Dr. Ke, I recently looked in the mirror and accidentally noticed that my tongue has a map-like pattern. When I stretch my tongue out as far as I can, I can also see red spots on the middle and back of my tongue that are as large as prickly heat, but they don’t hurt. I want to ask what this means? Is it a sign of illness?
Dr. Ke
Everyone knows that observation, listening, inquiry, and pulse-taking are the main diagnostic methods in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and tongue observation is a key component of TCM diagnosis. According to some renowned TCM experts, the tongue serves as a natural “gastroscope.” This includes examining the tongue’s body and coating.The former refers to the tongue itself, while the latter refers to the layer of coating attached to the tongue’s surface. A normal tongue appears as a pale red tongue with a thin white coating. Specifically, this means the tongue body is soft, moves flexibly, and has a pale red and bright color, etc. From the perspective of tongue quality, the red spots that are raised on the tongue surface, which you described as “red spots on the middle and back of the tongue that are as large as prickly heat,” are referred to as “red star tongue” in the book “Tongue Diagnosis and Differentiation.” This indicates a strong presence of heat toxin. In terms of tongue coating, if the coating is irregularly shedding in large patches, with a clear boundary of thick coating resembling a map, it is called “map tongue,” which indicates damage to both the stomach’s qi and yin. Based on your tongue quality and coating, it can be preliminarily considered as a manifestation of strong stomach heat, one of the symptoms of which is bad breath. You can use herbs such as Sheng Di (Rehmannia), Dan Pi (Moutan Root), Chi Shao (Red Peony), Shi Gao (Gypsum), Shan Zhi Zi (Gardenia), Fang Feng (Siler), and Sha Shen (Glehnia) for treatment, which can be quite effective.– Original production by the New Media Center of the Chinese Family Doctor Magazine –Reproduction requires authorization; infringement will be pursued.
In the lower right corner, please give a click
and “like”
The editor’s salary will increase by 0.5 yuan
Editor: Mu Mu
