Origins of Tongue Reading
The tongue, In Ayurvedic medicine, as well as Chinese and traditional Greek medicine, is a used as a tool for helping diagnose issues within the body. It is often called the window to the inner body and for this reason, it can be a great tool for you to help keep tabs on your own health. The tongue can let you know about:
The health of your organs
Malabsorption
Parasites
Dosha imbalances (Vata, Pitta, Kaffa)
Emotional imbalances
Thyroid imbalances
Anemia
Spine issues
Areas of the Tongue
Each area of the tongue is associated with a different organ in the body.Straight down the middle is the spine, with the cervical spine being near the tip of the tongue. So an example would be if you have pain along the center line of the tongue, it can signify a misalignment in the spine. Where the pain is, can show where the misalignment would be. The very tip of the tongue is not marked well in this diagram, but it corresponds to the thyroid gland. The front sides, the lungs; the middle of the sides, the spleen and liver; the back sides, the kidneys, the back center the intestines, then coming forward the pancreas, stomach and heart.
Indications of the Tongue
Coating and color
Any type of coating on the tongue is a sign of toxin build up and overall poor digestion. Where it is located on the tongue correlates to where the toxin build-up is in the body. Most commonly it is located in the back of the tongue relating to the colon area. If the entire tongue is coated, it means there is a toxin build up in the blood.Color is another helpful diagnostic tool. A coating that is whitish indicates the toxins are Kaffa and causing a Kaffa imbalance. If the coating is yellow, green, red or orange, it means the toxins are Pitta and indicate a Pitta imbalance. If the coating is black, brown or grey, you can assume Vata toxins and a Vata imbalance. knowing the dosha helps to determine the treatment.
Cracks
Generally, the presence of cracks on the tongue is a sign of Vata imbalance.There is a line that runs down the center of the tongue. It relates to the spine, the base of the spine being at the back and the cervical spine at the tip. any cracks or pain located along that line are indications that there are stress and emotions being held in that location of the spine. For example, if there is a crack at the tip of the tongue there will most likely be pain, tension, and misalignment in the cervical spine region.If there are many cracks, there is a strong Vata imbalance manifesting most likely in a nervous disorder such as anxiety, insomnia, fear, and insecurity.
Swollen Tongue
A swollen tongue is a sign that there is inflammation within the body. It can also reveal an allergy or Kaffa imbalance such as hypothyroidism, obesity, fluid retention etc. Swelling of the tongue should be investigated further by examination in order to determine the cause and address it.
Red Inflamed Papillae
Red dots or papillae on your tongue are normal. When the papillae on the tongue become inflamed and raised, it indicates excess heat/ Pitta energy. Too much heat like this can cause ulcers, hyperacidity, headaches, irritability, and fever This inflammation can be a sign of Pita imbalance in that area of the body. It can be corrected by Pitta balancing exercises and diet.
Pale Tongue
Your tongue is a constructed of muscle and blood vessels. Its normal color is dark pink/red, so when it is a pale pink, that is a sign of low red blood cells and possible anemia. It can be due to something as simple as heavy menstruation or more serious like iron or B12 deficiency, stomach ulcer, parasitic infection or even a side effect from certain medications.
Teeth Marks Around the Edge of the Tongue
Impressions on the edge of the tongue from the teeth are an indication of malabsorption and show a deficiency in the body's vital nutrients.Malabsorption literally translated is bad absorption. For some reason, your body is not absorbing the vital nutrients it needs. It could be from you not eating right, chronic loose stools, poor digestion, inflammation of the digestive tract, food allergies, toxin build up or parasites. Once the issue has been resolved, the teeth marks should disappear. In some situations, though, these marks are due to a swollen tongue and are caused by an inflammation in the body.
Hollow in the Heart Area
If you look at the area of the tongue correlating to the heart and see a hollow area, it is a sign of unresolved sadness, grief, or depression. The more prominent the area, the more chance it is chronic or long-lasting. In this particular photo, there are also signs of bodywide toxins.
How to use this information in your life
Wholistic living is all about being in touch with our body, mind, soul, emotions and the world around us. So it is always a good thing have tools to help us do just that. Make a habit every morning to examine your tongue before you brush your teeth and scrape your tongue. It will likely change day to day depending on your food choices and health. It can also be your first diagnostic tool when you are starting to feel a bit off and you can use it to guide you to home remedies. If however, you continue to feel unwell, get worse or if you find any abnormality in your tongue, please contact an Ayurvedic practitioner or your primary care doctor.