Tongue Body Pale
Deficiency Type
Tongue Body Red
Heat Syndrome
Tongue Body Deep Red
Extreme Heat (Exogenous or Endogenous)
Tongue Body Purple
Blood Stasis (In General)
Tongue Body Swollen and Delicate
SP or KD yang deficiency
Tongue Body Swollen and Deep Red
Excessive Heat in HT or SP
Tongue Body Swollen and Blue/Purplish, Dark
Toxicosis
Tongue Body Thin and Pale
Qi and Blood Deficiency
Tongue Body Thin and Deep Red, Dry
Fire due to Yin Deficiency
Tongue Body Cracked and Deep Red
Excess Heat
Tongue Body Cracked and Pale
Blood Deficiency
Tongue Body Cracked (Normal)
not deep and remain all the time
Tongue Body Thorny and Red
internal accumulation of pathogenic heat
Tongue Body Deviated
Wind Stroke
Tongue Body Rigid (exogenous)
- PC Heat
- Interior Turbid/Phlegm
- Heat consuming Body Fluids
Tongue Body Rigid (endogenous)
Wind stroke or early signs of wind stroke
Tongue Body Flaccid
Extreme Qi and Blood deficiency or consumption of Yin Fluids
Tongue Body Flaccid and Pale
Qi and Blood Deficiency
Tongue Body Flaccid and Deep Red
Yin Collapse
Tongue Coating Thin
Superficial Portion or Deficiency of Wei Qi
Tongue Coating Thick
Deeper Progression or Retention of Damp/Food
Tongue Coating Dry
Excess Heat, Consumption of Body Fluids, Yin Deficient Heat
Tongue Coating Moist
Normal. If in excess then harmful water and damp
Tongue Coating Sticky (greasy)
retention of damp, phlegm or food
Tongue Coating Granular (course, easily scrubbed, pasty)
Excessive Yang Ming heat bringing turbid ST Qi upward; or food/phlegm retention
Tongue Coating Partially Peeled
Consumption of ST Qi and Yin
Tongue Coating Entirely Peeled
Exhaustion of ST Yin, severe damage of ST Qi
Tongue Coating White and Thin
Exterior Cold or normal
Tongue Coating White and Thick
Interior Cold
Tongue Coating Yellow
Interior Heat (the darker the yellow the more severe the progression is)
Tongue Coating Grey
Interior Heat, Cold or Damp
Tongue Coating Grey, Yellowish and Dry
Interior Excessive Heat
Tongue Coating Whitish Grey and Moist
Retention of Cold and Damp
Tongue Coating Black
Extreme Interior Condition (heat or cold)
Tongue Coating Black, Yellowish and Dry (Possibly with thorns)
Extreme heat
Tongue Coating Black, Pale and Slippery
Excessive Cold due to Yang deficiency