TORONTO – According to ancient Chinese medicine still practiced today, tongue diagnosis is one of the methods used to look at the overall health of an individual.
“The tongue does reflect what’s going on in the different organ systems in the body,” says Dr. Francis Rock, Doctor of Traditional Chinese medicine.
The earliest written records of tongue diagnosis date back to between 400 and 200 B.C. Dr. Rock says tongues are best looked at in natural light, and notes that some medications as well as spicy foods can cause discolouration.
Here are some correlations Chinese medicine recognizes between overall health and tongue characteristics:
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Reddish colour on front part of tongue – stress-related issues, tendency toward insomnia
Red tip with dots – heart heat, could be emotional such as poor sleeping habits
Swollen tongue and ridges on sides – accumulation of dampness in the body that could be caused by fatty diet or dairy excess
Purpleness on edge of tongue – painful menstrual cycles
Dark purple veins on underside of tongue – stagnation of blood in body
Yellow coating – frequent cigarette smoking
Extremely pale body colour (not just white coating) – blood deficiency such as anemia or chronic fatigue
Thick white coating –cold or flu
Dry coating – menopause
Purple tongue colour – alcoholism
Dryness and some swelling in frontal area – chronic asthma
While Canadian medical practitioners don’t typically look at tongues, Dr. Rock notes research in China has shown correlations between them and certain illnesses in the West. In rare cases, the tongue can be indicative of more serious health problems.
“If, for example, your tongue is normally quite steady when you stick your tongue out, and you notice it starts shaking or deviates to one side, then it might be worth seeing your doctor because it could mean that there are some other issues going on,” says Rock. “It’s extreme, but sometimes a pre-cursor to stroke can show up by seeing a deviated tongue.”
Dr. Rock stresses that he does not solely use the tongue to diagnose patient problems, and that asking questions and going through histories are the tools he uses in his clinic.
“The tongue can be used to confirm whether there’s something going on in the body, but it’s not just used on its own as a definitive way of coming up with a plan for treatment.”
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