Judging spleen and stomach health from tongue coating! Did you know?

Why do Chinese medicine practitioners like to look at the tongue when diagnosing? Because it changes greatly and can reflect the current condition of the human body and the development of the disease in a timely manner. So what diseases do different tongue coatings represent?

Healthy tongue

A healthy tongue should be pink or light red, oblong in shape, of moderate thickness, with a thin white coating, a lustrous and smooth luster, and be able to stretch and retract freely. Whether straightened or bent, it should be flexible and strong. The main colors of pathological tongue coating are white, yellow, gray-black, and sometimes green coating (mostly transformed from white coating, common in plague, damp-heat, a sign of damp-heat stagnation) or moldy coating (red with black and yellow color tongue coating, common in heatstroke or long-term internal heat, which is a sign of long-term damp-heat disease).

1. Thick tongue coating and bad breath

If a person has a thick tongue coating and bad breath all year round, it usually means that there is some minor problem with the stomach. If you don’t feel any other discomfort at the moment, you can start by adjusting your diet and daily life. After a period of treatment, abnormal tongue coating and bad breath are expected to heal themselves.

2. Black and sticky tongue coating

If only this abnormal tongue coating is seen and the tip of the tongue is normal light red, and there is no other obvious discomfort, it is sometimes considered a "staining" phenomenon. The above situation is not pathological, so there is no need to be nervous. However, patients with severe stomach problems should be alert if they observe black tongue coating. If the tip of the tongue is dark red or even bluish or purple, it means that the condition is getting worse and they should go to the hospital promptly.

3. Tongue coating peeling

Some people have irregular "map-like" changes in the tongue coating on the surface of their tongue, with thin coating in some places and smooth and no coating in other places. This is called "geographic tongue". If the person with this type of tongue pattern does not feel any discomfort, it is mostly a physiological change and does not require treatment. If you have long-term stomach problems or other chronic diseases and have never seen such a tongue pattern before, the appearance of a "geographic tongue" is mostly a manifestation of yin deficiency and you need to seek medical attention promptly.

4. Cracks on the tongue

Some people have many "cracks" on the surface of their tongue, most of which have no tongue coating, which is called "cracked tongue". If there is no discomfort, it is physiological and does not require treatment. If cracked tongue appears after a serious illness, the tongue is red and has no coating, and there is discomfort, it is also due to yin deficiency and requires drug treatment.

5. Teeth marks on the tongue

Some people have an obese body and an enlarged tongue with tooth marks on the edges of the tongue and a thin white tongue coating. If there is no obvious discomfort, it is because they are too fat. According to traditional Chinese medicine theory, "fat people have more phlegm and dampness" and their spleen and stomach functions are relatively insufficient, which can easily lead to problems in food digestion and absorption. These people should eat less greasy and indigestible food, eat more vegetables, fruits and light food, and exercise appropriately. If the tongue coating is thick and greasy, there are tooth marks on the edge of the tongue, there is no appetite, the abdomen is bloated, and the stool is loose and thin, it means that there is excessive phlegm and dampness. In addition to eating light and easily digestible food, medication should be used for treatment.

6. Red tongue, thick fur, and constipation

Some people do not have a bowel movement for several days, have bad breath, thick tongue coating, red tips of the tongue, and yellow urine. This is due to excessive stomach fire. There is excessive heat in the stomach, and turbid air goes up against the flow and fumigates the mouth and tongue, resulting in bad breath, yellow tongue coating, heat damaging body fluids, and loss of moisture in the intestines, resulting in dry and hard stools. At this time, you can take Chinese medicine such as rhubarb, coptis chinensis, scutellaria baicalensis, gardenia, etc. to clear away heat and reduce fire. In terms of diet, you need to avoid alcohol and spicy and hot foods such as peppers, mutton, etc. Eat more vegetables, fruits and light foods, and drink plenty of water.

7. Purple tongue

When the blood contains a large amount of waste and the body is insufficiently supplied with water, the oxygen-deficient blood and oxygen-containing blood will mix together, causing the blood vessels to turn purple. If in addition to the purple tongue, you also feel stiff shoulders and back pain, it only means that there are too many toxins deposited in your body! You might as well stick to a light diet for a week, take a sauna, and maintain regular, light aerobic exercise, and the toxins will be excreted quickly.

8. Thin tongue coating

The tongue coating falls off for unknown reasons and the surface of the tongue becomes uneven in color. This is medically called "geographic tongue". Korean medical experts pointed out that people with allergies are most likely to experience this condition, especially in spring and autumn. The appearance of "geographic tongue" indicates that your resistance is declining. It is recommended that you stay away from allergens such as pollen, seafood, small insects, etc. during this period to avoid being "infected".