Tongue Diagnosis - the basics
If you are beginning to work with me personally, I will ask you to describe your tongue to me. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tongue Diagnosis is an important tool to tell us the condition of the internal organs. It, along with the Pulse Diagnosis, function as our “X rays” to monitor the various internal organs. While I cannot take your pulse at long distance, you can describe your tongue to me (or take a pic, if it is possible). The tongue, along with the replies to the questions on the Intake form, and a few follow-up questions to get more detail will allow me to understand your health to determine a balanced course of therapy.

Make sure to look at the tongue in as natural light as possible.

What to Look For:
Body of tongue:
1. what color is the body of your tongue, red, pink, pale, or is there a purplish hue to it as well;

2. are there any blisters, or other blemishes on it; or are there very small red speckles;

3. does the body of the tongue show a lot of cracks, and/or is there a deep crack running down the center line;

4. does the body look “puffy”, i.e. does it look overly large for your mouth; or is it very narrow, with a sharply pointed tip;

5. if it is puffy, is there also a ripply, sort of wavy quality to the edges, or are they smooth;

6. are the edges, and/or the tip a dark red;

7. does it shake when you stick it out to look at it, or can you only extend the tip a little;

Coat:
8. what color is the coating, thick white, thin white, thin yellow, thick yellow, brown or black, or is there no noticeable coat at all;

9. does the coat look moist or dry, or does it perhaps have a very glossy almost mirrorlike quality;

10. are there patches where there is no coat at all, like holes in the coat, or perhaps just small areas of a coat, with most of the tongue having none.

Blood Pressure:
Have you had your blood pressure taken recently? If not, please do, and then keep an eye on it periodically, and keep a record. If you don’t know anyone with a cuff, or digital home meter, several major Drugstore chains have a free blood pressure machine (usually back in the pharmacy area). While these machines, and the home digital ones, are not the most accurate, they are close enough for the purpose.

Other Possible Tests:
If you are going to be using near maximum dosages, and intend to maintain therapy through full transition, it would be a good idea the have a baseline set of blood/urine tests done. This provides clinical information about the functioning of the organs, and make sure they also test for hormone levels (including female hormones). As you progress through therapy, it is then possible for you to monitor the changes of hormone levels over time. Additionally, you can keep track of the organ functions, especially the Liver. While these tests are generally not required, if it is possible for you to get them it is useful information. If you are not attempting a full transition, or you are transitioning very slowly, these tests are not criticle, although still helpful to monitor the internal organs.