Why did my lip turn blue? Blue lips in a child - What is it and is it dangerous. The main causes of blue mucous membranes of the lips

Blue lips in a child, this 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 oxygen saturation. Such manifestations in children become common cause diseases respiratory system and hearts. First you need to provide first aid, then contact a medical facility.

Common reasons why lips turn blue are heart failure and blockage of blood vessels. The phenomenon is caused by tissue hypoxia. If the bottom one turns blue, upper lip, then a violation occurs as a result of weak outflow venous blood and imbalance of arterial inflow.

The cause is subcutaneous tumor, inflammation. The process is caused by nearby vessels in the lip muscle. Such manifestations occur in a child when swimming in cold water or when he is hypothermic.

When crying, often small child lips turn blue. If baby will cry for a long time, this provokes a flow of blood into the area of ​​​​the lips and chin, the spraying of oxygen accelerates the pace as a result of the high activity of the lungs. If the child has calmed down and the cyanosis has subsided, there is no need to worry.

Reasons why a baby’s lips may turn blue that are not related to illness:

• lack of oxygen in enclosed spaces;
• hypothermia while walking at low temperatures;
• strong physical activity.

A possible cause of lip discoloration 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, is losing weight, is lethargic, is crying, has a cough, has a fever, then you should urgently contact ambulance.

There is such a reason for the blue triangle near the mouth as respiratory syndrome. The disease is not very dangerous, direct relation has to age-related changes. Associated with overexcitation.

Symptoms:

• turns blue lower lip;
• triangle near the mouth;
• face;
• throat spasms.

There is a lack of calcium in the child's body. In children over 4 years of age, the disease goes away on its own.

Metabolic cyanosis can cause blue lips in newborns.

In such cases, an excess of phosphates occurs in the body and a lack of sufficient calcium. Such phenomena occur after hemorrhage inside the skull or cerebral edema.

Congenital heart disease in infants causes blue lips. A sign of pathology is poor circulation. These babies develop the following symptoms by 9-12 weeks:

• dyspnea;
• loss of consciousness;
• blue discoloration of the nasolabial triangle;
• convulsions.

Treatment requires surgical intervention aged 3 to 6 years.

Cyanosis occurs due to the presence respiratory disease- croup Children under 3 years of age are susceptible to it.

Symptoms:

• dry cough;
• wheezing;
• high temperature.

A dangerous condition is accompanied by salivation, choking, and the upper lip turns blue.

What danger cyanosis poses is determined by the condition of the baby’s tongue and nails.

If they have a pink tint, healthy looking, there is a possibility of perioral cyanosis, which is not dangerous.

If a bluish tint appears on the tongue, nails, or lips, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Possible complications

If a child's lips turn blue, this may be due to asphyxia. It causes the following complications:

• suffocation;
• blockage of blood vessels by a thrombus.

It is urgent to call an ambulance.

When determining shock, a baby may have:

• weakness;
• heavy breathing;
• pallor, gray skin;
• acceleration of pulsation;
• weak consciousness.

Poisoning of the body, attack bronchial asthma are accompanied by an increase in symptoms within 24 hours:

• shortness of breath appears;
• dizziness occurs;
• blue discoloration of mucous membranes and nails.

The presence of signs of blueness for a long time may indicate chronic diseases.

Complications associated with methemoglobinemia:

• antibiotic overdose;
• 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 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:

1. Psychoneurosis.
2. Damage to the brain structure.
3. Asomnia.
4. Are decreasing protective functions body.
5. Loss of appetite.

IN severe cases possible coma.

How to eliminate blue lips

If cyanosis is accompanied by a lack of air, the child’s breathing becomes more frequent and the child feels unwell, first aid at home:

• open the collar and chest so that clothes do not squeeze;
• provide air flow by opening the window;
• rub your 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 blue lips.

What will help make your lips 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 blueness.

