YOUR TONGUE AND YOUR HEALTH

The tongue is a muscular organ in the mouth. Tiny bumps called papillae give the tongue its rough texture. Thousands of taste buds cover the surfaces of the papillae.  Taste buds are collections of nerve-like cells that connect to nerves running into the brain. 

A healthy tongue is slightly moist, pink, and has a very slight white coat. It is flexible, not swollen, and without any teeth marks on the sides.

SECRETS THAT YOUR TONGUE REVEALS ABOUT YOUR HEALTH

 The shape

It indicates the state of the a)blood and b)energy

a) State of blood flow

How your body flows blood is a very important aspect of your general wellness. In Chinese medicine, we throw around terminology of "blood deficiency" or "excess blood.” This isn't correlated to anaemia. What we like to consider it correlating to is the quality of your blood; if your blood doesn't have the right energy behind it, it can be sluggish, causing weakness, or if there is an excess, it can create inflammation.

If a tongue is really red, it indicates that the body has excessive heat in the body. The body may have the following symptoms: body feels hot, easy to perspire, red face, takes time to fall asleep or vivid dreams, constipation, pungent dark stool, hunger (eats more), very emotional (easy to get anxious), or if you're a woman, your period comes early. Some may have disorders including hyperactive thyroid, high blood pressure, or menopause.

If a tongue is pale, it indicates that the body has a lack of proper digestion, energy, and blood flow. You may have some of the following symptoms: lack of energy, pale face, dizziness (especially upon standing), shortness of breath, sluggish bowel movement, bloating after eating, scanty period (one or two days), little or no milk production after labour. These people may also have the following disorders: low blood pressure, anaemia or infertility, and frequent miscarriage.

If a tongue is purplish or darkish, it indicates a lack of proper blood circulation. You may have the some of the following symptoms: body aches/pain; joint, neck, and shoulder stiffness and pain; chest pain; headaches or period pain with blood clots and brownish bleeding. These people may suffer disorders such as endometriosis, poly-cystic ovaries, migraines, and arthritis.

A quivering or trembling tongue body indicates a chronic condition that has drained the body's energy and caused some level of fatigue and tiredness. When the tongue has a puffy body with ridges on the side, it indicates that the body is so tired that even the muscle of the tongue doesn't have adequate energy to hold itself in place, so it's super relaxed in the mouth, taking the shape of the teeth. The teeth are literally holding your tongue in place.

You may have symptoms such as body heaviness, puffy and heavy limbs, bloating, lack of energy, sluggish bowel movement, easy to gain weight or hard to lose weight, weight gain before your period, or puffy face and eyes in the morning. Bodies with stuck energy might present with disorders such as under active thyroid, chronic fatigue syndrome, or potentially poly-cystic ovaries.

The coating on the tongue and colour of the tongue

The coating reflects the state of the gall bladder, stomach, large intestines, bladder and the level of hydration.

• Yellow tongue – a yellow tongue or coating is often the result of a bacterial or fungal infection.
• Furry tongue – a thick coating can represent an infection on the tongue, oral thrush or dehydration. This can impair taste and cause bad breath.
• No coating – if no coating is present on the tongue there may be inefficiencies in the digestive system.
• White coating indicates a cold influence on the lung or large intestine
• Black coating - especially when located at the base of the tongue, points to severe internal heat or kidney disease
  

 The colour of the tongue reflects the health of the body's internal organs and blood circulation.

• Pale – could indicate your blood is lacking haemoglobin, especially if the tongue is also extremely smooth. You may also feel tired and lethargic. Ensure you eat iron-rich foods.
• Red – bright red suggests that the tongue is inflamed. This is often due to nutritional deficiencies in iron and B-vitamins. It may also indicate excess heat both in the tongue and in certain organs.
• Purple – can indicate high cholesterol levels and poor circulation that results in stagnant blood in the tongue. This is often the result of lifestyle, diet, and medications. Ginger and garlic can be beneficial.  a Purple discolouration suggests a disorder caused by blood clotting somewhere in the body.
• Yellow - is typical of an external heat influence
• Reddish colour of the body of the tongue indicates internal heat with weakening ‘Yin’

 The moisture of the tongue

 Moisture reflects the state of bodily fluids.

The coating on the tongue indicates the level of hydration.

When the body isn't hydrated, the tongue immediately looks and feels dry. You may have some of the following symptoms: insomnia, vivid dreams, hot flashes, constipation, dry skin, thirst, heartburn, or hunger. It's common that dehydrated tongues to also struggle with hyperactive thyroid, menopause, high blood pressure, depression, anxiety, or gastric ulcers.

If you have a thick, greasy coating, it is an indicator that your body has lots of dampness and fluid. This is an expression of polarities. Either you are consuming too many greasy, cloying foods that aren't right for your body and your body can't get rid of the grease or because you are already dehydrated and the water capacity is now turbid and thick, causing a different level of dehydration. With this tongue coating, you may suffer from symptoms such as heavy arms and legs, bloating, lack of energy, stiff joints, weight gain, sluggish bowel movement. These people usually have high cholesterol or fatty liver.

A thick yellow coating, right in the center of the tongue, means your body is dehydrated and can't digest your food. You may have some of the following symptoms: body heat, sweating, body odor, and bad breath, yellow urine, constipation, pungent or dark stool, pass lots of gas, bloating, red face, vivid dreams or nightmares, or insomnia. These people may also suffer from high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, liver or gallbladder disease.

An uneven coating indicates an issue with hydration in your stomach and liver. You may suffer from symptoms such as heartburn, stomach pain, interrupted sleep, vivid dreams, dry skin, and discomfort of the side of the body. Health problems that can accompany this include liver and stomach disorders or gastric ulcers.