What are signs of cyanosis?
Have you ever wondered how amazing the human body can be when it is in distress? For example, when a person is in a very cold condition, the end of the finger may seem bluish?
Although it may seem scary, this shows that the body is trying to conserve the heat by constricting the blood flow from reaching the finger, thus allowing more blood flow to the central part of the body which contains vital organs such as heart and brain.
Blood flow can be regulated well when nutrients such as vitamin C intake is regularly taken. In this article, we will be talking about the cause for the bluish finger called cyanosis.
Cyanosis is a medical term used to describe bluish skin due to lack of oxygen in the blood. This bluish colour may also seem bluish-purple. It is easily seen on the lips, mouth, earlobes and fingernails because the skin is relatively thinner than other parts of the body.
In a normal setting, we can see the skin have red tone or pink hue because of the oxygen-filled blood circulating throughout the body. When oxygen is not well circulated in the blood, the blood circulating to the area of the body that is affected by cyanosis shows blur or purple tone.
What are signs of cyanosis?
Signs of cyanosis can be seen when the skin becomes blue. Cyanosis is easily spotted on those with dark skin such as whitish or greyish of the lips, tongue, gums, under the nails and around the eyes. Cyanosis can be divided into two types: peripheral and central.
Peripheral cyanosis refers to cyanosis affecting the hands, fingers, feed and toes. Central cyanosis refers to cyanosis found on the centre parts of the body such as mouth, head and torso. Peripheral cyanosis is normal in babies as long as no central cyanosis is presented. Children are susceptible to peripheral cyanosis when they are exposed to cold such as from swimming in cold water but it should go away once they are warmed up.
There are many causes that could lead to cyanosis.
Causes of central cyanosis and peripheral cyanosis are similar. This includes heart issues such as heart failure or congenital heart diseases, low body temperature, inhalation of smoke from fires, blockage in the airway such as foreign body in the throat, lung diseases such as asthma and pneumonia and conditions affecting nervous system such as seizure.
Since there are many causes or conditions that could lead to cyanosis, at times it can be difficult to pinpoint the exact causes. It is important to know the exact causes underlying the cyanosis episode so that the exact treatment can be given. Treatments could be exposure to warmth, antibiotics, usage of inhalers and surgery. Again, treatments depend on the cause of the cyanosis. Furthermore, signs of cyanosis may not be easy to spot immediately especially those with white or fair skin.
Thus, it is important to get those with cyanosis urgently to the emergency room especially when a child shows bluish lips, tongue, face or skin and/or shows signs of breathing difficulty and chest pain. These are signs of a serious medical problem that need immediate attention from medical professionals.
Although cyanosis may cause great panic, most specifically among parents of a child, it is best to examine the child thoroughly before deciding to bring the child to the emergency room.
If only peripheral cyanosis occurs, you may want to ask about it to a doctor and do not necessarily need an urgent visit to the clinic or hospital. If you are not sure or feel worried about the cyanosis, it is best to consult or have discussion with doctors. Get Covid 19 Test kits.