The following diagnostic methods are used:

• blood test;
• x-ray of respiratory organs;
• tomography;
• calculation of blood flow speed;
• determination of the composition of exhaled air;
• electrocardiography.

The treatment method will depend on the diagnosis. The goal of therapy is to eliminate oxygen deficiency.

After hypothermia for crying baby the following measures must be taken:

1. Wrap your body in a warm blanket.
2. Give warm tea.

Such actions will help you warm up faster, blood circulation will resume, and blood flow will ensure pink mouth

If your lips turn blue at fever, you should immediately consult a doctor. Children under 1 year of age are prescribed special medicines in extreme cases.

Drug treatment for older children will allow:

• improve air flow to the lungs;
• increase blood concentration.

The influx of a sufficient amount of hemoglobin with oxygen leads to normalization of color and eliminates cyanosis. For hypoxia and heart disease, a hardware 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:

• the components are aimed at increasing the concentration of oxygen in the blood;
• cyanosis near the oral triangle disappears;
• absolutely safe for the body.

You can use cocktails at home without medical care. In some cases, it is possible to use traditional recipes.

“Blue lips” are often found in people who have suffered from hypothermia. The most obvious reason for this is swimming in cold water or simply staying in a body of water for a long time. But this is the result of hypothermia and there is an explanation for this. And this is why lips turn blue without visible reasons?

Why do lips turn blue?

As they believe in medicine, nothing happens without a reason. And if the symptom of blue lips is present, then you need to urgently consult a doctor! With normal hypothermia in a person, the blueness goes away over time, as soon as he warms up - blood circulation normalizes and the capillaries of the mucous membranes expand. In this way, the normal pink color of the skin is restored, and there is no reason for further concern.

The alarm should be sounded if blue lips are caused by:

• rapid heartbeat;
• difficulty breathing;
• elevated temperature;
• feeling of heat in the chest;
• persistent cough;
• if your lips and nails turn blue together.

Such signs require immediate assistance from a medical professional.

If everything is clear during hypothermia, the point is in the capillaries themselves, which narrow from the cold, and in normal temperature expand, and there is no danger, then other signs pose an undoubted threat to health.

Blue lips may indicate oxygen starvation - i.e. from inhaling toxic gases or vapors for a sufficiently long time, even from tobacco smoke. Oxygen starvation and as a result, blue lips may be due to heart problems.

With hypoxemia, the oxygen level in the blood drops, hemoglobin is restored, its values ​​increase, causing pigmentation and a “blue” coloration of the lips. The disease itself is also called cyanosis of the skin in medicine (from the Greek “cyano” - deep blue), accompanied by a sharp bluing of the mucous membranes, including the lips and the surface of the skin (it becomes cyanotic-blue).

If the lips are constantly blue and the skin is unusually pale, one suspects iron deficiency anemia. This is a disease in which there is a lack of iron, necessary for the production of hemoglobin, which saturates circulatory system oxygen. Anemia occurs from poor nutrition(starvation), large blood loss (trauma, surgery, copious discharge on critical days, etc.).

What to do if your lips turn blue

If, against the background of general well-being, a person’s pulse begins to quicken, breathing is delayed or lost, or blue lips appear, then these are problems with cardiac activity or the respiratory system as a whole. An ordinary blood clot that has broken off from a vessel in the lung, a manifestation heart attack, bronchial asthma, a surge in 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 quickly as possible.

In pediatrics, blue lips are noted when severe forms various diseases. The child has difficulty breathing and complains of a lump in the throat and pain in the lips. These symptoms indicate serious illness, and to avoid an unfavorable outcome, immediate treatment in a hospital is required.

Blue skin or lips usually indicate low level oxygen in the blood or poor circulation.

When there is a lack of oxygen, the blood darkens, causing the skin to take on a blue tint. The scientific name for this phenomenon is cyanosis. In people with dark skin Cyanosis is more noticeable on the lips, gums and around the eyes.

