By examining the color of the tongue, its shape, and the coating, one can discover hidden health risks.
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1. Observing Tongue Color
What are the different tongue colors?
The tongue color refers to the color of the tongue body (the main part of the tongue), not the color of the coating (the layer on the surface of the tongue). The normal color of the tongue body is a glossy light red. Generally, it can be categorized into light red, pale white, dark red, purple, and blue, where only light red is considered a normal tongue color; the others indicate pathological changes in the body.
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What does a pale white tongue indicate?
A pale white tongue has a lighter color than a normal tongue, indicating a deficiency of Yang Qi and insufficient Qi and blood. Weak Yang Qi leads to inadequate nourishment of Qi and blood, which manifests as a pale white tongue, commonly seen in individuals with Yang deficiency or blood deficiency. Such individuals often have poor appetite, developmental issues, weak immunity, and are prone to colds, anemia, and fatigue.
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What does a red tongue indicate?
A red tongue has a deeper color than a normal tongue, indicating excessive internal heat. Excessive heat leads to active Qi and blood, reflected in the tongue body as red. A red tongue is often seen in individuals with heat syndromes, who usually feel physically well. Additionally, smoking, drinking, or frequently staying up late can also result in a red tongue.
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What does a dark red tongue indicate?
A dark red tongue has a deeper red color than a red tongue, indicating severe internal heat. The heat has penetrated deeply into the blood. This is commonly seen in individuals with chronic or severe illnesses, often associated with Yin deficiency and excessive fire.
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What does a blue-purple tongue indicate?
If the tongue body is deep purple and the mouth is dry, this often indicates that external heat pathogens have entered the body and are intense, depleting body fluids and causing Qi and blood stagnation, which manifests as a deep purple tongue. If the tongue is light purple or blue-purple, it is mainly due to excessive internal cold, leading to blood stasis and poor circulation, reflected as a light purple tongue. If there are purple spots on the tongue, this indicates blood stasis symptoms.
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2. Observing Tongue Shape
How to observe tongue shape?
The tongue shape refers to the external contour of the tongue, and observing the tongue shape mainly includes examining the tongue body for signs of aging, tenderness, enlargement, swelling, thinness, cracks, tooth marks, and spots.
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What does an enlarged tongue indicate?
An enlarged tongue has a larger body than a normal tongue, which can be categorized into fat and swollen. A tender, pale enlarged tongue often indicates Spleen and Kidney Yang deficiency, where fluids cannot be transformed, leading to stagnation of Yin pathogens. A swollen tongue with a deep red color indicates excessive heat in the heart and spleen. Individuals with Spleen and Kidney Yang deficiency, cold stomach, or those prone to wheezing often present with an enlarged tongue.
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What does a thin tongue indicate?
A thin tongue is smaller and thinner than a normal tongue, mainly indicating Qi and blood deficiency and insufficient Yin blood. Generally, individuals with long-term poor appetite, developmental issues, anemia, or weak Qi and blood are prone to develop a thin tongue.
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What does a cracked tongue indicate?
A cracked tongue has noticeable fissures on the surface, which is due to the deficiency of Yin fluids that cannot moisten the tongue surface. A dark red tongue with cracks often indicates excessive heat damaging fluids and Yin essence; a pale white tongue with cracks is often due to blood deficiency that cannot nourish the tongue surface.
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What does a tooth-marked tongue indicate?
A tooth-marked tongue has indentations along the edges, often due to an enlarged tongue being pressed by the teeth. Thus, a tooth-marked tongue, like an enlarged tongue, is often caused by Spleen and Kidney Yang deficiency, Qi and blood deficiency, which cannot properly nourish the tongue body.
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Why can tongue coating help determine health conditions?
The tongue coating refers to a layer of coating on the surface of the tongue, primarily a physiological response of the stomach Qi rising and spreading over the tongue. Healthy individuals typically have a thin layer of white tongue coating. External pathogens can lead to changes in the tongue coating. Observing changes in the tongue coating can help assess the condition of the disease. Observing the tongue coating includes both “form” and “color” aspects.
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3. Observing Tongue Coating
What does a thin coating on the tongue indicate?
The tongue coating refers to a layer of coating on the surface of the tongue, primarily a physiological response of the stomach Qi rising and spreading over the tongue. Healthy individuals typically have a thin layer of white tongue coating. External pathogens can lead to changes in the tongue coating. Observing changes in the tongue coating can help assess the condition of the disease. Observing the tongue coating includes both “form” and “color” aspects.
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What does a thick coating on the tongue indicate?
A thick coating means the tongue body is completely covered by the coating, indicating a more severe condition. If the coating changes from thick to thin during the progression of the disease, it indicates that the body’s righteous Qi is gradually recovering, and the condition is improving.
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What does a white coating on the tongue indicate?
A white coating is the most common tongue coating color, usually indicating exterior syndromes or cold syndromes. A pale tongue with a white coating is often seen in interior cold syndromes; a tongue covered with white coating, resembling a pile of white powder, is often due to external pathogens or internal heat.
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What does a yellow coating on the tongue indicate?
A yellow coating mainly indicates interior syndromes or heat syndromes. The yellower the coating, the more severe the heat pathogen, with light yellow indicating mild heat, deep yellow indicating severe heat, and burnt yellow indicating heat accumulation (referring to pathological changes caused by heat accumulation). Additionally, Yang deficiency with cold dampness, or prolonged stagnation of phlegm and food can also lead to yellow coating.
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What does a gray coating on the tongue indicate?
A gray coating mainly indicates interior syndromes and can be seen in interior heat syndromes, as well as cold damp syndromes. If the coating is gray and moist, it often indicates internal cold obstruction. If the coating is gray and dry, it often indicates excessive heat injuring fluids or excessive fire due to Yin deficiency.
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Source: Internet (please delete if infringing)
Images: Internet (please delete if infringing)
Editor: Bin Baba Studio
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