Cyanosis - what is it? Causes and Treatment

Many people have often faced such a disease,as cyanosis. What is it, what is the etiology of the disease, its characteristic symptoms and effective ways of treatment? Cyanosis is a disease in which the mucous membranes and skin become bluish. Cyanosis of the skin arises as a result of an increase in the blood concentration of pathological hemoglobin (at a rate of up to 30 g / l is diagnosed more than 50 g / l).

Causes of central cyanosis

The cause of central cyanosis isa small amount of oxygen entering the blood. If the heart functions correctly, it pumps blood into the lungs, which becomes rich red and enriched with oxygen. If the cardiovascular system malfunctions, the blood, not having received the necessary amount of oxygen, is not able to deliver it in sufficient volume to the cells of the whole organism. As a result, hypoxia develops or, in other words, lack of oxygen, one of the main manifestations of which is cyanosis of the skin. The emergence of central cyanosis can be associated with heart disease, respiratory diseases, intoxication, which causes the formation of methhemoglobin.

Causes of peripheral cyanosis

Peripheral cyanosis, which is ablueing of the limbs or facial skin, develops as a result of circulatory disorders. In the capillaries, the blood flow slows down significantly, resulting in tissues receiving more oxygen than they need, and the blood is saturated with carbon dioxide.

Often this ailment arises from thrombophlebitislimbs, less often - because of hypothermia. The disease can also be caused by the respiratory system. So, cyanosis is diagnosed with poor gas exchange, as well as in patients suffering from acute bronchiolitis and bronchial asthma, leading to a violation of bronchial patency. Under the influence of all the indicated ailments in the pulmonary artery system, there are thromboses, leading to a violation of blood circulation.

Causes of cyanosis in children

1. Central cyanosis in children, occurring soon after birth, is usually associated with congenital heart disease.
2. Respiratory central cyanosis is noted with stenosing croup, aspiration asphyxia, hyaline-membrane disease, pneumonia, lung atelectasis and other bronchopulmonary diseases.
3. Cyanosis, observed in infants with intracranial hemorrhages and brain edema, is called cerebral.
4. The emergence of metabolic cyanosis is associated with methemoglobinemia and is diagnosed in tetanus of newborns (in the serum of calcium less than 2 mmol / l) and hyperphosphatemia.

Symptomatology

The severity of central cyanosis may bedifferent. The disease can manifest from a slightly cyanotic shade of the tongue and lips with an ashy-gray tinge of skin to blue-violet, blue-red or blue-black skin color of the entire body. Most clearly, the central cyanosis is noticeable on the areas of the body with thin skin integuments (lips, face, tongue), and also on the mucous membranes. The first signs of central cyanosis are periorbital cyanosis and cyanosis of the nasolabial triangle.

Peripheral cyanosis is manifested by a bluish tinge of parts of the body, usually the most distant from the heart. The disease is well expressed on the hands, feet, ears, nose and lips.

Depending on the cause of the underlying diseasecyanosis can be accompanied by various symptoms: severe coughing, breath holding, rapid pulse and heartbeat, weakness, fever, blue nails.

Diagnostics

Cyanosis - what kind of disease and how it manifests itself, we found out. However, it is necessary to judge the presence of the disease only after the prospective patient has completed the full course of examination.

When diagnosing cyanosis should pay attention to:

• taking drugs that lead to the formation of pathological hemoglobin derivatives;
• the time of onset of symptoms;
• signs of peripheral and central and cyanosis.

To determine the concentration of oxygen in the blood is intendedarterial blood gas analysis. Studies of blood flow, heart and lung functions, as well as X-rays will determine the cause of the reduced oxygen content in the blood and the resulting cyanosis.

If you suspect cyanosis of the lips, which has arisen in a newborn, to diagnose the disease, you should visit a pediatric neurologist, cardiac rheumatologist, and also do an ultrasound of the thymus and heart.

Features of treatment

In the diagnosis of cyanosis, that this disease requirestreatment, there is no doubt in patients. The treatment should be based on the treatment of the underlying disease. Thus, the severity of the bluish skin tone will decrease as the effectiveness of the designated activities.

Directly cyanosis is treated withoxygen masks or tents that promote blood oxygenation. The more effective this method is, the faster the blue of the skin will decrease. The attending physician will prescribe drugs whose action is aimed at alleviating the cause of cyanosis and the elimination of the disease.

Cyanosis - what is the skin condition and what is it about?can testify, everyone should know. Taking into account the seriousness of the reasons that gave rise to the skin condition under consideration, it is better not to delay the treatment of a specialist for the purpose of treatment.