If blue discoloration is observed on the skin of the fingers, tip of the nose, lips, ears or turns blue nasolabial triangle- the area between the nose and upper lip and chin, they speak of acrocyanosis - blue discoloration of the parts of the body furthest from the heart. This happens more often when there is a circulatory disorder. If your entire skin turns blue, we're talking about about general (diffuse) cyanosis, which more often happens with a lack of oxygen: suffocation or bad work lungs.

IN in rare cases It is possible that the skin may turn blue in a specific area, for example, on one finger. The reason for this change may be thrombosis (blockage) of a blood vessel or its sharp narrowing, which happens, for example, with Raynaud's syndrome.

Cyanosis in adults- is always a reason to see a doctor. If an adult’s lips quickly become blue, skin cyanosis increases, or the nasolabial triangle turns blue, difficulty breathing, chest pain, weakness, general malaise, or others suddenly appear. alarming symptoms, you should call an ambulance by calling landline phone 03, from mobile 112 or 911.

Slowly developing cyanosis usually indicates a chronic heart or lung disease - in this case, you should consult a doctor yourself as soon as possible, and if feeling unwell- call a doctor at home. For example, the gradual turning blue of the fingers or toes, hands and feet also indicates a circulatory disorder, which happens in many chronic diseases of the heart and lungs.

Cyanosis in children- always talks about dangerous condition. In infants, the nasolabial triangle often turns blue. If your child's skin turns blue, you should call an ambulance or go to the emergency department of the nearest hospital yourself. The following symptoms also indicate danger:

• shortness of breath - the child breathes more often than usual, flares the nostrils, tenses the muscles chest with every inhalation or exhalation;
• the child sits bent over;
• groans when breathing;
• the baby is lethargic, detached from others, inactive;
• eat poorly or refuse to eat;
• the child seems irritated.

The main causes of cyanosis (blue discoloration of the skin and lips)

The most common causes of cyanosis are described below, however the information contained in this article should not be used to self-diagnosis- for this you need to consult a doctor.

Lung dysfunction:

• thrombus in pulmonary artery(pulmonary embolism);
• exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or bronchial asthma;
• drowning or long stay underwater;
• being on high altitude above sea level - mountain (altitude) sickness;
• severe pneumonia.

Impaired patency respiratory tract:

• bronchiectasis, in which areas of the bronchi expand in the form of pouches, sputum stagnates in them and infections often occur;
• holding your breath;
• choking - read what to do if a person chokes;
• croup - inflammation of the upper respiratory tract in children, for example, with diphtheria or viral infections when the lumen of the trachea or bronchi narrows sharply;
• epiglottitis - inflammation and swelling of the epiglottis - a mucocartilaginous valve that separates the esophagus and trachea;
• convulsions that do not stop for a long time, for example, with tetanus.

Heart dysfunction:

• heart failure, in which the heart does not provide adequate blood flow to the organs and tissues of the body;
• congenital heart disease - a defect in the heart in which low-oxygen blood from the right ventricle flows directly into the left, bypassing the lungs, can lead to cyanosis;
• heart failure.

Other causes of cyanosis:

• overdose medicines(narcotics, benzodiazepines or sedatives);
• impact cold water or air;
• blood disorders, such as low hemoglobin (the blood cannot carry enough oxygen) or polycythemia ( high concentration red blood cells - erythrocytes in the blood).

Which doctor should I contact if I have cyanosis?

If your condition and health remain satisfactory and there is no need for emergency medical care, consult a physician. The doctor will prescribe a minimal examination to find out the cause of the change in skin and lip color. Depending on the results of the examination, the doctor will send you for a consultation with a cardiologist - if possible problems with the heart and blood vessels or a pulmonologist - to exclude diseases of the lungs and respiratory tract. By following the links, you can choose a doctor yourself using the NaPravku service.

