Cyanosis symptoms include blue skin or mucous membranes, anxiety, decreased appetite, and lethargy. Diagnosis by perioral changes is no longer reliable, and a blood gas analysis is more definitive. Other symptoms include abnormal heart rate, changes in mood, and respiratory abnormalities. Cyanosis can be caused by low blood oxygen levels or abnormal tracts for hemoglobin. It is a medical emergency and infants and children should be taken to the hospital immediately. Pseudocyanosis can be caused by ingestion of metals or drugs.
The symptoms of cyanosis can involve several abnormalities that are not necessarily indicative of the condition, although one of the most obvious symptoms is a blue color tinge on the outer surface of the skin or mucous membranes. Other less obvious symptoms of cyanosis that could also be indicators of other health problems include anxiety, excessive breathing and decreased appetite. Inflammation of skin regions such as the face or eyes may also be possible symptoms, as can a sense of lethargy or being unusually tired for prolonged periods. Since cyanosis is a state in which there is an abnormally low level of oxygen in the blood, it can cause many related health problems.
Hypoxemia, which is the medical term for a cyanotic state caused by a lack of blood oxygenation, was initially diagnosed in the past by looking for evidence of perioral changes. That is, doctors would examine the tissue region around the mouth for a blue or purple discoloration, as well as examine peripheral regions of the body such as the fingertips and nails. This method of diagnosis has been discredited as of 2011, however, as several factors can cause symptoms to be missed or seen when they aren’t really present. Lighting conditions can give your skin an odd tint, and even variations in your normal skin tone can be misleading. A more definitive test for low blood oxygen levels is a blood gas analysis.
Other abnormal conditions that may or may not be symptoms of cyanosis include an unusually fast or slow heart rate, changes in mood and mental status, and wheezing or shortness of breath. Other respiratory abnormalities such as hyperventilation may also be indicative of the condition or other causes. In the past, anemic patients were often diagnosed with symptoms of cyanosis because anemic individuals may also be hypoxemic, having lower-than-normal amounts of oxygen in capillaries near the skin surface.
The causes of cyanosis are not always due to low blood oxygen levels. Abnormal tracts for the hemoglobin itself can also produce similar symptoms such as the disorder methemoglobinemia. Acute changes in health can also cause the symptoms of cyanosis, including choking and gagging. Different forms of heart and lung failure can also lead to and be part of the onset of cyanosis, such as cyanotic heart disease.
When symptoms occur suddenly, it is considered a medical emergency which should result in contacting emergency medical personnel or a visit to the hospital immediately. Children or infants showing these symptoms should also be taken to hospital immediately. With children, nonverbal symptoms can include grunting, sitting very still, and strange breathing patterns, as well as skin discoloration that may be dark red rather than purple or blue. Young children may also have muscle twitches such as hunched shoulders or a tight chest, unusual irritability, and an inability to fall asleep. A cyanosis-like state called pseudocyanosis can also be caused by accidental or intentional ingestion of metals such as silver and lead, or as a side effect of drugs or toxins that have entered the body.
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