (Tongue Papilloma) 62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)A yellow bean-sized growth appears on the tongue, painless, does not ulcerate for a long time, grows very slowly, with a better prognosis.7. Tongue Hemangioma62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)This image shows a congenital tongue hemangioma. There is a swelling on the tongue, slightly purple in color, with no discomfort. This is caused by stagnation of blood vessels in the tongue, with no diagnostic significance, and should be differentiated from cyanotic swollen tongue.8. Tongue Decay (Tongue Cancer)62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)This condition often occurs on the middle and back edges of the tongue, initially presenting as a small ulcer on the edge of the tongue, gradually enlarging, causing pain that hinders eating, and if ulceration and blood vessels are involved, it can lead to severe bleeding.9. Tongue Bleeding62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)Bleeding from the tongue is referred to as “tongue bleeding”. It can be caused by heart channel heat, spleen and kidney deficiency fire rising, etc. Generally, bleeding caused by excess fire results in a large amount of blood, often accompanied by swelling and pain of the tongue; bleeding caused by deficiency fire is often seen as oozing blood from the tongue without swelling. It can also be caused by Qi not holding blood.Please share this article to let more people see it62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)Promoting Traditional Chinese Medicine CultureSpreading Knowledge of Traditional Chinese MedicineLet us practice together62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)

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62 High-Definition Tongue Diagnosis Charts with Illustrations (Collector's Edition)

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