Tongue diagnosis or evaluation of the tongue is one of the key tools that many traditional practitioners use to determine the cause of one`s illness. Given that the tongue is the first step on the digestive tract, scanning it allows us to determine what is going on under the inner digestive skin.
The inner digestive skin is an important factor in determining our overall health. Here is a list of some of the things the digestive skin is responsible for:
- Where 80% of the immune system is found
- Hosting of trillions of beneficial microbes
- Where 95% of the serotonin for mood health is derived
- The delivery of all vitamins, minerals and nutrients
- Regulates genetic and epigenetic changes to the human genome
- The protective barrier to ward off environmental toxins
Based on the variations between body types, a healthy tongue will be:
- You would be able to see small cylindrical taste buds on the entire top surface of the tongue.
- It would be not too wet and not too dry – it would be just right!
- Pink – not pale, scarlet, or red.
- The pinkish color would be consistent across the entire tongue.
- There would be a very thin white coating of mucus on the tongue.
- There would be no teeth marks on the sides of the tongue.
- You would not see any cracks on the tongue.
Looking For Imbalances: Tongue Diagnosis
The epithelium of the stomach is the most directly connected to the appearance of the tongue. The quality of the mucus lining is often seen on the lining of the tongue.
1. Movie Star Tongue
The movie star tongue looks smooth, red, and moist. In case of excess acid in the stomach, the tongue reflects it by turning red. The taste buds contract and give it a smooth appearance. As for the moisture, it becomes moist in order to protect the lining of the stomach.
2. IBS Tongue
The IBS tongue looks wet, pale, and smooth reflecting intestinal stress and irritation. The paleness reflects the stomach stopping the product of stomach acid to prevent further irritation.
3. Acid Tongue
Acid tongue reflects the symptoms of occasional heartburn. When stomach acid accumulates and starts moving upwards, it irritates the tongue, mouth, esophagus, and stomach, leaving the stomach smooth, dry and red.
4. Boggy Tongue
Boggy tongue represents a digestive problem that has been already solved. The result is a swollen, pale, wet and coated tongue.
5. Malabsorption Tongue
Malabsorption tongue looks discolored, reddish in one area and pale in another.
6. Stress Tongue
It will have many small cracks on it and is very dry.
7. Spinal Or CNS Stress Tongue
It represents either spinal stress due to an injury or chronic stress in the central nervous system.
8. Wet Tongue
It could be a result of excess mucus from irritated stomach lining, undigested proteins, excessive stress or irritated intestinal wall.
9. Dry Tongue
Dry tongue indicates that the stomach lacks proper hydration to digest foods.
10. Pale Tongue
A pale tongue indicates a lack of stomach acid and digestive enzymes needed to properly digest food.
11. Ama Tongue
The tongue is covered by a thick coating, which indicates a buildup of toxins in the large intestine.
12. Swollen Tongue
A swollen tongue may indicate congested lymphatic system backing up into the cervical lymph nodes, tonsils, adenoids, and tongue.