are blue lips always a sign of cyanosis
Blue lips occur when the skin on the lips takes on a bluish tint or color. This generally is due to either a lack of oxygen in the blood or to extremely cold temperatures. When the skin becomes a bluish color, the symptom is called cyanosis. Most commonly, blue lips are caused by a lack of oxygen in the blood. This may happen when you are at high altitude or if you are choking, or it may be due to chronic underlying conditions such as lung diseases or chronic heart defects. Cyanosis describes the symptom that happens when a person’s skin, lips, or fingernail beds turn from the person’s natural color to a blue or bluish color. The color might also look grayish or dark purple. “Central cyanosis” is blueness that mainly affects the lips, tongue, and mouth. “Peripheral cyanosis” is blueness in the skin of the arms, legs, feet, hands, fingers and fingernail beds. Both of these kinds of cyanosis can be caused by COPD or by complications of COPD. If you, or someone you are with, have blue lips with other serious symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, chest pains, fatigue, fainting or change in level of consciousness or lethargy, seek immediate medical care (call 911) . 12 Things Your Dermatologist Wants You to Know. 5 Unexpected Places to Check for Skin Cancer. A child's lips should be nice and pink. In fact, you usually don't want to see any part of a child's face or body turn purple or blue, which can indicate cyanosis. Cyanosis is a sign that a child doesn't have enough oxygen in her blood. While often caused by congenital heart defects, it can also be caused by septic shock, seizures or lung issues such as pneumonia, asthma or croup. Not all cyanosis is necessarily bad, though. Although people often have slightly different shades of color to their lips, which can be individual variations, it is never normal for the lips to be frankly blue in color. When blood becomes depleted of oxygen, it changes from bright red to darker in colour, and it's this that makes the skin and lips look blue. In darker-skinned people, the blue tinge may be easier to spot in the lips, gums and around the eyes. The medical name for this blue tinge is cyanosis. When this occurs, it is called cyanosis, and it reflects a state in which the blood flowing through the lips has been stripped significantly of oxygen. Blood that is not well oxygenated turns blue in color. There are many potential causes for cyanosis, many of them being quite serious. Therefore, if you are really having a bluish color to your lips, you will need to go see your primary care doctor as soon as possible. They will do a thorough examination looking for any signs of heart or lung disease. When a person’s blood cells are not carrying enough oxygen through the body, the color of the blood cells changes from bright red to a darker bluish color. Because the blood flowing through the skin is a bluish color, it causes the person to develop a blueness of the skin, lips, or fingernail beds. If a person's skin or lips turn blue, it's usually caused by low blood oxygen levels or poor circulation. It can be a sign of a serious problem, so it's important to seek medical advice. Cyanosis that affects the skin generally and/or lips. When all the skin and/or lips have a blue tinge, it's known as central cyanosis and is usually a sign of low levels of oxygen in the blood. Common causes for central cyanosis are listed below. A problem with the lungs:
Yes