THE ART OF VISUAL DIAGNOSIS ACTION GUIDE Visual diagnosis is an ancient tool used by traditional healers to help discover the strengths and weaknesses, health (or lack of health), within the body. Once awareness of what is happening inside the body becomes evident, it can be used to diagnose or prevent an illness from manifesting. FOUR TYPES OF DIAGNOSIS All of your senses are needed to properly diagnose a patient: 1. Observe examine the patient using your eyes and intuition 2. Touch use your hands to physically feel the patient s body 3. Smell humans have an odor (sweet, sour, old, stale, moldy, rancid, etc.) 4. Listen - ask questions about job, family, life, condition, and listen to the answers No two bodies are exactly alike, not even twins. It is imperative to approach each person as if exploring new territory. Take notes of everything you discover. FACIAL DIAGNOSIS We begin diagnosis with the face because it s usually the first thing we notice when looking at someone. According to visual diagnosis it s possible to assess the internal condition of the patient by viewing the face. The face is the sensory center of the body and can tell us almost everything we need to know about a person s condition. There are 4 entryways into the body located on your face The mouth is the entrance to the digestive tract. The nose is the entrance to the respiratory system. The eyes are directly connected to the optic nerve, brain and nervous system. The ears are the auditory system (hearing).
Face-organ correlation from How to See Your Health, by Michio Kushi, Japan Publications 1980, p31 FOREHEAD There are generally three lines on the forehead, and if parallel, can indicate a welldeveloped brain and orderly mentality. If these lines go in various directions this could indicate mental instability, lack of focus and possibly schizophrenia. The forehead also reveals the condition of the intestines. The intestines job is to absorb nutrients from food. Lines on the forehead can show how well we absorb nutrients from food. Lines on the forehead can show how well we absorb information from life (through thinking). THE EARS The ears, according to Chinese Medicine, are associated with the kidneys, they even look like kidneys (similar shape and size). The constitutional strength of the kidneys is revealed in well-developed ears with a tapered lobe. Ringing in the ears (not caused by loud noise) is actually considered a kidney problem. Chronic wet ears reveal the kidneys are not functioning properly. Ear infections, especially in children, can indicate there is too much sweet liquid being ingested (fruit juice, sweet drinks).
EYEBROWS The eyebrows reveal the mothers eating while the child was in the womb. Thin eyebrows indicate a frail constitution, while thick eyebrows shows a strong constitution. A balanced eyebrow has a soft arc with hair of consistent thickness that flows in one direction. Eyebrows also reveal the length and quality of life. Sparse or thin eyebrows indicate a person should protect their health and avoid extremes in both diet and lifestyle. Eyebrows and hair naturally thins as we age (losing life force). If eyebrows are thinning at a young age it could indicate thyroid disease, cancer or other debilitating illness. EYES The eyes can reveal the condition of the entire body and the specifically the brain and nervous system. An iris that seems to touch both the upper and lower lid indicates a balanced internal condition. If the eyes are excessively blinking or twitching, look to the nervous system for the cause: the person may be using too many stimulants like coffee or chocolate, or they may be suffering from an inability to handle stress. Our eyes can reveal our innermost thoughts as they are directly connected to our brain. Lower Sanpaku this is evident when you can see three whites of the eyes. The iris floats upward and shows the white of the eye below. This can indicate a serious condition. The person may be exhausted, gravely ill, or approaching death. This condition is also common among drug users. The drug user disconnects from his/her physical body and nervous system. Upper Sanpaku this condition is where the iris floats down and you see the upper white of the eye. This can reveal an extreme condition where the person is excessively inwardly focused and could be dangerous or violent. You naturally see this condition in babies, but they grow out of it.3 The area under the eyes reveals the condition of the kidneys. The kidneys are responsible for the flow of Ki (energy). It s imperative to protect and nourish our Ki. The area below the eye darkens as we drain our Ki reserves. Overly salty and/or spiced food can also cause darkness under the eyes. Excessive consumption of liquid causes the area below the eye to swell. Iced cold food and drinks can harm the kidneys. The sciatic nerve running down the back of the leg is detrimentally affected by cold food and drinks (kidney contraction).
Kidney stones can be seen in hard pimples or dark dots on the pouches just below the eye. Gallstones can be seen in hard pimples, moles or skin tags above the eye and just below the eyebrow. THE NOSE The condition of the heart correlates to the nose. A cleft in the nose can indicate a heart murmur created in utero. Overall reddened face and nose indicates a pronounced heart condition. The nose of an alcoholic becomes splotchy and red with broken capillaries, as does the nose of a sugar junkie! Alcohol in excessive quantities weakens the circulatory system, causing capillaries to expand losing their strength and integrity. If the bridge of the nose is red with broken capillaries it can indicate hypoglycemia or pancreatitis. The nose, at the nostrils, reveals the constitutional strength and condition of the lungs. The nostrils can become red and tender with the over consumption of dairy, sugar, and sweets. Red nostrils reveal the bronchi are congested and inflamed which is evident when we are sick with a cold or flu. THE MOUTH The digestive tract begins at the mouth and ends at the anus. The mouth shows the condition of the intestines. If the lips dry it can indicate constipation. It can also indicate the person is not drinking enough water. Distension on the lips reveals a corresponding swelling in the intestines. The upper lip shows the stomach and small intestine. The lower lip shows the large intestine and the colon. White, pale lips indicate a lack of blood and poor circulation. Purple, dark red or brown lips can show blood stagnation (extreme cold condition). The corners of the mouth reveal the condition of the duodenum. Sores in the corner of the mouth indicate too much fat in the diet. Fat builds up causing the liver and gallbladder to secrete bile acids to break down the fat. The more bile acids, the harsher the digestive environment, causing sores on the corners of the mouth. THE TONGUE The tongue reveals much about the present condition of health. The tongue should be pink, clean and clear, and have a light coating. This indicates good digestion and circulation.
Pale tongue: kidney/adrenal weakness, anemia, joint problems Red overall color: inflammation, allergies, anxiety, stress and fear Red-tipped tongue: allergies Expanded tongue (with scalloped edges): weak digestion, too many sweets, too much liquid, overeating Yellow coating: too much bile in the system (LV/GB), eating too many fats White coating: overeating, especially sweet baked goods, excessive carbohydrates (including whole grains), dairy and other sweets Dark red areas: indicate inflammation in corresponding organs White spots: lack of blood (deficiency), stagnation of blood, and poor circulation in corresponding organs Purple or blue tongue: serious blood stagnation Cracked tongue: exhaustion, diabetes, heart disease and vitamin/mineral deficiencies Shaky tongue: liver stress, liver imbalance, stressed nervous system Before committing to a final analysis, the observer (health practitioner) must consider the whole person and not just one organ or just the external body. The external body is only one element to deciphering a person s condition. The practitioner needs to go deeper into the emotional and spiritual body to make a truly wise assessment.
Observe at least ONE person and write down anything you discover. Use the four types of diagnosis: 1. Observe examine using your eyes and intuition 2. Touch physically feel the patient 3. Smell humans have an odor (sweet, sour, stale, moldy) 4. Listen ask questions about job, family, life, condition What is the texture and color of the person s skin? Is it even colored or blotchy? Does anything stand out? Does the person have any moles, blemishes or skin tags anywhere on their face? How does the person s eyes look: bright, blurry, tired, red? What does the area directly around the eyes look like? (eye bags, discoloration, puffy or sunken under eyes) Are the lips smooth and pink? Dry? Swollen?
Were you able to make any connection between something on the face and a physical condition the person may be suffering with? Please elaborate: Please note anything else that called your attention: