In certain cases, blue lips or skin can be a sign of a life threatening emergency. If the discoloration is accompanied by any of the following symptoms, call or your local emergency services:.
Bluish skin can be a sign of something serious. To determine a cause, a doctor will need to perform a physical examination. Treatment involves identifying and correcting the underlying cause to restore the oxygenated blood flow to the affected parts of the body.
Using these medications to treat peripheral cyanosis is considered off-label drug use. However, a doctor can still use the drug for that purpose. This is because the FDA regulates the testing and approval of medications, but not how doctors use them to treat their patients. So, your doctor can prescribe a drug in whatever way they think is best for your care. You may also need to avoid certain medications that constrict blood vessels as a side effect, including types of:.
You may need to avoid caffeine and nicotine, both of which can cause your blood vessels to constrict. Peripheral cyanosis is most often caused by cold weather. Once your body warms up, your blue hands or feet should return to their normal color. Seek immediate medical attention if that seems to be the case, or if you have other notable symptoms, such as trouble breathing.
On the opposite side, red blood returns normally to the left side of the heart; however, it is pumped back to the lungs via the pulmonary artery. This abnormal route of blood results in blue blood being pumped back to the body without ever going to the lungs to get oxygen and turn red, resulting in cyanosis. Tetralogy of Fallot TOF : Cyanosis occurs in TOF when there is a major obstruction on the right side of the heart that prevents blue blood oxygen poor from getting into the lungs via the pulmonary artery.
Because of the obstruction, blue blood is diverted across a hole in the bottom ventricular chambers of the heart, known as a ventricular septal defect, or VSD, and travels out of the heart to the rest of the body, causing cyanosis. Total anomalous pulmonary venous return TAPVR : Cyanosis occurs in this lesion because red blood oxygen rich returning from the lungs takes an abnormal or anomalous course back to the heart.
Instead of returning to the left side of the heart and being pumped directly to the body, it returns to the right side of the heart first. The red blood then mixes with blue blood resulting in a purple mix of blood mix of oxygen poor and rich. That blood passes through a hole in the top chambers, known as an atrial septal defect, and then to the left side of the heart. The purple mixed blood results in cyanosis.
There is a hole in the bottom chambers, known as a ventricular septal defect, or VSD, and blue blood mixes with red blood to make a purple mix of blood oxygen poor and rich before it is pumped out to the rest of the body. Hypoplastic left heart syndrome HLHS : Cyanosis occurs in HLHS because red oxygen rich blood does not flow immediately to the body from the left side of the heart because it is extremely small hypoplastic.
Instead, red blood returning from the lungs on the left side is mixed with blue blood on the right side via a hole in the top chambers known as an atrial septal defect, or ASD. The blood is then pumped to the lungs via the pulmonary artery. A connecting vessel that is present in the baby from fetal life, known as a patent ductus arteriosus, or PDA, directs blood into the aorta and out to the body.
How can I tell if my child has cyanosis? What do I do if I think my child has cyanosis? How is cyanosis diagnosed? How is cyanosis treated? Locations Close to Home. Peripheral vascular disease, Raynaud phenomenon Venous obstruction e. Symptoms of Cyanosis. Age-related and the nature of Cyanosis onset: Cyanosis caused by congenital heart disease, which in turn causes anatomical right-to-left shunts, that may have been prevalent from birth or the early years of life.
Acute onset ofCyanosis, which could be caused by conditions like pulmonary emboli, cardiac failure, pneumonia or asthma. People suffering from COPD Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease may develop Cyanosis over time and an associated condition called polycythaemia may exacerbate the intensity of Cyanosis. Associated symptoms: Pain in the chest : Cyanosis that is associated with pleuritic chest pains could be caused by pulmonary embolism or pneumonia.
Pulmonary oedema could cause dull, painful chest tightness. Dyspnoea: this is a condition that may suddenly occur in conjunction with pulmonary emboli, pulmonary oedema or asthma. Gasping for or shortness of breathing difficulties Fever Headache Profuse sweating profusely Pain or numbness in the arms, legs, hands, fingers, or toes Paling or whitening of the arms, legs, hands, fingers, or toes Dizziness or fainting. Temperature: conditions like pneumonia and pulmonary emboli that could be with pyrexia.
