🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Atrophic glossitis refers to atrophic changes in the tongue mucosa caused by various diseases, corresponding to "mirror-like tongue" or "cracked tongue" in TCM, with good therapeutic outcomes.
Nourishing Yin and Lowering Fire: Used primarily for liver-kidney yin deficiency. Common symptoms include dry mouth, tongue pain, reduced appetite, red and glossy tongue, or peeled coating. Accompanying symptoms include tidal fever, night sweats, tinnitus, sore waist and knees, five palms heat, restless sleep, constipation. Women may have heavy, bright red periods with abdominal pain, or dark blood with clots, irregular cycles. Pulse is deep and fine or slippery and rapid. Commonly use Zhi Bai Di Huang Tang and Er Zhi Wan with modifications: Zhi Mu, Huang Bai, Dan Pi, Di Gu Pi, Qing Hao, Bo Jia, Shan Yu Rou, Yun Ling, Shan Yao, Nv Zhen Zi, Zao Lian Cao, Shi Hu, Xuan Shen, Tian Dong, Dang Gui, Hua Fen.
Nourishing Lung and Stomach: Treats lung-stomach heat accumulation, consuming body fluids, stomach yin deficiency, insufficient yin fluids failing to ascend. Presents with dry throat and tongue pain, red and glossy tongue or cracked tongue. Accompanying symptoms include thirst with desire to drink, profuse sweating, heat intolerance, dry cough with little phlegm, poor appetite, constipation, reversed qi causing vomiting, restlessness, poor sleep, wiry, fine, scattered pulse. Use modified Bai Hu Tang and Sha Shen Mai Dong Tang: Sheng Shi Gao, Zhi Mu, Sha Shen, Yu Zhu, Sang Ye, Mai Dong, Hua Fen, Gan Cao, Bai Shao, Sheng Di, Dang Gui, Shi Hu, Shan Yao.
Strengthening Spleen and Nourishing Blood: For spleen-stomach weakness impairing transportation, failing to transform food into qi and blood, leading to blood deficiency unable to nourish the tongue. Presents with deep cracks on the tongue surface, or pale, smooth tongue without coating. Accompanying symptoms include poor appetite, epigastric distension, fatigue, dry tongue pain, constipation or loose stools, women have light, pale menstruation, lower back and abdominal discomfort, weak, slow, or deep, weak pulse. Use modified Gui Pi Tang and Sha Shen Mai Dong Tang: Bai Zhu, Tai Zi Shen, Huang Qi, Dang Gui, Yuan Zhi, Chao Zao Ren, Long Yan Rou, Sha Shen, Mai Dong, Yu Zhu, Hua Fen, Zhi Mu, Shu Di, Shan Yao, Yun Ling, Gan Cao.
Clearing Heart Fire and Soothing Liver: Due to overwork or emotional injury causing heart-liver fire excess, intense heat consuming yin fluids, insufficient yin fluids failing to ascend. Presents with dry mouth and throat, numbness and pain on the tongue, red and glossy tongue or cracked tongue. Accompanying symptoms include irritability, easy anger, insomnia with vivid dreams, chest tightness, rib distension or pain, poor appetite, hot painful urination, constipation, tinnitus, deafness, wiry, fine, rapid pulse. Use modified Dao Chi San and Yu Nu Jian: Sheng Di, Mu Tong, Gan Cao, Lian Qiao, Huang Qin, Long Dan Cao, Zhi Zi, Sha Shen, Sheng Shi Gao, Zhi Mu, Dang Gui, Tian Dong, Mai Dong, Hua Fen, Yu Zhu, Zhu Ye, Sang Ye.
Atrophic glossitis has a long course and varied presentations, varying by individual, but always stems from dietary habits, emotions, overwork, causing organ dysfunction—either heat depleting fluids or deficiency causing insufficient fluids. Without upward moisture, the mouth and throat dry, the tongue turns red, peels, becomes glossy, or develops deep cracks. Thus, these four methods complement each other and should be selected based on syndrome differentiation.