With a satisfactory state of human health, the lips have a reddish or pinkish tint. Blue lips are a dangerous symptom that you should definitely pay attention to. In particular, if the blue stays for a long time and does not disappear. Blue lips can indicate a number of problems, which are worth talking about separately.
This phenomenon may indicate blood supply problems, as well as pathology of the respiratory tract, concomitant diseases. All these aspects deserve special attention.
Causes of blue lips
Cyanosis, as it is scientifically called blue lips, is not a separate disease, but a symptom that accompanies a number of diseases and conditions, both harmless and dangerous. The lips turn blue mainly due to the fact that very large amounts of deoxyhemoglobin accumulate in the blood. That is, the blood does not receive the necessary amount of oxygen, it gets dark.
Darkened blood is well seen in areas where the skin layer is initially thin. And the lips are normally red just because of the visible vessels here, this is an area with a thin layer of the epidermis. This is easy to see - everyone sometimes peels off the skin from their lips, it is transparent, not red and not pink.
Varieties of pathology, concomitant symptoms of cyanosis
Central cyanosis gives a bright blue color to the lips and cheeks, it occurs due to problems with blood circulation, due to which carbon anhydride accumulates in it.There is also peripheral cyanosis, which occurs due to a decrease in the speed of blood circulation in the vessels, due to stagnant phenomena that provide blood with the accumulation of carbon dioxide. There is also cyanosis due to the fact that venous, arterial blood mixes in the human body. In this case, a person has rapid breathing. If in the first situation, cyanosis usually provokes increased loads on the body, also sometimes - hypothermia, then in the second it occurs due to cardiovascular pathologies.
Why do lips turn blue in the cold?
The most common occurrence is blue lips due to cold, but this is not the only reason. Blue lips due to cold are associated with narrowing of blood vessels that respond to low temperatures. Blood supply is deteriorating, blood stagnates, acquires a bluish tint due to the fact that it gives oxygen even before reaching the peripheral tissues. This is where the specific color comes from. Lack of oxygen in the room also causes blue lips, as well as an overdose of some drugs, increased physical activity.
Other reasons
The lips turn blue during poisoning, due to tobacco and alcohol, under general anesthesia, when a person is put on surgery. But not all the causes of blue lips are so harmless, there are other reasons that you should definitely pay attention to. Blue lips can be a dangerous symptom, indicating a serious illness or a dangerous condition of a person.
Thrombosis of the lungs, asthma, bronchitis - all these diseases cause blue lips.Pneumonia or bronchitis can also give such an effect. These diseases affect the respiratory tract, preventing the saturation of the blood with oxygen. A long stay under water causes the lips to turn blue due to oxygen deficiency, which could not be inhaled, and at high altitude, the lips turn blue due to air pressure - this is important for climbers, skydivers.
Problems of the cardiovascular system can also affect the color of the lips, since weakly circulating blood will quickly give out oxygen, without bringing it to the peripheral tissues, which will turn blue.
Why does the child's lips turn blue?
Sometimes blue lips are observed in a child. This may indicate a hazard. The specificity of childhood cyanosis is the underdevelopment of the respiratory system, or the ingestion of a foreign body into the larynx. The first case is typical for newborns, pathology is detected immediately after the birth of the baby. Modern opportunities allow you to save such a baby. As a rule, premature babies are born with underdeveloped lungs, during pregnancy up to 32 weeks.
When crying
A foreign body can enter the larynx at any time, at any age, creating breathing problems. The child may choke on food, take a toy or a bead in his mouth. If you suspect that the child was choking, you should immediately help him. Blue lips can be observed with long crying - at such moments, the body also lacks oxygen, for proper ventilation of the lungs you need calm, measured breathing.
Thus, there are many reasons why the lips can turn blue, but they all come down to a deficiency of oxygen in the blood. Oxygen can be low due to its deficiency in the air, due to illness or improper functioning of the respiratory system, due to the slowed circulation of blood, which loses oxygen before it reaches the peripheral parts of the body. Blood lacking oxygen takes on a dark color, it is she who paints her lips blue instead of the usual pinkish or reddish.
