Dr Debbie Smith, Plettenberg bay, Garden route, Bryanston

Why sticking out your tongue is good manners

Have you ever wondered why I ask you to stick your tongue out when you come for a consultation?

In Chinese Medicine, this is one of the major diagnostic tools used to make a diagnosis.

The tongue can reveal so many different imbalances:

  • Anxiety
  • Too much worry
  • Infection
  • Liver issues
  • Blood stagnation (fatigue, period problems, pain in the body)
  • Digestive system issues
  • Anger issues
  • Bladder problems

We look at the shape of your tongue, color, cracks, coating, and movement of your tongue. When a person is very stressed, they can’t keep their tongue still. I bet you just looked in the mirror 😉

A deep groove in the middle of the tongue indicates digestion weakness.

Under the tongue one wants the colour of the blood vessels to be less purple. Purple blood vessels indicates stagnation which may show sluggish blood flow, for females period problems etc.

Overtime the tongue can change shape and colour as healing improves or if the condition is not treated and gets worse.

As a side note, when your tongue is white, it indicates ‘ cold’ whereas yellow indicates ‘heat’. Antibiotics have a cooling action so if you are already ‘cold’ and take anti-biotics, it will make you ‘colder’ and in theory take you much longer to resolve the issue.

Here is an example of a tongue diagnosis with a case:

  • Heart Fire Flaming Upward (Xin Huo Shang Yan)
  • Western diagnosis – High blood pressure, glossitis (burning tongue)

Symptoms:

Intense emotional symptoms such as inner restlessness, anxiety, sleep disorders with nightmares, emotional instability and impulsiveness, red face, erosion and ulceration in the mouth area, bitter taste in the mouth, and dark urine.

TongueRed tip, yellow fur, red dots

Causes

Too many overly spicy and warming foods

Strong emotional agitation and strain, such as long-suppressed fears and worries, can suddenly discharge as heart fire flaming upward.

Avoid:

  • Thermal nature Warming foods and cooking methods
  • Flavor Bitter–hot, acrid–hot
  • Alcohol, acrid spices

Recommended:

  • Thermal nature Cool and cold foods
  • Fruit Rhubarb, watermelons, lemons
  • Vegetables Raw vegetable salads, tomatoes, dandelion
  • Black and green tea

Comment/Prognosis:

In its acute stage, this syndrome can be only marginally improved through dietary therapy. It can, however, benefit from nutritional therapy in the long term. Treatment should focus on acupuncture and Chinese herbal remedies.

Extract from Chinese Nutrition therapy, Joerg Kastner, M.D., L.Ac.

Hope you still have lots of times that you will stick your tongue out to me 🤣

Have a great day

Dr Debbie

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