5 Golden Questions for Reading the Body
You’ve noticed a spot on your tongue, a line on your nail, a new dryness in your skin.
We usually react in one of two ways:
- Either we ignore it completely, put on cream or nail polish, and move on.
- Or we immediately search online, read about the worst possibility and worry.
Neither is right. There is a third way in between: asking the right questions.
Why ask questions?
Clinical diagnosis is the art of observation, questioning, touch, listening and bringing signs together.
A good doctor doesn’t look at a single sign and decide. They ask questions and look for a pattern by bringing the answers together.
You can use the same method when observing your own body.
5 golden questions
1. Was this feature always there, or is it new?
This is perhaps the most important question. Someone who has had thin nails since childhood is not the same as someone whose nails have thinned in the last six months.
A new change matters more than an old feature.
2. Is it local, or is it seen in several parts of the body?
A change in a single nail is usually due to a local cause (a knock, an infection). If several nails, and even the skin and hair, have changed, a general cause is more likely.
3. What other signs appeared during the same period?
Sleep, appetite, thirst, energy, weight, digestion, elimination, sweating… A single sign says little; the accompanying signs complete the story.
4. What makes it better, and what makes it worse?
Does it change with a particular food, season, stress, sleep pattern or medicine? This is a strong clue to the cause.
5. Do these changes together form a particular pattern?
For example: dry skin + always feeling cold + dry hair + low energy + constipation + weight change.
There is no longer “a single sign”; there is a pattern. That is a strong reason to see a doctor.
From seeing to understanding
Two people can look at the same tongue. One just says “white”. The other notices: what colour the body of the tongue is, what colour the coating is, how thick it is, whether it is dry or moist, how it relates to digestion.
This distance between seeing and understanding is the essence of the science of signs.
First, get to know your own “normal”
To be able to ask these questions, you first need to know your own normal state:
- What is your skin usually like?
- What does your tongue look like in the morning?
- How fast do your nails grow?
- What are your normal sleep and appetite like?
When you know your body’s normal, you notice meaningful changes earlier.
An important note
These questions are not meant to make you a doctor, but a more careful observer. When you notice a worrying pattern, see a doctor. Good observation does not replace science; good observation is the beginning of science.
Frequently asked questions
Should I worry about every small change? No. The aim is awareness, not anxiety. What matters are lasting changes and patterns.
Can I use these questions before seeing a doctor? Yes. Noting down your answers will even help you give your doctor clearer information.
Conclusion
Before the body shouts, it sometimes whispers. To hear those whispers, asking the right questions is enough.
For the whole subject, read The Body Speaks to Us Before Illness Does.
If you want to learn the body’s sign language step by step, Dr Kalan’s “Elaim & Delail” book and the Body Signs online course (currently in Turkish) will guide you. To start with your own baseline, take the free temperament test.
This article is for information only and is based on traditional medical sources and general health knowledge. It is not a medical diagnosis, treatment or prescription and does not replace an examination by a doctor. If you have a health complaint, take regular medication, are pregnant, or are considering this for a child, consult your doctor before applying anything. Herbal products can interact with medicines.
