Have you ever met people whose lips were normally bluish? This is not at all the latest fashion, this is a serious disruption in the work of this person's body, and such a phenomenon cannot be simply ignored. If you notice that your lips suddenly turn blue, visit a doctor immediately. Note that in the case of the simultaneous presence of other symptoms (blue nails, rapid pulse, sweating, fever, cough, shortness of breath), the visit to the doctor should not be postponed.
Why do lips turn blue?
In professional terminology, this effect on the lips is called "cyanosis". Do not hope that this phenomenon is temporary and will go away on its own. This is a clear sign that significant changes have occurred in the body (and not for the better), so do not spend time with qualified help.
Doctors have identified the main cause of blue lips - a lack of oxygen in the blood. As a result, blue discoloration is observed not only in the area of the mouth, such a manifestation can form anywhere in the skin and mucous membranes of the body. This is the result of an increased content of reduced hemoglobin in the blood. And the reason is very simple: the functionality of the cardiovascular system is impaired.
Experts have identified another cause of blue lips. This manifestation is observed in people who are heavy smokers, since there is a constant poisoning of the body with increased doses of toxic gases.
Unnatural pallor of the skin can also be obvious manifestations. The diagnosis is that there is a lack of iron in the blood (iron deficiency anemia). Blue lips also occur in the absence of addictions, for example, in a woman during pregnancy. Iron plays an important role in the course of most of the processes in our body. The substance affects the formation of hemoglobin - which is why our blood is red. Decreased hemoglobin is associated not only with a deficiency of iron in the blood (in view of, for example, improper nutrition), the cause can be frequent and intense blood loss - during the female cycle, with ulcers, from severe injuries and cuts.
Blue lips are a fairly common symptom of respiratory pathology. A disease called croup occurs more often in children under 4 years of age. It is not difficult to notice it: blue lips, shortness of breath, strong "barking" cough.
The change in the natural color of the lips is only an external manifestation. It can also be accompanied by a rapid heartbeat, breath holding. These are clear signs that the patient has heart or lung problems. This can be followed by anything from bronchial inflammation to asthma or heart attack. There is only one reason - oxygen starvation. Blue lips are common in people with vascular problems, such as pulmonary embolism. The patient will not be able to cope with this ailment on his own; emergency medical assistance is required here.
Blue lips are also found with severe hypothermia. As a result, the vessels are narrowed, and the blood does not flow enough through the vessels to fill them completely. Instead of evenly filling the circulatory system, blood will be directed to the internal organs (heart, kidneys, brain) in order to at least maintain the required temperature in them. The natural color of the integumentary tissues is the result of constant blood circulation through the system at a uniform speed. In order for your lips to regain their pink tint, you need to carry out a number of preventive actions to warm the body and dilate blood vessels in order to restore normal circulation. Then the blue small vessels will not be so clearly visible through the skin.
There is also such a reason for the blue around the lips - Reynaud's disease. In patients under the influence of strong low temperatures, overvoltage or stress, small vessels can simply burst. The body independently tries to establish natural blood circulation, as a result of which there is a change in the color of the integumentary tissues.
In the body of a pregnant woman, processes constantly occur that do not proceed in the usual state. So, iron deficiency is one of the particular manifestations in this situation. Here the reason is easily eliminated: it is necessary to replenish the iron deficiency in the blood with the help of a special medication.
What to do if your lips turn blue?
First of all, provide your body with a sufficient level of warmth, if necessary, you can additionally wrap yourself in a warm blanket or dress warmly. Circulation will be restored, and blood will be able to calmly flow to all limbs and lips.
Drinking hot drinks also helps. True, in this case, not all drinks are equally effective, coffee, for example, on the contrary, promotes vasoconstriction. This is how a substance called caffeine acts on the body.
Intensive physical activity, for example, running, jumping, gymnastics, will help you quickly return to normal body temperature. Exercise increases vascular tone, which makes the blood circulate faster.
If you smoke, try to get rid of this bad habit as soon as possible. It is noticed that nicotine and tobacco smoke affect the natural flow of oxygen into the blood, from which the blood vessels narrow and the body temperature decreases.
If these measures did not help, or you are sure that the reason for your blue lips is not smoking or hypothermia, then see your doctor as soon as possible. Especially if other negative symptoms are present at the same time.
Of course, every parent will be scared in earnest. Blue lips can be a symptom of cyanosis or a whole host of other health problems in a child.
Sometimes parents notice that the lips of the child take on a bluish or purple tint. It can appear in the morning immediately after waking up, after overly active games or under any other circumstances.
Of course, every parent will be scared in earnest. Blue lips can be a symptom of cyanosis or a whole host of other health problems in a child.
REASONS FOR LIP BLUE IN CHILDREN
Baby lips should be natural pink. Generally speaking, any blue discoloration on the body should be a concern as it could be a sign of cyanosis.
Cyanosis indicates that there is not enough oxygen in the blood. It is often associated with congenital heart defects, but cyanosis can also be caused by septic shock, an epileptic seizure, or a lung disorder such as pneumonia, asthma, or laryngitis.
