|
|
Skin Discoloration - Bluish
Alternate Names : Bluish Lips and Fingernails, Bluish Skin, Cyanosis, Fingernails - Bluish, Lips - Bluish
DefinitionCyanosis is a bluish discoloration of the skin or mucous membranes caused by lack of oxygen in the blood. See also skin color - patchy.
Pictures & Images
See all Pictures & Images
Overview & Considerations
Skin coloration is determined by the amount of pigment in the skin and the blood flowing through it. Blood that is saturated with oxygen is bright red. Blood that has lost its oxygen is dark bluish-red. People who have a large quantity of blood deficient in oxygen tend to take on a bluish discoloration called cyanosis.
Lack of oxygen (such as in suffocation or cyanotic heart disease), abnormal hemoglobin (such as methemoglobinemia) and toxins (such as cyanide) can all produce cyanosis. Most cyanosis occurs as a result of heart disease such as congestive heart failure, lung disease, or as a terminal event as in cardiopulmonary arrest.
Mild cyanosis is difficult to detect. There needs to be more than 5 grams of deoxygenated hemoglobin in a person's bloodstream to see cyanosis. Usually the oxygen saturation of the blood has to drop below 90% before this occurs.
Cyanosis is more obvious in the mucous membranes and nail beds, particularly for dark-skinned people. It can also appear on the feet, nose, and ears.
Many people get brief bluish-purplish painful color changes in their fingers -- this is called Raynaud's Syndrome which results from spasm of blood vessels in the hands, often in response to the cold. Some people with Raynaud's Syndrome also have a collagen-vascular disease called scleroderma.
Today's Top News Stories | | Seniors Having More Sex Than Ever - Jul 09, 2008, 09:00 Study finds big jump in number of those over 70 who are 'doing it' | | Men Often Not Told of Severity of Wife's Cancer - Jul 09, 2008, 09:00 Study finds almost 40% say docs never said condition was terminal until near death. | | Gene Activity May Explain Deadlier Breast Cancers Among Younger Women - Jul 09, 2008, 09:00 Study finds more than 350 common sets of genes in patients under 45. | | Breast-Conserving Surgery Leaves Many Cancer Patients Disappointed - Jul 09, 2008, 09:00 Poor aesthetic outcome after lumpectomy linked to depression, fear, study finds. | | A Blood Marker Could Spot Diabetes Risk - Jul 08, 2008, 16:00 Higher levels of fetuin-A were linked to later disease development, study found
. |
|
Jump to another section
Definition Overview & Considerations Common Causes Home Care & Treatment Call your Health Care Provider if What to Expect at your Health Care Provider's Office
Pictures & Images
Topics that might be of interest to you Diseases & Conditions
Asthma Bronchiolitis Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Croup Cyanotic Heart Disease Epiglottitis Heart Disease IRDS (Infant Respiratory Distress Syndrome) Methemoglobinemia Pneumonia Premature Infant Pulmonary Edema
Tests & Exams
CBC Chest X-Ray ECG Hemoglobin
Other Topics
Aspiration Breathing Difficulty Cough Foot, Leg, and Ankle Swelling Physical Examination Seizures Shock Skin Color - Patchy
Review Date : 5/5/2003
Reviewed By : David A. Kaufman, M.D., Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
|
|