 Tung diagnosis is a tried and tested, artful observation skill used by acupuncturists for thousands of years. Tung analysis can be broken down into three smaller identification tools. First, we can observe the tongue's body color and shape, the tongue coating, and the amount of moisture on the tongue to assess the patient's internal body conditions. The internal conditions of the body will be reflected onto the tongue. So, we can utilize tongue observation to paint a better picture of which organs, substances, and pathogens are involved in a patient's diagnosis and accompanying symptoms. A normal tongue is light red in color with a thin white coating. This healthy coating is produced when we need a healthy diet which limits cold, raw, processed, and spicy foods. Depending on where the color is the most visible helps guide us toward a diagnosis. For example, red tongue tip indicates heat in the heart organ called heart fire. Heart fire patients often have symptoms that include vivid and disturbing drains. The shape of the tongue is another gray indicator. A swollen tongue body is abnormal. If the tongue body is both swollen and pale with excess moisture, it may indicate young deficiency. For example, a patient with spleen-young deficiency due to overwork or poor diet would have an especially swollen and wet tongue. If you do have any of these tongue patterns or notice that your tongue doesn't match the normal tongue, there's no need to worry. All tongue patterns and accompanying diagnoses can be changed and treated with acupuncture and other traditional Chinese medicine modalities.