However, cyanosis is not always dangerous. Most often, symptoms can be seen on the lips, cheeks, tip of the nose, and fingertips. This phenomenon is called acrocyanosis.
Newborns and infants can have natural acrocyanosis. In this case, blue discoloration is peripheral cyanosis and goes away on its own with the development of the circulatory system.
On its own, the disease does not cause anxiety in patients and does not serve as a reason to see a doctor. But it almost does not arise on its own.
The presence of cyanosis is often evidence of a serious illness that requires urgent medical attention.
Acrocyanosis in almost all cases is a symptom of the pathology of the cardiovascular system.
If a patient's nasolabial triangle acquires a cyanotic coloration, as well as the area around the eyes, this may indicate lung disease.
With anemia and other blood diseases, disease can also be observed.
With widespread cyanosis, one should think about oxygen starvation of the body, provoked by a failure of the pulmonary circulation.
Classification of cyanosis in children
- Central (pulmonary).
- Peripheral (cardiac).
CENTRAL CYANOSIS
Central cyanosis, in which a child's face or torso takes on a bluish tinge, may indicate a more serious health problem and require immediate diagnosis and treatment. Blue lips can be a symptom of central cyanosis, but at the same time, it can be a harmless temporary blue discoloration of the skin around the mouth, especially when crying or eating. The same can happen with increased activity or an outbreak of anger in a child. In this case, it is not the lips themselves that turn blue, but the skin around the mouth, tongue and mucous membrane of the mouth should remain pink.
You can distinguish a dangerous case of cyanosis from a non-dangerous case if you consider the lips, tongue and nails of the child. If they are pink, then the child most likely has perioral cyanosis, which does not cause concern. If the lips have a blue tint, the tongue and nails should immediately seek medical help.
Blue lips are common in people who are hypothermic. The most telling reason for this is swimming in cold water or simply being in a body of water for a long time. But this is the result of hypothermia and there is an explanation for this. But why do lips turn blue for no apparent reason?
Why do lips turn blue
According to medicine, nothing happens without a reason. And if the symptom of blue lips is present, it means that you urgently need to see a doctor! With normal hypothermia in a person, blue discoloration passes over time, as soon as he warms up - blood circulation normalizes and the capillaries of the mucous membranes expand. Thus, the normal pink color of the skin is restored, and there is no reason for further concern.
The alarm must be beaten if the blue lips are caused by:
- heart palpitations;
- shortness of breath;
- high temperature;
- a feeling of heat in the chest;
- persistent cough;
- if lips and nails turn blue together.
With such signs, immediate medical attention is required.
If everything is clear during hypothermia - the point is in the capillaries themselves, which narrow from the cold, and expand at normal temperature, and there is no danger, then other signs pose an undoubted threat to health.
Blue lips may indicate oxygen starvation - i.e. from long enough inhalation of toxic gases or vapors, even from tobacco smoke. Oxygen starvation and, as a result, blue lips can be due to heart problems.
With hypoxemia, the oxygen index in the blood falls, hemoglobin is restored, its values increase, causing pigmentation and "blue" coloration of the lips. The disease itself is still in medicine called cyanosis of the skin (from the Greek "cyano" - deep blue), accompanied by a sharp blue discoloration of the mucous membranes, including the lips and skin surface (it becomes bluish blue).
With constant blue lips and unusual pallor of the skin, iron deficiency anemia is suspected. This is a disease in which there is a lack of iron, which is necessary for the production of hemoglobin, which saturates the circulatory system with oxygen. Anemia occurs from poor nutrition (fasting), large blood loss (trauma, surgery, abundant discharge on critical days, etc.).
What to do if your lips turn blue
If a person, against the background of general well-being, begins to have a faster pulse, slows down or stops breathing, and blue lips appear - then these are problems with impaired cardiac activity or the respiratory system as a whole. A common thrombus detached from the vessel in the lung, the manifestation of a heart attack, bronchial asthma, a surge of pneumonia can cause a serious lack of oxygen in the body. If such a fact is present, be sure to call an ambulance and hospitalize the patient as soon as possible.
In pediatrics, blue lips are diagnosed in severe forms of various diseases. The child has difficulty breathing, he has complaints of a lump in his throat and pain in the lips. These symptoms indicate a serious illness, and in order to avoid an unfavorable outcome, immediate treatment in a hospital is required.
Blue lips in a child is a symptom that indicates internal disorders or diseases. The shade changes due to fluctuations in the level of hemoglobin in the blood and its saturation with oxygen. Such manifestations in children become a common cause of diseases of the respiratory system and heart. First you need to provide first aid, then go to a medical institution.
Frequently encountered reasons why the lips turn blue are heart malfunctions, blockage of blood vessels. The phenomenon is caused by tissue hypoxia. If the lower, upper lip turns blue, then a violation occurs as a result of a weak outflow of venous blood and an imbalance of arterial inflow.
The reason is subcutaneous swelling, inflammation. The process is caused by closely spaced vessels in the muscle of the lips. Such manifestations are found in a child when swimming in cold water or when he is hypothermic.
