What causes blue lips. Blue lips in a child - What is it and is it dangerous. Impaired lung function

Blue lips are not only ugly, but often extremely dangerous. If you notice this in yourself or someone close to you, in no case do not leave the situation unattended!

If one more of the following symptoms has joined the blue lips, the doctor should be called immediately!

Increased heart rate

Throws in the heat

There was a cough

The temperature has risen,

Difficulty breathing

There was a bluish tinge to the nails.

Causes of blue lips and other listed symptoms

Blue lips are due to a lack of oxygen in the body. Almost always, this confirms the disease, which is called cyanosis of the skin (from the ancient Greek - dark blue). If the so-called reduced hemoglobin rises in the blood, the skin and mucous membranes become blue. Cyanosis is considered a manifestation of hypoxemia - a decrease in oxygen in the blood. Often this can indicate the presence of heart disease.

Often, constant exposure to toxic gas leads to a lack of oxygen in the blood. The reason may be very frequent smoking.

The blue color of the lips and, in addition, still pale skin indicate iron deficiency anemia. A vital component of hemoglobin is such an element as iron, it is it that gives our blood a rich red color. If iron does not enter our body in sufficient quantities, then serious problems can arise. In addition, hemoglobin can become low during an exacerbation of an ulcer, with severe blood loss due to an injury, or with too heavy menstruation in a woman.

Dangerous symptoms in children

And if a child has a strong cough, as well as bluish lips, then this should cause concern among parents. Such symptoms indicate that a severe form of croup is developing - a disorder that is caused by a disease of the respiratory organs.

If the color of the lips has suddenly become unnaturally purple, and the pulse has become more frequent and the breath is held, then this is due to improper functioning of the lungs or heart. Often, this indicates various diseases that are associated with a lack of oxygen, such as:

Bronchitis.

The lips also quickly turn blue in the event that a blood clot forms in the vessels of the lungs. Contacting a doctor in such cases should be immediate.

However, don't panic if your lips turn blue in the cold. Since the blood vessels of the lips tend to narrow during cooling, and accordingly, the blood flow in the skin begins to decrease, as a result of which the lips turn blue. The blood then rushes to the internal organs. And when the body warms up, the blood begins to circulate in the usual rhythm, and the lips turn pink. And the skin will be pink only if the blood circulates properly.

Probably, every person at least once in his life had to see a passerby with blue lips. In no case should such a phenomenon be ignored, since this indicates significant problems of the human body. In the event that your lips begin to turn blue even a little, be sure to consult a doctor. You should also come to the doctor if there is a rapid heartbeat, blue nails, fever, sweating, severe coughing and problems with normal breathing.

Causes of blue lips

In medical practice, blue lips are called cyanotic. This phenomenon can be caused by a number of factors that you should definitely pay attention to, since this indicates certain malfunctions in the human body.

The main cause of blue lips is considered to be a lack of oxygen in the body (oxygen starvation), which occurs due to cyanosis of the skin. Symptoms of such a disease are clearly purple skin and all mucous membranes (this happens due to the increased content of reduced hemoglobin in the blood). If a patient has cyanosis, then, first of all, this indicates that he has problems with the cardiovascular system.

The second common cause of blue lips is smoking and the constant exposure of the human body to an increased amount of toxic gases.

In some cases, in addition to the presence of blue lips, one can also observe a very pale shade of the skin. In this case, we can say that the patient suffers from iron deficiency anemia. Anemia is the most common cause of blue lips during pregnancy. Iron is one of the most important trace elements that takes part in many processes in our body. In particular, iron is included in a number of components of hemoglobin, which is responsible for the red hue of blood. A lack of hemoglobin can be associated not only with a lack of iron found in food, but also with frequent and profuse blood loss (during menstruation, severe injuries and peptic ulcers).

Quite often, the cause of blue lips in children is a serious disease called croup, which is certainly accompanied by a strong cough, impaired normal breathing.

