Health

Heart disease: Cyanosis is an early warning sign – what to look out for?


There are around 7.6 million people living with  in the UK: four million men and 3.6 million women. But how do you spot the signs of heart disease? Noticing your skin or lips changing to a different colour could be a big indicator your blood isn’t getting enough oxygen and could spell major danger. What to spot?

When you’re extremely cold, the skin can turn blue or purple with the medical term known as cyanosis.

If an area of your skin is blue or purple when you’re warm, that can be a sign your blood isn’t getting enough oxygen.

Blue toe syndrome happens when one or more blood vessels are blocked and could be an early warning symptom of heart disease.

Without treatment, the lack of oxygen can cause the skin and underlying tissue to eventually die.

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“The lips are usually red, but they can take on a bluish colour [cyanosis] in people with heart problems, due to the failure of the cardiovascular system to deliver oxygenated blood to tissues,” Taylor wrote for The Conversation.

“Of course, people also get blue lips if they are extremely cold or have been at a high altitude.

“In this case, blue lips are probably just due to a temporary lack of oxygen and will resolve quite quickly.”

If you have particularly blue lips or skin, you should go to a hospital straight away, urged the NHS.

The body may not be receiving enough oxygen due to a problem in the lungs, airways or heart.

Meanwhile, you could also be at risk of heart disease if you notice a build-up of yellow bumps on your skin.

These lumps, which are known as xanthomas, may be caused by excess cholesterol in the body.





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