The patient will also exhibit symptoms like: Central Cyanosis - this condition produces a bluish discolouration, specially noticed on the mucous membranes of the lips, tongue, fingers and toes. Peripheral Cyanosis - this condition affects the fingers, toes and skin surrounding the lips, is not noticed around mucous membranes.
A combination of clubbing and Cyanosis is frequent observed in congenital heart disease; it may be prevalent in pulmonary diseases, like lung abscess, bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis; as also in pulmonary arteriovenous shunts.
Pressure in the jugular venous system increases with congestive cardiac failure. After a respiratory examination: Poor chest expansion is a condition that is noticed in patients with chronic bronchitis, and asthma. Reduced chest expansion may be noticed with conditions like lobar pneumonia. Dullness to percussion is sometimes noticed in an area of consolidation. Crepitation that is localised may sometimes be heard in conditions like lobar pneumonia.
Crepitation is often more likely in conditions like bronchopneumonia and pulmonary oedema. Entry of air may be low with conditions like COPD or asthma. Bronchial breathing may be affected and wheezing sounds may sometimes be heard, in conditions like asthma.
Abnormal heart sounds that are sometimes heard, may suggest origins in the cardiac area. Diagnosis of Cyanosis. Apart from the clinical assessment of hypoxemia, the diagnosis of Cyanosis may also include the following investigations: Arterial Blood Gas test: measures the acidity and levels of carbon dioxide and oxygen in your blood.
Complete Blood Count: Haemoglobin levels are increased with the prevalence of chronic Cyanosis. The white cell count increases in conditions like pneumonia and pulmonary embolism. ECG: Taken to completely rule out the prevalence of cardiac abnormalities. Chest X-ray: the is taken to rule out conditions like pneumonia, pulmonary infarction and cardiac failure. Ventilation-perfusion scan or Pulmonary Angiography is taken to rule out pulmonary causes Echocardiography will serve to look for the presence of any cardiac defects.
Haemoglobin spectroscopy will look for methemoglobinemia, or sulfhemoglobinemia. Digital Subtraction Angiography: is done to completely rule out conditions like acute arterial occlusion.
A duplex Doppler or Venography can detect the prevalence of acute venous occlusion. Cyanosis Treatment. There are some medications that can help blood vessels relax. These include: antidepressants antihypertensive drugs erectile dysfunction drugs You may also need to avoid certain medications that constrict blood vessels as a side effect.
These include types of: beta-blockers migraine medications birth control pills pseudoephedrine-based cold and allergy medicines Serious medical situations, such as heart or pulmonary related conditions, should be treated in a hospital as an emergency. Cyanosis FAQs: All your concerns addressed. Is cyanosis a sign of a heart attack? Should I treat blue lips in my child? It's common for new-borns to have some areas of blue skin once in a while.
But if your baby's lips, mouth, head, or trunk are blue, seek emergency medical help. What's the cause of my baby's skin turning blue? There are two reasons why the blood under your baby's skin may look blue: The lungs are not getting enough oxygen. Since it is the oxygen that makes the blood turn red in colour, blood cells without oxygen remain blue.
The underlying blood is displays a slow movement, so the normal veins underneath that carrying blue, oxygen-poor blood back to the heart are more noticeable.
For cyanosis caused by exposure to cold or Raynaud phenomenon, dress warmly when going outside or stay in a well-heated room. Bluish skin can be a sign of many serious medical problems. Call or visit your health care provider. For adults, contact your doctor or call the local emergency number, such as if you have bluish skin and any of the following:.
For children, contact the doctor or call the local emergency number, such as if your child has bluish skin and any of the following:. In general, cyanosis that occurs acutely is more likely to be an emergency than when it is present for a long time.
Your provider will perform a physical examination. This will include listening to your breathing and heart sounds. In emergency situations such as shock , you will be stabilized first. The treatment you receive depends on the cause of cyanosis. For example, you may receive oxygen for shortness of breath. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; chap McGee S.
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