The listening, smelling and questioning methods used in diagnosis in Chinese medicine are part of the diagnosis procedure made by the practitioner of Chinese medicine, the other two are known as palpitating and observation. They are a set of four methods which the practitioner will use in order to make the correct diagnosis and then begin treatment.

Listening and smelling

The voice and breathing pattern of the patient play a crucial role in the correct diagnosis of an illness; a very loud and assertive voice will suggest to the practitioner that there is a very strong yang presence, while a very weak voice will suggest the opposite, a yin presence. Very restless or particularly heavy breathing may be the sign of a deficient condition and even the persons cough can indicate where the problem might lie, coughs can be loud, persistent, dry or hacking and this all gives an indication of the condition of the lungs and the amount of phlegm if any that is present in them.