Wind-heat cold is a common syndrome in Chinese medicine clinics. Generally, at the onset of a wind-heat cold, the tongue coating is usually a mixture of yellow and white.

By the mid-stage, the tongue coating generally appears slightly yellow. If accompanied by damp evil, the coating is relatively thick and greasy, which is referred to as a yellow, thick, and greasy coating.

If it progresses to the later stages and the heat symptoms become severe, the coating then presents as scorched yellow or even scorched black. These are the colors of the tongue coating exhibited in cases of wind-heat cold.