Orange tongues!
A divorce coach and therapist colleague has a client who has developed an orange tongue.
Jackie Walker does some amazing work with higher self therapy clearing, and found that a client she had been working with and encouraging to drink more water (on discovering that she drank virtually none) developed an orange tongue.
As a GP I know that we don't have any answers for orange tongues, and we would all suggest that the patient just see how it improves - "watchful waiting". Candida (thrush) tends to give a white coating or just redness and soreness, while "geographic" tongue is just a white patch that is constantly changing, for which we don't have an answer and that can cause pain.
As a holistic doctor I would recommend firstly rehydration, and secondly consult a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine - they use tongue signs prominently in their assessments in a way that most of my (non-holistic) colleagues would find difficult to relate to.
Some of the responses that Jackie has received are outlined below, including some of the signs that a traditional Chinese medic would use.
The problems that need to be watched out for with tongues would be a lesion, particularly an ulcer, that stays in the same place for 3 weeks or more, especially if there are associated enlarged glands - that needs to be referred to ensure it is not malignant. That does not seem to be the situation here.
Water is essential to health and well-being - it amazes me how little water some people drink. I would recommend approximately 2 litres of water per day, more in hot weather or if you are in an over-heated environment. If you suffer from incontinence (I am one of the doctors at the local incontinence clinic) we recommend 1.5 to 2l fluid intake if possible, but caffeine and theophylline (in tea) make incontinence worse. Do try herbal teas and even just hot water - I drink this regularly, and it is just as comforting on a cold day as tea or coffee!
Regards,
Alison
Some of Jackie's responses:
A redder than normal tongue would indicate excess heat. A paler than normal might indicate excess cold. A dark tongue indicates some form of stagnation. A purple tongue could indicate a problem with liver chi. A yellow moss on the tongue indicates excess heat and the deeper the yellow, the greater the heat. Heat is yang and so is dryness. As red and yellow together make orange, you may be right to suggest that the colour is associated with dehydration.
Yellow coating on the tongue, dark urine and ruddy complexion, aversion to heat and attraction to icy drinks etc, may suggest excess yang and body heat.
Dark red tongue or pale tongue may suggest liver stagnancy.
If the orange colouring of the tongue has appeared with the sudden increase in water intake, I would suggest reducing it again to the level it was before and increasing it much more slowly, with the supplement of some detoxing herbs, recommended by a herbalist.
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