Blue lips are a symptom of diseases manifested by a change in lip color to blue. The reason is blood deprived of a significant dose of oxygen, in which deoxyhemoglobin accumulates.

If you stay in the cold for a long time, freeze, then the question of why the lips change color in an adult does not arise. If there are no obvious reasons, you should consult a doctor to help your body.

The medical name for blue lips is cyanosis. Where the epidermis is thinner, the darkening of the blood becomes noticeable. Cyanosis manifests itself in diseases of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, anemia.

In children

Acrocyanosis often occurs in newborns. A bluish tint also appears on the palms and soles. This phenomenon is not dangerous - with the progression of the circulatory system, peripheral cyanosis of the lips will go away on its own. There is no need to worry if the skin around the mouth turns blue, the so-called perioral cyanosis. This sometimes happens when the child is active, very angry, and does not stop crying, for example, from colic, when the baby tries to curl up his legs. The mucous membrane of the mouth and the tongue are a healthy pink color.

If blue discoloration is noticed on the lips, tongue and nails, consult a doctor.

If your baby's lips turn blue, analyze the following points:

• whether the child is losing weight, whether his development is normal;
• whether there are symptoms such as difficulty breathing, cough - this is how asthma can manifest itself;
• are there any heart murmurs;
• isn't it increased fatigue, lethargy and drowsiness, whether the baby is active.

Blue lips can occur with congenital heart disease. Arterial blood connects with venous blood not enriched with oxygen, blood circulation is disrupted. In the absence of symptoms at birth, after 2-3 months, attacks of shortness of breath may appear, acquires bluish color nasolabial triangle, convulsions appear. Treatment occurs through surgery at 3-6 years of age.

Childhood croup can also cause cyanosis. Signs: laryngeal stenosis, inflammation of the airways. The temperature rises, a dry cough is tormented, especially in the morning and evening, wheezing is heard. With a strong narrowing of the pharynx, salivation increases, the upper lip turns blue, and attacks of suffocation occur.

Children with cyanosis are observed by a pediatrician. After identifying the reasons, he will refer the child to a specialized specialist.

In adults

An adult's lips turn blue not necessarily due to illness. Consider the following factors:

• long-term stay in places with insufficient oxygen (subway, airplanes, closed vehicles);
• hypothermia;
• being at high altitude;
• operations under general anesthesia;
• strong physical activity;
• smoking;
• alcohol abuse;
• pregnancy (with iron deficiency).

Health problems that cause blue lips:

1. Respiratory system dysfunction. Signs of pathology - dry or wet cough, wheezing, difficulty breathing, chest pain. May indicate the presence of a pulmonary thrombus, bronchial asthma, pneumonia, pulmonary edema, pneumothorax.
2. Disruption cardiovascular system. Cyanosis can occur when there is poor blood supply to small blood vessels. Often the cause is heart failure - the organ does not provide adequate blood access to the organs. Other diseases - high blood pressure, rhythm disturbance, myocardial infarction, cardiomyopathy can cause changes in lip color.
3. Severe poisoning of the body, in which enzymes in tissues are blocked.
4. State of shock due to large blood loss (injuries, menstruation in women), anaphylactic shock, septic shock, fluid loss. Symptoms of the disease - dizziness, weakness, rapid pulse, pale skin blue in the face.
5. Raynaud's disease - rupture small vessels at stressful situations, exposure low temperatures, overvoltage.

If your upper or lower lip turns blue and swollen, this may indicate inflammation or skin growths. Changes inside the vessels lead to a malfunction of the blood microcirculation system. It may turn blue due to a blow or bite.

Lips can become bluish due to herpes, its treatment oxolinic ointment. Herpes - viral disease, characterized by a blistering rash on the skin and mucous membranes. It is transmitted mainly through contact, including through kissing. When treating a rash with oxolin, it often occurs side effect- blue discoloration of the skin. It is not dangerous and does not require therapy.

