In Chinese Medicine, it is believed that the appearance of your tongue is a reflection of your health and can be a powerful diagnostic tool. Tongue diagnosis is a very traditional and effective method, which has been used to diagnose diseases for over two thousand years.
The tongue body color, shape, and coating all provide information about the state and quality of Blood, Yin, and fluids, as well as Yang and Qi. The tongue body color almost always indicates the true condition of the body, as this color reflects the condition of the Yin organs, Blood and ying Qi (nutritive Qi).
Acupuncturists check your tongue for color, texture and coating. In addition, the shape of your tongue can be an indicator of poor health. When considering acupuncture therapy in El Segundo, be ready to be fully examined by your practitioner, including inside your mouth.
A healthy tongue has a thin white tongue coating. Presence of a thick coating can be a sign you have or are getting a cold. It can also indicate different kinds of digestive energetic imbalance.
It's a way to get clues about what's going on in your body before it erupts. Take digestion as an example: The tongue can reveal an imbalance in the digestive system, although it doesn't lead to a specific diagnosis, like irritable bowel syndrome or Crohn's disease.
Instead, taste buds that detect sweet, salty, bitter, sour and umami are scattered throughout your tongue. Some parts of your tongue are a bit more sensitive to certain tastes.
Ryan Kauffman, M.D., an ear, nose and throat specialist at Piedmont, says most physicians go through a checklist when they inspect a patient's tongue. “We start with the worst case scenario and look for anything concerning, like ulcers, lesions, masses, and firmness,” he says.
A pink tongue is healthy and normal. A red tongue may indicate heat in the body like a fever or a hormonal imbalance. A reddish purple tongue is a sign that there may be inflammation or an infection in the body. A pale pink tongue may be a sign of a vitamin deficiency, a weak immune system or a lack of energy.
White tongue is the result of an overgrowth and swelling of the fingerlike projections (papillae) on the surface of your tongue. The appearance of a white coating is caused by debris, bacteria and dead cells getting lodged between the enlarged and sometimes inflamed papillae.
An unhealthy tongue. If your tongue is a different colour than pink, or has large patches of white, brown, black, or another colour, this might indicate a specific health issue. Similarly, if you have large bumps or no bumps at all, you may also want to speak to a doctor.
The tongue (L. lingua; G. glossa) functions as a digestive organ by facilitating the movement of food during mastication and assisting swallowing. Other important functions include speech and taste.
The coating may also “burn off” entirely, leaving the tongue looking peeled. While in treatment, it's helpful if you don't brush your tongue when you brushing your teeth. This allows your acupuncturist to see the natural state of your tongue coating.
YOUR TONGUE IS UNIQUE BECAUSE IT reflects both the health and well-being of your body's systemic functions - such as digestion, elimination, fluid metabolism, your body's temperature regulation (i.e. too hot, too cold, etc.) - AS WELL AS being an excellent reflection of emotional health and balance/imbalance.
That may sound strange, but your tongue can tell a lot about your health. For example, a black and hairy looking tongue can signal poor oral hygiene, or diabetes. If your tongue is bright red like a strawberry, it could signal a deficiency in folic acid, vitamin B12, or iron.
No coating on your tongue might mean that your body is exhausted and is not producing enough fluids to promote healthy digestion. A light, white coated tongue reflects the state of your digestive function. A heavily coated tongue indicates poor digestion, which is caused by excessive pathogenic fluid.
The tongue is part of the first line of defense in your immune system. Scraping your tongue prevents toxins from being reabsorbed into your body and boosts overall immune function. 4.
Not necessarily. Often, a white tongue means you should focus on your oral hygiene or overall health. For example, it may mean that you need to brush and floss more regularly and steer clear of tobacco and alcohol. Still, a white tongue may signal a yeast or bacterial infection.
Iron deficiency anemia or pernicious anemia – A pale (almost white), smooth tongue can be caused by a deficiency in iron or vitamin B12.
Oral manifestations such as lichen planus, ulcers, xerostomia, erosion and tongue abnormalities seem to be particularly prevalent among patients with chronic liver disease.
If you have fissures in your tongue, it's likely no cause for concern. In fact, certain types of grooves or cracks are considered simply a variation of a normal tongue. Sometimes called a plicated or scrotal tongue, this condition is often harmless. However, it's rarely a good idea to diagnose yourself.
Geographic tongue, fissured tongue, and hairy tongue are the most common tongue problems and do not require treatment.
Final Answer: The four tastes that the tongue can taste are sweet, bitter, salty and sour.
Abnormal findings includes marked redness, cyanosis or extreme pallor. Diseases include scrotal or fissured tongue, migratory glossitis (geographic tongue), atrophic glossitis, black hairy tongue, caviar lesions, carcinoma, macroglossia, candidiasis, aphthous ulcer and leukoplakia.
When someone is dehydrated, the tongue appears dry and typically has a white or white-to-yellowish coating. In some cases, the tongue can appear patchy or splotchy. If your tongue commonly sticks to the roof of your mouth, you are dehydrated!