If red lips change their natural color over time, and the patient has a breath holding, rapid pulse, then we can talk about obvious symptoms of problems with the lungs or heart. The patient may have a heart attack, develop bronchitis, or develop asthma. All this indicates oxygen starvation. Sometimes the lips turn blue also due to the formation of a blood clot in the lungs. In this case, you must immediately seek help from a doctor.

Hypothermia is another most common cause of blue lips. This is due to the fact that when frozen, the blood vessels located in the lips narrow, not allowing blood to completely fill them. As a result, most of the blood begins to flow from these vessels to the internal organs: the brain, kidneys and heart, thus maintaining a constant temperature throughout the body. The normal color of the lips and skin happens only if the blood moves through the vessels constantly at the same speed and in the usual volume. It will be possible to return their pink color to pale lips after warming the body, as well as a number of measures that will help small blue blood vessels no longer appear through the thin skin of the lips.

Sometimes blue lips occur in people with Raynaud's disease, when the vessels in the extremities burst under the influence of low temperatures or from severe stress. The human body tries to fill the vessels with blood, which ultimately gives the body a blue tint.

Blue lips during pregnancy are a sign that there is not enough iron in the body of the expectant mother. This problem is quite common, so today drugs are already known that can help in resolving it.

What measures should be taken if you have blue lips?

Wrap yourself up in a warm blanket or terry towel, which will allow your body to warm up quickly. Blood will begin to circulate faster through the internal organs and rise from them to the limbs and lips.
You should drink hot tea. You need to be careful when drinking hot coffee, because the caffeine contained in it causes vasoconstriction.
They will quickly warm the body and give it a pink tint of sports (jogging, aerobics, etc.), which will help oxygen get to all tissues of the body.
Set a goal for yourself to quit smoking. Tobacco smoke and nicotine reduce the flow of oxygen to tissues and lead to rapid vasoconstriction.

Video from YouTube on the topic of the article:

The appearance of the lips and their condition is an indicator of human health. The slightest changes in their structure and color can signal the development of serious pathological processes in. Therefore, it is very important to seek qualified medical help in a timely manner.

Cyanosis: basic concepts, classification

Cyanosis is one of the characteristic signs of many diseases, characterized by a change in the color of the skin and mucous membranes in blue. Occurs as a result of the accumulation in the blood of a large amount of reduced - deoxyhemoglobin.

Blood that has not received the required amount of oxygen is characterized by the presence of a dark color, it can be seen through the skin, which makes it cyanotic. This is most pronounced in the place where the thickness of the skin is as thin as possible - the lips, the front of the head and the ears.

Blueness of the lips appears in people with dysfunctions of the blood flow, leading to the formation of hypoxemia. In case of incomplete filling of capillaries with blood, acrocyanosis is formed, cyanosis of the skin on the tip of the nose and fingers.

In medical practice, two types of cyanosis are distinguished:

Central. It is characterized by a pronounced blue color. It is formed as a result of insufficient arterialization of the blood. It accumulates carbonic anhydride in excess. Clinically, this is manifested by cyanosis not only of the mucous membrane of the lips, but also by a change in the color of the cheeks, lips and skin of the face.
Peripheral. With its development, the blood flow in the capillaries slows down, the concentration of oxygen in the tissues increases significantly, and the amount of carbon dioxide in the blood increases. Skin color changes throughout the body, arterial and venous blood mixes, breathing gets confused and quickened.

The intensity of the color of the lips can vary from a slight shade of cyanosis to a pronounced purple hue. Hypothermia or excessive physical exertion can provoke the formation of temporary cyanosis. A persistent form of cyanosis is formed as a result of prolonged and abruptly formed pathologies of the cardiovascular system or.