In women, lips of this color can be the reason for an unsuccessful tattoo by an unprofessional artist. We can correct the deficiency - you need to contact a specialist, he will correct the situation in several procedures.

How to get rid of lip cyanosis

If there are symptoms of cyanosis, the patient is prescribed oxygen therapy. Only a doctor can find the cause of blueness - it is advisable to be examined by a cardiologist, pulmonologist and endocrinologist. It is necessary to undergo the prescribed tests to identify the cause of the disease.

If the cause of blue lips is poor circulation, treatment can be applied folk remedies that give positive reviews. They are easy to prepare at home:

• Aloe juice and honey mask. The ingredients are diluted in equal proportions and applied to the blue area. Suitable for adults and children.
• Tincture horse chestnut. The fruits are infused in cool water half a day. Boil the infusion. Drink 12 days 30 minutes before meals, 1 tablespoon 3 times a day.

Folk remedies cannot be the only treatment! Seeing a doctor if you have cyanosis is mandatory.

First aid

If your lips suddenly turn blue, you experience shortness of breath, dizziness, rapid pulse, vomiting, call an ambulance. It is necessary to ensure the flow of oxygen, loosen the collar of the clothes, sit in comfortable position.

If the patient is cold, you need to warm the body, cover it with a blanket, and rub the limbs. Drinking hot water will also help raise your body temperature. An exception would be strong coffee; caffeine constricts blood vessels.

Physical activity, jumping, and running will help you warm up. Vascular tone will increase, blood circulation will be restored, and tissues will be provided with oxygen in the required volumes.

If you turn blue during pregnancy, an urgent consultation with a gynecologist is necessary - anemia is possible, self-medication is contraindicated.

Prevention of occurrence

If you have chronic diseases of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, or blood diseases, it is necessary to undergo regular preventive examinations. Stick to it the right image life - take walks in the fresh air more often, give your body moderate physical activity, eat right. If you smoke, try to quit this habit, just like drinking alcohol.

Blue lips cannot be ignored. Timely seeking medical help and properly selected treatment will return wellness and a vibrant, healthy complexion.

Blueness of the lips or acrocyanosis is observed with anemia, diseases of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. The content of reduced hemoglobin in the blood increases, which gives a characteristic shade to certain parts of the body.

Peripheral acrocyanosis develops with insufficient blood supply to small capillaries, impaired blood circulation, and increased absorption of oxygen by tissues. The intensity of the skin color change can range from a barely noticeable bluish tint to a rich dark, blue-black tone.

The main reasons why lips turn blue:

• chronic heart failure;
• poisoning toxic substances or medications;
• “blue” heart defects;
• ventricular septal defect;
• iron deficiency anemia;
• after heavy bleeding;
• upper respiratory tract diseases;
• blue lips occur in children under 4 years of age who suffer from croup;
• rotavirus infection in newborns;
• meningitis;
• smoking;
• allergic reaction to milk;
• thromboembolism;
• severe hypothermia.

The cause of blue lips in adults is a lack of oxygen in the blood or injury to small capillaries. In case of circulatory disorders, cyanosis is observed in the mouth area, ears, tip of the nose, pads of the fingers and toes.

In diseases of the cardiovascular system, the flow of blood to the body tissues slows down. Oxygen starvation leads to an increase in hemoglobin levels associated with carbon dioxide, which causes blueness of the skin and mucous membranes.

In diseases of the respiratory system, the cause of acrocyanosis is a violation of gas exchange. Concentrates in vessels great content CO₂, which gives the dermis its characteristic shade. Malfunctions of the bronchi, lungs, and congenital defects of the heart septum most often cause central cyanosis. In this case, blue discoloration is observed not only in the lips; mucous membranes, face and other areas of the body with thin skin are affected.

