In Chinese medicine, your tongue can reveal a lot about your health!

When I lived in China, I wanted to experience all I could while living there.  One of my experiences was going to a Chinese doctor for a health evaluation.  The first thing they had me do was to stick out my tongue.

In a matter of minutes, they had diagnosed what was going on internally in my body and how I could address it with specially prescribed herbs.

It was fascinating and it worked!  After a few weeks, I felt as good as new!

Diagnosing the tongue has been around a long time in Chinese medicine. It is one of the main ways to diagnose imbalances in the body.

The tongue can reveal signs of your overall health and once you know what those are, you can start to address those issues.

The color, texture, and coating of the tongue are all indicators of your internal health.

What are some of the signs to look for on your tongue?

Color. A healthy tongue is pinkish red, which indicates good circulation.  If it looks more red, it can be a sign of high blood pressure.  If there is redness in other areas of the tongue, that could indicate “internal heat”  in the corresponding organ according to Chinese medicine.  There could be inflammation or infection in those areas.  If the tongue is red on the tip it’s called “heart fire”, which indicates you could have anxiety or are experiencing insomnia.

A pale tongue indicates a lack of blood such as anemia.

Coating. There is a thin film on the surface of the tongue.   A thin white coating is healthy.  It means you have good digestion.  A thicker coating indicates an imbalance.  If the coating is white and thick towards the back of the tongue, you could be experiencing some internal candida (overgrown yeast).  It’s also an indicator of too much sugar in the diet.

If you experience a lot of allergy nasal issues the coating can be thicker and heavier on the tongue. Coffee and some medications can also discolor the coating as well.

Scraping or brushing the tongue will only help temporarily with the coating if there are internal issues going on.  The coating will come back until the internal issues are corrected and the body is brought back into balance.

Cracks or Swelling.  Both hold a lot of information. Ridges on the outside edges of the tongue can indicate fluid retention in the body.  The ridges appear because the tongue swells and has been pressing against the teeth.  That pressure results in the ridges.

A vertical crack in the stomach area is revealing there are digestion issues and gut health needs to be addressed.

Movement.  If the tongue is moving and quivering and you just can’t stop it, it could be an early indicator of possible neurological issues going on and might be worth looking into.

What if you see signs on your tongue?

Anytime there are spots or bumps or anything unusual that appear on the tongue, look at the organ it corresponds to. You can then make a plan to adjust your lifestyle or diet and look into some alternative treatments to address those issues you’re seeing.

I’m a big fan of acupuncture.  They are specially trained therapists that can look at the tongue for signs of imbalance in the body and they can treat you accordingly.  Don’t be afraid of the needles!  I promise you, you can’t even feel them!  What you will feel is relaxation as balance is brought back into all areas of your body.

I hope this information helps you to think of your tongue in a way to read your body.  Get in the habit of sticking out your tongue and see what it reveals to you about your health!   Then make a plan to address what you’re seeing and bring balance and health back to your beautiful self!

Until next time,

~pat