Why do the lips of an adult turn blue: reasons

Blue lips are a fairly harmless symptom at first glance. Blue lips are most often not perceived as a sign of any disease, but are associated with exposure to low temperatures on the body. It is not possible to unambiguously explain why lips are blue, since a change in their color is not always associated with cold. Blue lips during hypothermia are explained by a narrowing of the blood vessels, and as a result, they are not filled with blood. This reaction is protective - the body provides nutrition to vital organs such as the brain, heart, kidneys, etc.

Blue lips can also be observed with cardiovascular pathology, lack of oxygen, anemia, etc.

Yusupov Hospital is a powerful medical institution that provides medical services at a decent level twenty-four hours a day. Doctors not only know all the reasons why a person’s lips turn blue, but they also know how to examine correctly, without missing important elements. Significant is the fact that specialists have at their disposal all the necessary equipment - the hardware of the Yusupov Hospital puts it at a level higher than other clinics in Moscow. If this symptom is the result of a serious illness that threatens the patient’s life, it is necessary to transfer to the intensive care ward, which in the Yusupov hospital is equipped with mainline oxygen, the patient is connected to a cardiac monitor, and, if necessary, artificial ventilation, defibrillation and cardioversion are performed, both portable and stationary devices. You can make an appointment by phone or online.

Why do the lips of an adult and an elderly person turn blue?

Why do lips turn blue? Doctors define such blue discoloration as cyanotic . This condition is caused by several factors caused by disruptions in the body.
First of all, we are talking about oxygen starvation , which is accompanied by an increase in hemoglobin after its restoration, which gives the skin a blue-violet color.
Thus, we can talk about such a reason as a disruption in the functioning of the cardiovascular system.
A person who smokes is also often susceptible to cyanosis, since the toxins that enter the body and blood when inhaling tar do not contribute to the enrichment of cells with oxygen.
If blue lips are accompanied by pale skin, we may be talking about anemia caused by a deficiency of a microelement such as iron.

From diseases

Pulmonary disorders , again associated with oxygen starvation, and possibly thrombosis, can lead to serious consequences: bronchitis, asthma.

The safest and most common cause of blue lips is hypothermia , caused by vasoconstriction as a result of freezing.

There is also Raynaud's disease , in which the vessels of the arms or legs can burst for various reasons: cold, nervous overexcitation, etc. This leads to blue skin.
Lips also turn blue during intense physical exertion.

Secondary causes of cyanosis

Blue, bloodless lips are a frightening phenomenon. The person's face begins to look sickly and exhausted. However, such a manifestation is not always associated with acute diseases. Often the reason is the influence of external factors, which can be easily eliminated. Blue discoloration of the skin often occurs under the following conditions.

Hypothermia. Under the influence of low temperatures, all functional processes in the body slow down. The heart begins to beat less frequently, blood pressure decreases, and brain activity slows down. Against this background, the flow of blood to the cells is disrupted, which leads to significant pallor of the skin. The victim may experience symptoms such as blue lips and limbs, trembling in the body, and a slow pulse. If a person is not hospitalized in a timely manner, there is a high probability of death or the onset of necrotic processes in tissues.
Nicotine poisoning. Yellow teeth, a hoarse voice and an unpleasant odor from the mouth are not all the signs of a heavy smoker. Many experienced cigarette lovers suffer from constant oxygen deprivation due to tobacco smoke poisoning. This leads to deterioration of the complexion, disappearance of the blush and staining of the lips blue. The eyes become sunken, with dark circles around them.
Avitaminosis. With an acute shortage of beneficial microelements, metabolism is disrupted, and cells begin to suffer from hypoxia. Cyanosis is considered one of the main signs of vitamin deficiency. It is often combined with other pronounced symptoms: brittle and dry nails and hair, pale skin, irritability. A lack of vitamins leads to malfunctions of the digestive and cardiovascular systems and causes endocrine pathologies, so this condition should not be triggered.

Why do lips turn blue in children and newborns?

It is especially dangerous for younger children when their lips turn blue, because this is caused by such a serious complication as croup . It occurs after diphtheria and bronchitis.
Cough, difficulty breathing, because the functions of the respiratory system are disrupted and therefore blue lips are one of the symptoms of this dangerous disease.

If the baby cries for a long time or screams hysterically, this can also lead to blue lips and the nasolabial triangle. This is especially pronounced in infants.

The triangle turns blue

Difficulty breathing if a foreign object gets into the respiratory tract.
Childhood cyanosis can also be caused by insufficient development of the respiratory system, which is more common in newborns, especially if the child is premature.
They are characterized by acrocyanosis , accompanied by blue discoloration of not only the lips, but also the palms and feet. This cyanosis is called peripheral ; it disappears with the maturation of the baby’s circulatory system.