Clinical picture

1. In the peripheral form of the pathology in adults and children, the darkened dermis is cold to the touch, but in the diffuse form it remains warm. If the lips turn blue in a short period of time, then the cause is asphyxia caused by suffocation or blockage of a blood vessel by a blood clot.

2. Cyanosis may increase when physical activity, against the background of emotional shock, prolonged hypothermia, with exacerbation of chronic ailments.

3. When symptoms appear gradually and intensify during the day, this indicates intoxication of the body or an attack of bronchial asthma. Longer period clinical signs observed in chronic diseases of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems.

4. With heart disease, dull pain in the sternum, shortness of breath, arrhythmia, cyanosis of the nasolabial triangle, fingers and toes, and swelling of the lower extremities occur.

5. If lips turn blue due to lung diseases, patients are worried about shortness of breath, coughing, difficulty breathing, and wheezing. In pneumothorax, air enters the pleural cavity, compresses the lungs, heart and large vessels, as a result, blood circulation is disrupted and cyanosis develops. Attacks of bronchial asthma are accompanied by slow breathing, suffocation, lips, ears and limbs begin to turn blue and become cold to the touch. If a person is not given timely assistance, coma and death may occur.

Causes of blue lips in young children

Mothers of babies often notice that when their newborns cry, the skin color in the area around the mouth changes. The cause may be congenital heart disease, septic shock, neonatal pneumonia, asthma. In addition to cyanosis, other symptoms of malaise are observed: the baby does not eat well, does not gain weight, is drowsy, is bothered by cough, rhinitis, elevated temperature. In such cases, urgent medical care and consultation with a doctor.

When a child cries, a spasm of the larynx occurs, which is called affective-respiratory syndrome. This condition is not dangerous and refers to age characteristics, increased nervous excitability baby. Children's body requires an increase in calcium levels, a deficiency of the microelement causes throat spasms, the lower lip, the area around the mouth, the nasolabial triangle, and the face turn blue. In most cases, the pathology goes away with age; in children older than 3–4 years, such attacks are not observed.

Blue lips can appear in newborns after intracranial hemorrhage, cerebral edema, or meningoencephalitis. Metabolic cyanosis occurs with titania. There is a significant calcium deficiency and excess phosphate in the blood serum.

Blue lips in children can be caused by congenital defects hearts. The pathology is characterized by circulatory disorders, arterial blood venous, not enriched with oxygen, is added. Babies are born with normal weight and skin color, but by 8–12 weeks of life, attacks of shortness of breath develop, the nasolabial triangle begins to turn blue, the baby loses consciousness and has convulsions. Treatment is carried out surgically at the age of 3–6 years.

The cause of cyanosis in children may be respiratory disease– croup, which affects infants and children under 3 years of age. The pathology is characterized by inflammation vocal cords and severe laryngeal stenosis. Worried about dry barking cough, wheezing, increased body temperature. With a critical narrowing of the lumen of the pharynx, salivation increases, the upper lip turns blue, severe shortness of breath and suffocation appear.

When should you see a doctor?

You should consult your doctor in the following cases:

• bother dull pain behind the sternum, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat;
• high blood pressure;
• fingers and lips suddenly began to turn blue;
• cyanosis is accompanied by convulsions and loss of consciousness;
• not enough air;
• nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, lack of appetite;
• if the child is lethargic, capricious, refuses to eat;
• the lips turned blue, and the blueness does not go away for more than a day.

If cyanosis is accompanied by suffocation, increased heart rate, severe malaise it is necessary to loosen the tight collar of clothing, ensure an influx fresh air into the room. The patient is seated in a comfortable position and the limbs are rubbed. You should definitely call an emergency ambulance.

Adults should contact a general practitioner, cardiologist, endocrinologist or pulmonologist. Children with signs of cyanosis are examined by a pediatrician or other specialized specialists, depending on the cause of the blueness around the lips. Restoration of blood circulation, normalization blood pressure will help return the skin to its natural color, stop an attack and avoid the development of serious complications.