For cyanosis caused by exposure to cold, dress warmly when going outside or stay in a well-heated room.

Bluish skin (cyanosis) can be a sign of many serious medical problems and should be taken seriously.

For adults, call your doctor or 911 if you have bluish skin and:

• Your breathing is getting harder, faster, or you cannot get a deep breath.
• You need to lean forward when sitting.
• You are using muscles around the ribs more.
• You have chest pain.
• You are having headaches more often than usual.
• You feel sleepy or confused.
• You have a fever.
• You are coughing up dark mucus.

For children, call the doctor or 911 if your child has bluish skin and:

• Is having a hard time breathing
• The child's chest muscles are pulling in with each breath
• Is breathing faster than 50 to 60 breaths per minute (when not crying)
• Is making a grunting noise
• Is sitting with shoulders hunched over
• Is very tired
• Is not moving around very much
• Has a limp or floppy body
• The nostrils are flaring out when the child breathes
• Loses his or her appetite
• Is irritable
• Has trouble sleeping

Call or visit your health care provider if you have any unexplained changes in the color of your skin or mucus membranes.

Your health care provider will perform a physical examination, which includes listening to your breathing and heart sounds. In emergency situations (such as shock), the patient will be stabilized first.

Medical history questions may include:

• When did it develop?
• Did it develop suddenly?
• Has it been developing slowly?
• Are your lips blue?
• Are your nailbeds blue?
• Is your body blue all over?
• Have you been exposed to cold?
• Have you suddenly gone to a high altitude?
• Have you breathed in anything?
• What other symptoms do you have?
• Do you have difficulty breathing?
• Do you have ankle, feet, or leg swelling?
• Do you have a cough?
• Do you have chest pain?

Tests that may be performed include:

• Arterial blood gas analysis
• Complete blood count (CBC)
• Chest x-ray
• ECG
• Measurement of blood oxygen saturation by pulse oximetry

For shortness of breath and cyanosis, you may receive oxygen.