Prostatic Hypertrophy in Traditional Chinese Medicine

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

The tongue in Kidney Yang Deficiency is characteristically pale and puffy, often with a soft, tender quality and visible indentations from the teeth along its edges. The surface tends to be wet or slippery, reflecting the body's inability to properly transform and move fluids. The coating is white and may appear moist or slippery. In more severe cases, the tongue can become quite swollen and waterlogged in appearance. The root of the tongue (corresponding to the Kidney area) may appear particularly pale or enlarged.

Choppy (Se), Slippery (Hua), Wiry (Xian), Deep (Chen)

The tongue body is typically purple or dark-purple, often with visible stasis spots or petechiae, reflecting the Blood Stasis component. It may also be somewhat swollen or puffy with teeth marks along the edges, indicating the Phlegm-Dampness element. The coating is characteristically white and greasy or sticky, pointing to Phlegm accumulation. The sublingual veins are frequently distended, dark, and tortuous. In cases where the pattern has persisted for some time or there is underlying Cold, the tongue may appear bluish-purple rather than reddish-purple.

Choppy (Se), Wiry (Xian)

The tongue body is typically dark purple or dusky, sometimes with visible purplish spots or patches, particularly along the edges. A key finding is distension and darkening of the sublingual veins, which appear engorged, tortuous, or branched when the tongue is lifted. The tongue coating is usually thin and white, as this is primarily a Blood-level pattern rather than one involving significant Dampness or Heat. In cases where the stasis has persisted for a long time and Yin has begun to be consumed, the tongue may appear somewhat dry. If Cold is a prominent contributing factor, the tongue may lean toward a bluish-purple hue.