There have been cases of blue lips in children with pneumonia, type 1 diabetes mellitus, epilepsy, meningitis, and cancer.

Treatment of cyanosis

If your lips become increasingly blue for no noticeable reason (eg cold) and/or if this color persists, you should see a doctor as soon as possible to determine the exact cause and, if necessary, begin appropriate therapy. Because cyanosis is often caused by cardiac or pulmonary disease (eg, coronary artery disease, heart failure, chronic bronchitis, or COPD), treatment options range from general measures such as bed rest or adequate fluid intake to medication and surgery.

In parallel, the patient is often given oxygen (eg, through a nasogastric tube) to compensate for the deficiency causing the blue coloration. If elevated concentrations of methemoglobin in the blood (metagemoglobinemia) are caused by toxins or drugs, it is usually treated with oxygen and intravenous methylene blue as an antidote. On the other hand, hereditary methemoglobinemia is incurable; instead, only the symptoms are alleviated, for example, by the administration of vitamin C.

If blue lips are associated with heart failure, the first step in treatment is to treat or eliminate the cause. This is done either medically (such as with ACE inhibitors or beta blockers) or surgically, such as in cases of valvular insufficiency, such as when the heart is severely damaged, leaving only a heart transplant as a last resort in some cases.

In case of severe damage to the heart, when all means have already been tried, in most cases the only option left is heart surgery. Image: www.pixabay.com

Additionally, personal lifestyle plays a central role in heart failure. Accordingly, it is necessary for stakeholders to pay attention to their lifestyle to minimize risk factors such as obesity, nicotine and excessive alcohol consumption and physical inactivity, thereby increasing their personal quality of life.

Lips turn blue: the reason for women

In general, women's lips turn blue for the standard reasons described above. In addition, a similar effect can be caused by heavy blood loss (for example, menstrual loss).
For pregnant women, blue lips are a sign of a lack of iron in the body, or iron deficiency anemia.
This is a fairly common phenomenon, and pharmacies sell complexes of drugs containing iron to eliminate this problem.

Among women

Iron deficiency occurs if a pregnant woman's diet does not include the required amount of foods containing iron.

Why does the lower or upper lip and the corners of the lips turn blue?

If only one lip turns blue , this may indicate that blood microcirculation . This may occur as a result of the appearance of an inflammatory process or the appearance of a tumor.
The cause may be a mechanical injury to the lip - bruise, bite, etc.
In infants, the lips (usually the lower one) turn blue, possibly if their sucking reflexes have not yet fully developed. In this case, the child, having eaten, can suck his own lip.
The corners of the lips turn blue due to disruption of the heart or lungs. This is often a characteristic symptom of respiratory diseases: bronchitis and asthma, laryngitis and pneumonia.

Part turns blue

Causes of blue lips

For central cyanosis, heart disease (cardiac cyanosis) or lung disease (pulmonary cyanosis) is also very often used as a cause. For example, heart failure is possible, during which, due to weakened heart muscle, the tissue cannot be sufficiently supplied with blood and oxygen. As a result, especially in the outer zones of the body (periphery), there is a deficiency of oxygen, which is externally recognized by the blue color of the skin and lips. Symptoms also include shortness of breath when climbing stairs, swollen legs (especially around the ankles), frequent urination at night, and tachycardia and chest tightness during stress.

In addition, many patients feel constantly exhausted and experience severe internal restlessness, as well as frequent coughing and noise when breathing. Heart failure can occur after a previous heart attack, but other diseases such as coronary artery disease (CAD), inflammation of the heart muscle (myocarditis) or cardiac arrhythmias are often the cause.

In addition, high blood pressure (hypertension) and anemia are considered to be a trigger or impetus for the disease, and diabetes, excessive alcohol consumption, nicotine consumption, overweight and obesity, among others, are considered risk factors for the development of heart failure.

Blue lips can also be caused by a congenital or acquired heart defect. There may be, for example, a so-called “hole” in the septum of the heart (ventricular septal defect), which causes a mixture of oxygen-poor and oxygen-rich blood. As a result, already spent blood returns to the systemic circulation and, therefore, less oxygen is present than with intact circulation.

In addition, various lung diseases can interfere with gas exchanges in the alveoli, which normally exchanges fresh oxygen from the breathing air with waste carbon dioxide from the blood. However, if this gas exchange is disrupted or restricted, there is not enough oxygen "load", meaning that the affected person is inhaling air but still not getting enough oxygen in the blood.

Due to lack of oxygen, the reddish-red pigment hemoglobin becomes bluish-violet and no longer appears bright red, but dark red-bluish. For example, it is relatively common in advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), often referred to as "smoker's lung." However, it is also possible, for example, bronchial asthma, pneumonia or a pathological accumulation of air in the chest (pneumothorax), which causes shortness of breath, cyanosis and shortness of breath.

