Is the color of my tongue healthy or unhealthy?

Is the color of your tongue healthy or unhealthy? In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), your tongue is analyzed for clues as to what may be wrong with you internally. Your practitioner of TCM will examine your tongue to see if is healthy, or whether if falls into one of the nine syndromes. He/She will also interview you on symptoms that you have been experiencing lately, which usually solidifies the syndrome diagnosis.

Unhealthy Tongue Diagnosis

There are nine “unhealthy” tongue diagnosis in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Qi Deficiency

A Qi Deficiency is diagnosed when your tongue has a thin white coating covering it, and when outstretched, it looks scalloped, like teeth marks around the edges of the tongue, and it may have red dots.

This deficiency is usually accompanied by poor appetite, nutrient deficiency, feeling of fatigue, shortness of breath, anxiety, and lack of energy.

Yin Deficiency

A Yin Deficiency would be diagnosed when your tongue is red, has cracks, and little to no coating.

It is accompanied by hot flashes, night sweats, and insomnia.

Yang Deficiency

A Yang Deficiency is diagnosed when your tongue is swollen, with a thick white coating.

In addition to the symptoms of your tongue, you will feel cold easily, suffer from back pain, panic easily, depressed, impotent, or infertile.

Qi Stagnation

Qi Stagnation is diagnosed when your tongue has a red tip.

You will also feel extremely stressed out, depressed, and feel as if you are on an emotional roller coaster.

Blood Stasis

Blood stasis is diagnosed when your tongue is purple with black spots.

You will most likely also have cold limbs, varicose veins, liver spots, headaches, and chest pain.

Blood Deficiency

Blood Deficiency is diagnosed when your tongue is pale with little to no coating.

You will also experience fatigue, poor memory, poor concentration, dizziness, and insomnia.

Heat

Heat is diagnosed when your tongue is red with a thin yellow coating.

You will also experience constipation, irritability, have a temper, feel hot, feeling thirst, and sweat easily.

Damp Heat

Damp Heat is diagnosed when your tongue is red, with a yellow greasy coating.

You will also experience urinary infections, skin problems, and anger.

Damp Retention

Damp Retention is diagnosed when your tongue is swollen, with a white greasy coating.

You will also experience feeling bloated, heavy, and lethargic.

Foods to Fix Tongue Deficiencies

TCM uses foods, herbs, and alternative medicine to treat these deficiencies. We will explore these in a separate post which can be accessed here.