Types of cyanosis:

Constant
Transient
General
perioral
Local
isolated

Cyanosis of the lips can develop both in adults and in the children's body. In pediatrics, this sign signals the need to immediately call for qualified medical care. Most often, perioral cyanosis is observed, which is characterized by a change in the color of the skin in the mouth area and on the lips. In these areas, the skin acquires a blue color of varying intensity.

The main causes of cyanosis of the lips

Lips can turn blue for various reasons. There are cases when the cyanosis of the lips is not only a sign of the development of certain pathologies. It also arises as a result of the influence of external factors on the human body. These include:

Prolonged stay in a space with low oxygen content
Rapid rise to height
Complications resulting from hyperbaric oxygen therapy
Hypotremia of the body
Severe overtraining
Overdose of potent drugs
Blockage of the airways, which manifests itself in their overlap with a foreign object
Systematic poisoning of the body with excessive doses of toxic gases
Prolonged stay of a person in a horizontal motionless state
Operations under general anesthesia
Strong physical activity

Also, blue lips can occur in the presence of certain pathological processes associated with dysfunction of various systems in the body. Cyanosis, as a characteristic symptom, can manifest itself in the following pathologies:

Dysfunctions of the cardiovascular system: chronic diseases, congenital heart defects
With food poisoning, which blocks enzymes in tissues
A state of shock that can be caused by a variety of conditions: anaphylactic or septic shock, trauma, significant blood loss.
Diseases of the circulatory system
Iron-deficiency anemia
Croup in children
"Blue vices"
Carcinoid tumor of the small intestine
Pulmonary diseases, as well as pneumothorax, status asthmaticus

Blue lips can occur quickly or develop gradually. It depends on the pathology associated with this symptom. It is important to notice this process, which will significantly help the doctor in diagnosing the patient.

To understand why the lips turn blue, both in a child and in an adult, and to establish the exact cause, only doctors can, based on the results of laboratory and hardware examinations. Often, blue lips can be a sign of a serious condition that requires immediate medical attention.

Additional symptoms to determine the pathology

Cyanosis is a characteristic symptomatology of various pathologies. The central type is characterized by a gradual change in the color of the skin around the eyes or around the mouth. Then it covers other parts of the body.

With peripheral cyanosis, blue skin is observed in distant areas from the location of the heart. Also characteristic symptoms are swelling and swelling of the venous capillaries in the neck.

With a sudden development, such a pathology as cyanosis and its rapid spread with a pronounced blue color of the lips, it is urgent to provide qualified and complete medical care.

Taking into account the causes of this pathology, in addition to cyanotic lips, the following symptoms appear:

With the etiology of the bronchopulmonary system: purple color of the skin and mucous membranes, shortness of breath, wet cough, high body temperature, hyperhidrosis, moist rales. In some cases, there may be hemoptysis, pain in the chest. Severe cyanosis requires immediate respiratory resuscitation and placement of the patient in a hospital in a medical institution.
If the etiology is associated with heart disease: blue lips and nasolabial triangle, shortness of breath, wet rales, hemoptysis, secondary erythrocytosis, a rapid increase in hematocrit, capillary stasis. In severe pathology, a person experiences deformation of the fingers and nail plates, according to a characteristic principle.
In a newborn child, cyanosis of the lips can be both a norm and a pathology. Infants are characterized by the presence of thin skin, through the structure of which blood vessels are visible. But a pronounced or permanent form of cyanosis requires urgent diagnosis.
Cyanosis itself does not require special therapy. In the presence of such characteristic symptoms as cyanosis, the patient is prescribed oxygen therapy in combination with the treatment of the underlying disease.

If the cyanosis of the lips was left without attention, and the treatment was either not carried out, or carried out of poor quality, a person develops psychoneurological diseases that can affect the structure of the brain, asomnia, the protective functions of the body decrease and loss of appetite occurs. In severe cases, the person may fall into a coma.

First aid for blue lips

Since cyanosis can be a sign of a serious pathology, it is necessary to provide assistance to a person correctly and in a timely manner. In some cases, this can save a life.

