Ever heard of tongue readings?

We hadn't either - until Jason Walsh popped up on our radar. An acupuncturist and naturopath, he practices at a clinic in Kilkenny and has recently become something of a social media sensation. Jason chats to his Snapchat followers daily, sharing advice about everything from fertility and pregnancy to sleep issues and mental health. "I got into it by chance," he tells Her. "I was always giving out about Snapchat, especially to my wife!" He wants to get people talking about alternative medicine. The difference between a traditional doctor and what he does, he says, is that he treats the whole person, not just the symptoms of an illness. "Acupuncture (a key element of Eastern medicine) is actually the longest still-running form of medicine in the world. It’s great because it can’t do harm and it gets results." He believes that Irish people are "still living in the dark ages," when it comes to Eastern medicine and is using social media in a bid to change that. Jason's biggest success so far has undoubtedly been the tongue readings he does via Snapchat. He didn't know what he was in for when he invited his followers to send him photo of their tongues for him to analyse and give feedback on. He says he's been inundated with snaps of open mouths ever since. "It went kind of viral," he laughs. "It started as a bit of fun but it’s actually part of the consultation I do. He explains that the marks, cracks, blemishes, curves and even size of a person's tongue can reveal a lot about their health, in every sense. "It’s the only part of you on the outside where you can see what’s going on inside. It can tell you about the state of your organs." "Emotional problems can show themselves physically in your organs," he added. "So if you’re a worrier you might experience digestive issues – that sort if thing." This all sounds plausible, so we decided to put Jason to the test. Despite feeling camera-shy about our tongues (how did we never realise how manky-looking they are?) a few of the Her staffers offered to be guinea pigs to be analysed. Here's how we got on.  

Anna

Jason says: "Looks like a build up of heat in the digestive system. Maybe prone to dry stools, constipation, dry skin and hair. There is pain somewhere but I'm not sure where, possibly headaches/migraine.This person gets a little anxious but hides it well and may find it hard to switch off at night because of overthinking."

Louise

Denise says: "I’m actually shocked by how accurate my reading was. I really suffer from dry skin, so the fact this was highlighted  from a reading of my tongue is insane. Very cool and kind of creepy!"  

Jade

Jason says: "This person is a bit of a worrier and gets a little anxious at times. Low energy also,some dizzy spells maybe even vertigo. Wakes up feeling tired and gets a heaviness in the muscles especially the shoulders and neck." Jade says: "Honestly, I'm a bit shook that he's able to tell that I'm an anxious person purely from looking at my tongue but I suppose it must give off that vibe because he's 100 percent right. I do get dizzy a lot too, although I haven't felt too sluggish in the mornings in a while."  

The verdict

Overall, we have to say we're fairly impressed. It is pretty freaky that Jason was able to spot some fairly intimate things about us so we're sold on the tongue readings. We won't be ditching the GP just yet, but the experience has really opened our eyes to another form of medicine.   Jason Walsh practices at the Springhill Clinic on the Waterford Road in Kilkenny. Find out more about his work on his Facebook page, Jason Walsh Acupuncture and Naturopathy. You can keep up with him on Snapchat at @jwacupuncture