Clear Urination in Traditional Chinese Medicine

Deep (Chen), Slow (Chi), Weak (Ruo)

The tongue is characteristically pale, often puffy and tender-looking with scalloped edges (teeth marks) along the sides, indicating that fluids are not being properly transformed. The coating is thin, white, and moist or even wet, reflecting internal Cold and the lack of warming Yang. The tongue body may appear slightly swollen due to fluid accumulation. There is no redness, dryness, or yellow discolouration. In more severe cases, the tongue may become very pale, almost white, with a very wet or slippery surface.

Floating (Fu), Tight (Jin)

In a typical Exterior-Cold presentation, the tongue often shows very little change from normal, which itself is diagnostically significant. The body colour remains a normal light red or may be slightly pale in someone with a weaker constitution. The coating is thin, white, and moist or slightly wet, reflecting the Cold and the fact that body fluids have not been damaged. There is no yellow coating, no dryness, and no reddening of the tongue tip or edges. If the tongue begins to show red edges or a yellow tinge to the coating, this suggests the pattern is transforming into Heat, and the diagnosis should be reconsidered.

Deep (Chen), Slow (Chi), Weak (Ruo)

The tongue is characteristically pale and moist or wet, reflecting the underlying Yang deficiency and accumulation of Cold. It tends to be swollen with teeth marks along the edges, indicating that the Spleen is failing to transform fluids properly. The coating is white and slippery rather than dry. There should be no red spots or purple discoloration; if these appear, they suggest transformation into a different pattern (Heat or Blood Stasis).

Deep (Chen), Weak (Ruo), Slow (Chi), Fine (Xi)

The tongue is characteristically pale and enlarged, often appearing puffy and tender with clearly visible teeth marks along the edges. The coating is white and slippery (sometimes described as white and greasy if Dampness is prominent). The overall impression is of a waterlogged tongue lacking vitality. In more severe cases with significant fluid retention, the tongue may appear particularly bloated and wet. The tongue body has a soft, almost gelatinous quality when compared to a healthy tongue, reflecting the failure of Yang to maintain tissue tone.