When diagnosing diseases characteristic of cyanosis in a person, it is necessary to immediately give him appropriate medications to alleviate the general condition and call an ambulance.

If the lips quickly and strongly turn blue, and the person also has a strong, loss of consciousness and other symptoms, you should immediately call for professional medical help. Lay the patient down and ensure the flow of fresh air in maximum volumes.

If a person has bluish lips as a result of hypothermia, in order to normalize blood circulation throughout the body, it is required: to provide warmth by wrapping in a blanket, to drink a hot drink (coffee is excluded), to try to do physical exercises.

Blue lips during pregnancy require immediate consultation with a leading obstetrician-gynecologist. Only according to his appointment it will be possible to take iron-containing drugs or drugs of other groups. In this position, self-medication is unacceptable, since there is a threat to the life of both the mother and the fetus.

It is also recommended to completely give up bad habits such as smoking. Nicotine interferes with normal blood flow, narrowing the blood vessels, which in turn leads to insufficient oxygen supply to the blood and, accordingly, to all organs and tissues.

If the lips turn blue in a child of any age, you should immediately contact a pediatrician to establish an accurate diagnosis and immediately begin to treat the identified pathology.

In any case, with the manifestation of cyanosis of the lips or the nasolabial triangle, it is necessary to consult a doctor. When cyanosis is accompanied by auxiliary symptoms, in the form of palpitations, vomiting, asthma attacks and blood loss, an emergency call is required.

While watching the video, you will learn about heart problems.

They can turn blue for a number of different reasons. Timely diagnosis in order to establish an accurate diagnosis will allow you to start a full-fledged treatment and prevent not only complications, but in some cases, even the death of a person.

Lips take on a bluish tint in frost or cold wind, but a change in color at normal temperatures can also indicate serious disturbances in the body. Such a symptom in medicine is called cyanosis. If the lips turn blue without external causes, a person needs qualified medical help.

Why do lips turn blue?

The main reason for discoloration of the skin is the lack of oxygen in the blood. Moreover, not only the lips acquire a bluish tint, but also other parts of the body. Serious ailments of the cardiovascular system, such as pulmonary embolism, can cause oxygen deficiency. In diseases of the heart and blood vessels indicate a rapid pulse and shortness of breath.

If the lips turn blue, this may be a symptom of a malfunction of the circulatory system.

There are other reasons why lips turn blue. These include:

Abuse of alcohol and cigarettes;

Poisoning the body with toxic substances;

Iron deficiency in the blood (anemia);

Pathology of the respiratory tract.

In preschool children, the bluish tone of the lips may indicate the onset of a serious illness - croup. Additional signs here are shortness of breath, throat spasms, and a barking cough.

What to do if the lips turn blue?

It is easy for plum lips from hypothermia to return to their original pink color. Blueness in this case occurs due to vasoconstriction and insufficient blood flow to the mucous membrane.

How to deal with a cold reaction:

Go to a warm room and wrap yourself in a cozy blanket.

Drink a hot drink, preferably herbal tea. Coffee will not work - caffeine causes vasoconstriction.

Jump a little, wave your arms, squat. Physical exercise will help improve blood circulation.

If you still need to get to a warm room, a simple trick helps. Cover your mouth with cupped palms and breathe into them. It will warm both hands and lips.

For heavy smokers and drinkers, only giving up bad habits will help restore normal lip color.

A slight iron deficiency will help restore foods rich in this trace element:

Veal and liver;

Grapes and pomegranates;

Tomatoes and beets.

Prolonged anemia requires medical supervision and taking iron supplements. This is especially true for women in position and young mothers.

If your lips turn blue not from hypothermia, but you are indifferent to alcohol and cigarettes, you need to seek the advice of a therapist. Perhaps these are alarming signals of a serious illness, especially if the change in the shade of the mucous membranes is accompanied by other unpleasant symptoms.