Chinese medicine divides the tongue into the tip of the tongue, the middle of the tongue, the root of the tongue and the side of the tongue. It is considered that the tip of the tongue belongs to the heart and lung, the middle tongue belongs to the spleen and stomach, the root of the tongue belongs to the kidney, and both sides of the tongue belong to the liver and gallbladder. According to different parts of the tongue, it has certain reference value in clinic. Tongue is connected with five internal organs through meridians. Therefore, the deficiency and deficiency of qi, blood, body fluid and the change of disease severity of human organs may be objectively reflected in the tongue picture. Through tongue diagnosis, we can understand the nature, severity and changes of viscera and diseases. Among them, the change of tongue quality mainly reflects the deficiency of viscera and the rise and fall of qi and blood; The change of tongue coating is mainly used to judge the depth and severity of exogenous pathogens and the rise and fall of stomach qi.
(1) Tongue color ① Pale tongue: The tongue color is lighter than normal, and the main deficiency syndrome and cold syndrome are more common in blood deficiency, like yang deficiency and qi and blood deficiency. Pale color and fat tenderness belong to deficiency cold; Fat and tender with tooth marks on the side is qi deficiency and yang deficiency.
② Red tongue: The tongue color is darker than normal and bright red, mainly due to internal heat syndrome. Redness of the tip of the tongue is inflammation of the heart; Red tongue indicates that the liver and gallbladder are hot; Red dryness refers to body fluid injury caused by heat or excessive fire due to yin deficiency.
③ Crimson tongue: the tongue is deep red in color, which belongs to heat syndrome, mostly due to pathogenic heat entering the camp, blood deficiency or yin deficiency, and excessive fire.
The deeper the crimson tongue, the heavier the heat toxicity.
4 ecchymosis tongue: there are blue-purple ecchymosis or spots on the tongue, mostly with blood stasis accumulation inside.
⑤ Sudden tongue: The whole tongue is bluish, which is either extremely hot or cold-heat syndrome. The tongue is deep purple and dry, extremely hot, and fever is evil blood; The tongue is yellowish purple or bluish purple and smooth, which is yin-cold syndrome.
(2) Tongue shape: Observe the old, tender, fat, prickly and cracked tongue.
① Old and tender: "old" refers to rough tongue, tight and convergent shape and color, mostly due to excess heat syndrome; "Tenderness" refers to the delicate tongue quality and delicate color, which is mostly caused by deficiency syndrome or deficiency-cold syndrome.
2 Fat and thin: "Fat" refers to the swelling of the tongue, which is mostly related to water and dampness. The tongue is light and fat, and there are teeth marks on the edge of the tongue, which mostly belong to spleen deficiency or kidney yang deficiency and water-dampness retention; The tongue is red and swollen, which is mostly caused by damp-heat accumulation or excessive heat toxicity. "Thin" refers to the thin tongue, which belongs to deficiency syndrome. People with pale tongue and thin tongue shape are mostly deficient in qi and blood; Red tongue and thin tongue are mostly caused by yin deficiency and internal heat.
③ Puncture: Tongue papilla hyperplasia and hypertrophy, protruding like a thorn, mostly caused by excessive heat. The heavier the heat evil is, the bigger the thorns are. Clinically, the tip of the tongue and the edge of the tongue are often stinging, and the sting of the tip of the tongue is mostly caused by excess heat in the liver and gallbladder.
④ Cracks: There are various longitudinal or transverse cracks or wrinkles on the tongue, mostly caused by mucosal atrophy. A few normal people can see a cleft tongue. The tongue is crimson and cracked, mostly due to heat syndrome; Most people with light and cracked tongue belong to deficiency of both qi and yin.