When crying, the lips of a small child often turn blue. If a baby cries for a long time, this provokes blood flow to the lips, chin, oxygen atomization accelerates the pace as a result of high lung activity. If the child has calmed down, the cyanosis has subsided, do not worry.
The reasons why the baby's lips can turn blue, not related to the disease:
- lack of oxygen in enclosed spaces;
- hypothermia while walking at low temperatures;
- strong physical activity.
A possible cause of lip color change is a combination of all factors.
The main causes of blue lips in a child:
- pneumonia;
- pneumonia;
- asthmatic attack.
If the baby has no appetite, he is losing weight, sluggish, there is crying, coughing, fever, then you need to urgently call an ambulance.
There is such a reason for the blue triangle near the mouth, as respiratory syndrome. The disease is not very dangerous, it is directly related to age-related changes. Associated with overexcitation.
Symptoms:
- the lower lip turns blue;
- triangle near the mouth;
- face;
- throat spasms.
There is a lack of calcium in the child's body. In babies over 4 years old, the disease goes away on its own.
Metabolic cyanosis can cause blue lips in newborns.
In such cases, an overabundance of phosphates occurs in the body, an underproduction of a sufficient amount of calcium. Such phenomena occur after hemorrhage inside the skull, cerebral edema.
Congenital heart disease in infants provokes blue lips. Disorder of blood circulation becomes a sign of pathology. These babies develop the following symptoms by 9-12 weeks:
- dyspnea;
- loss of consciousness;
- blue discoloration of the nasolabial triangle;
- convulsions.
Treatment requires surgery between the ages of 3 and 6 years.
Cyanosis manifests itself due to the presence of a respiratory illness - croup. Children under 3 years old are exposed to it.
Symptoms:
- dry cough;
- wheezing;
- heat.
The dangerous condition is accompanied by salivation, suffocation, the upper lip turns blue.
What danger cyanosis poses is determined by the condition of the baby's tongue and nails.
If they are pink, healthy-looking, there is a possibility of perioral cyanosis, which is not dangerous.
If a bluish tint appears on the tongue, nails, lips, it is necessary to urgently consult a doctor.
Possible complications
If the child's lips turn blue, this may be due to asphyxiation. It causes such complications:
- suffocation;
- blockage of blood vessels by a thrombus.
It is necessary to urgently call an ambulance.
When determining shock, an infant may have:
- weakness;
- hard breath;
- pallor, gray skin color;
- acceleration of pulsation;
- weak consciousness.
Poisoning of the body, an attack of bronchial asthma are accompanied by an increase in symptoms within a period of 24 hours:
- shortness of breath appears;
- dizziness occurs;
- blue discoloration of mucous membranes, nails.
For a long time, the presence of signs of blue may indicate chronic diseases.
Complications associated with methemoglobinemia:
- overdose of antibiotics;
- hereditary pathology.
In a child whose lips turn blue during the first weeks of life with hereditary pathology, there is a change in the color of the earlobes, nails and the triangle. Complications - subsequently, such children often lag behind in psychomotor development.
If treatment is not prescribed on time, the baby may subsequently develop the following complications:
- Psychoneurosis.
- Damage to the structure of the brain.
- Asomnia.
- The protective functions of the body are reduced.
- Loss of appetite.
In severe cases, a coma is possible.
How to eliminate blue lips
If cyanosis is accompanied by a shortage of air, breathing and malaise in the child become more frequent, first aid at home:
- open the collar and chest so that the clothes do not squeeze;
- ensure the flow of air by opening the window;
- rub legs and arms;
- call emergency help.
In a hospital setting, the child is examined by a pediatrician and specialized doctors to determine the cause of the blue mouth.
What will help make your lip color pink:
- restore blood flow;
- normalize blood pressure;
- prevent a seizure.
These steps will help avoid complications. Then you need to find out the reason that caused the blue in the face.
The following diagnostic methods are used:
- blood test;
- x-ray of the respiratory organs;
- tomography;
- calculation of blood flow velocity;
- determination of the composition of exhaled air;
- electrocardiography.
Treatment will depend on the diagnosis. The goal of therapy is to eliminate oxygen deficiency.
After hypothermia for a crying child, the following measures must be taken:
- Wrap your body in a warm blanket.
- Give warm tea.
Such actions will help you warm up faster, blood circulation will resume, blood flow will provide a pink color to the lips.
If your lips turn blue at a temperature, an urgent need to consult a doctor. Children under 1 year old are prescribed special medicines in extreme cases.
Medical treatment for older children will allow:
- improve air flow to the lungs;
- increase the concentration in the blood.
The influx of a sufficient amount of hemoglobin with oxygen leads to the normalization of color, eliminates cyanosis. In case of hypoxia and heart diseases, an apparatus procedure is prescribed - inhalation of concentrated oxygen.
Positive action:
- improves blood flow to distant tissues;
- improves the condition of the respiratory system.
The doctor may prescribe oxygen cocktails:
- components are aimed at increasing the concentration of oxygen in the blood;
- cyanosis goes away near the oral triangle;
- absolutely safe for the body.
You can use cocktails at home without medical attention. In some cases, it is possible to use folk recipes.
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