Why do lips turn blue during physical activity?

Do your lips turn blue during physical activity? Basically, this phenomenon is associated with oxygen starvation , since there is an active consumption of oxygen to compensate for the energy expended.
Peripheral circulation is reduced, thereby causing cyanosis of the extremities and lips. As a rule, this phenomenon is not dangerous, since the state of hypoxia disappears after the load is stopped.

From load

In addition, as doctors say, this may be due to the way the vessels are located in the nasolabial triangle.
If, along with blue lips, other symptoms appear (nausea, dizziness, lethargy or lethargy, etc.), it is necessary to examine the cardiovascular system.

Homeopathic treatment for blue lips

Photo 2: To prevent the appearance of cyanosis, it is necessary to give up bad habits, namely smoking.
Nicotine constricts blood vessels, interfering with normal blood flow, which can result in blue lips. Source: flickr (Photo of Moscow Moscow-Live.ru). Homeopathic treatment must be prescribed by a doctor engaged in homeopathic practice. When prescribing, many factors are taken into account: from the patient’s appearance to his reactions to certain stimuli. Treatment of diseases depends on the diagnosis and constitutional type of the patient.

For blue lips, the following homeopathic medicines are often used as additional or monotherapy:

Adrenalinum . It is prescribed to patients whose blue lips are caused by strong emotional reactions, asthma, and pulmonary diseases.
Cuprum metallicum . Treats diseases that cause spasms and convulsions: epilepsy, asthma, meningitis and others. These diseases lead to difficulty breathing, causing discoloration of the lips.
Digitalis purpurea (Digitalis purpurea) . It is used for all diseases of the cardiovascular system, including those that cause discoloration of the skin.
Acidum hydrocyanicum . It is prescribed as a medicine for seizures, epilepsy, tetanus, cholera, shortness of breath, and bronchial asthma. Helps normalize the color of the nasolabial triangle.
Creosotum . _ Prescribed for bleeding that leads to hemoglobin deficiency and, as a result, cyanosis.
Lachesis the best heart remedies. It also fights asthma, tuberculosis, pneumonia, and croup. Often prescribed for suffocation and blue skin.
Laurocerasus . _ Helps solve the problem of cyanosis, used to treat fever, shortness of breath and heart failure.
Moshus, Musk (Moschus) . It is actively used in the treatment of asthma, convulsions, croup, laryngospasm, epilepsy, shortness of breath, heart and lung failure and other diseases reflected in changes in the shade of the lips.
Vipera berus . Prescribed for diseases of the heart (heart attack, angina, arrhythmia) and blood flow accompanied by swelling and cyanosis.

What to do if your lips turn blue?

If blue lips are caused by hypothermia, you should dress warmly and wrap yourself in a blanket. It's good to drink hot tea, but you should avoid coffee, since caffeine constricts blood vessels.
What to do if your lips turn blue? They will “disperse” oxygen throughout all vessels and tissues through active movement . If you are outside, bring your palms to your mouth and exhale into them - this will warm both your palms and your lips.
Give up cigarettes, which deprive you of adequate oxygen supply.
Eat foods rich in iron: liver, chicken yolks, buckwheat, pomegranates, pumpkin seeds, beets, grapes, etc.

Eat right

If your lips often turn blue, check if everything is okay with your body and undergo a full examination. If the cause of blue lips is some kind of organ dysfunction, the doctor will determine a set of therapeutic measures and necessary medications.
There are also homeopathic remedies that complement the main treatment, but their use must also be agreed with the doctor.

As for children, if blue lips are accompanied by weight loss, heart murmurs, coughing, difficulty breathing, lethargy, be sure to consult a pediatrician.

What measures need to be taken

If blue lips are not caused by hypothermia or vitamin deficiency, you need to visit a doctor to determine its causes. To get started, just make an appointment with a general practitioner or family medicine doctor. The doctor will clarify the nature of the symptoms accompanying cyanosis. Then he will prescribe a series of diagnostic procedures and, if necessary, recommend an examination by a cardiologist, endocrinologist, hematologist or pulmonologist. Typically, for this problem, the following instrumental studies are carried out:

biochemical and clinical blood tests;
Analysis of urine;
Ultrasound of the chest and abdominal organs;
MRI;
CT with contrast;
ECG;
EchoCG.

After receiving the diagnostic results, the doctor will be able to determine the factor that provoked the external changes and draw up a treatment plan. Treatment methods are selected taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient and the nature of the identified disease.

At the same time, there are several ways to return your lips to their normal color without medical help. In particular, drinking plenty of hot water helps, increasing blood circulation. Also, the skin begins to look healthier after performing physical activity that stimulates metabolism. As for heavy smokers, they simply need to get rid of the bad habit.