Cyanosis (blue Lips And Skin) - Causes, Threat To Life, Treatment

2024 Author: Rachel Wainwright | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 07:39

Cyanosis (blue lips and skin)

Lips in their structure are divided into three zones: internal, covered with a mucous membrane, external, which has a normal skin, and intermediate. It is she who is called the red border of the lips. Its scarlet color is due to the large number of blood vessels and a very thin, almost transparent upper layer of the epidermis. If the red border of the lips darkens, this is not just a cosmetic flaw. A blue color in the intermediate zone may indicate a serious health problem.

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What is cyanosis? The most common reasons

Cyanosis of the skin and mucous membranes (including the red border of the lips) is called cyanosis. The immediate cause of this phenomenon can be a spasm of blood vessels. This happens, for example, with severe hypothermia of the body. Such a situation can be considered normal: if a person quickly warms up, negative consequences for the body are usually avoided.

The situation is much worse in cases where the intermediate zone of the lips becomes blue or purple due to oxygen starvation, which developed against the background of a decrease in the level of hemoglobin in the blood. This may be due to:

• lack of iron. Anemia is a metabolic failure directly related to a decrease in the intake of iron into the body or a violation of the processes of its assimilation;
• large-scale blood loss. Cyanosis of the lips is observed in patients who have undergone complex surgical interventions, trauma, or suffering from internal bleeding. Sometimes cyanosis is noticeable in women during heavy menstruation;
• pregnancy. The body of the expectant mother absorbs iron from food too slowly and cannot cope with the increased need for minerals. This situation requires immediate correction, since oxygen starvation is dangerous not only for a woman, it can adversely affect the condition of the fetus and even lead to the occurrence of intrauterine malformations.

Cyanosis due to breathing problems

Oxygen starvation, manifested, among other symptoms, by cyanosis of the mucous membranes, also occurs as a result of disruption of the respiratory system. This happens when:

• attacks of bronchial asthma;
• respiratory depression caused by poisoning with toxic gaseous substances. Combustion products, evaporating components of fuels and lubricants, solvents, paints and varnishes, powdered suspensions emitted from household chemical products, and even tobacco smoke can act in their role;
• infectious diseases accompanied by obsessive cough (for example, with croup in children).

Blue lips may be life threatening

Finally, blue lips may indicate a serious heart failure or a broken blood clot in the lungs. If cyanosis of the membranes manifests itself suddenly, accompanied by a rapid heartbeat, loss of consciousness, discoloration of the nails and suffocation, it is very dangerous. The patient requires immediate hospitalization.

Cyanosis of the intermediate zone of the lips may indicate the presence of serious diseases and even danger to life. If the blue discoloration of the mucous membranes occurs periodically without any connection with hypothermia, or develops very quickly, it is necessary to urgently consult a doctor, undergo a comprehensive examination and start the prescribed treatment, so it will be possible to avoid big problems in the future.

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Maria Kulkes Medical journalist About the author

Education: First Moscow State Medical University named after I. M. Sechenov, specialty "General Medicine".

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