Blue Lips Causes

Blue lips may be caused by a cold, restriction of your blood flow or low oxygen levels in your red blood cells. If your lips are blue but return to their regular colour when you warm them or massage them, this may mean that your lips aren’t getting enough blood. However, if your lips remain blue, there may be an underlying disease or structural abnormality. In this post, we’ll be taking you through the major causes of blue lips and how to treat it.

Causes of Blue Lips

• Aspiration Pneumonia: A lung infection that is caused by accidentally inhaling food, stomach acid, or saliva into the lungs.
• Sickle Cell Disease: An inherited blood disorder that is common throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa.
• Infection of the lungs or another lung disease that leads to less oxygen getting into the blood.
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
• A breathing problem in newborns that is caused by immature lungs that are called Hyaline membrane disease.
• Carbon monoxide poisoning or exposure to other poisons such as cyanide, antifreeze, or ammonia.
• Blue lips are often caused by a shortage of oxygen in the blood due to near-drowning or anemia.
• Heart conditions.
• Respiratory conditions.
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
• Bacterial pneumonia.
• High altitude like climbing a very tall mountain. The higher you go, the lower the oxygen content in the air.
• Insufficient blood flow may cause cyanosis.

Seek Medical Attention When You Have These Blue Lips Symptoms

• If you are short of breath or having difficulties breathing.
• If you are sweating profusely.
• If you have pain or numbness in your arms, hands, or fingers
• If you have pale or white arms, hands, or fingers.
• If you are feeling dizzy or have fainted.

How To Prevent Blue Lips

You can't prevent this symptom, but you can reduce its severity by treating the underlying condition.

Self Care Tips for Blue Lips

You should request medical help for managing blue lips. Selfcare is not recommended since it may indicate a serious condition. The following tips may help you manage weather-related conditions:

• Wear warm clothing during the harmattan season or lighter clothing during the summer.
• Use a lip moisturizer in cold and dry weather. You can use menthol rub or petroleum jelly.
• A lipstick (for females) can help mask the blue color.

Medical Treatment for Blue Lips

If you’re taking blood pressure medication, beta-blockers, or blood thinners, you will need to see your healthcare provider as the dosage may need to be adjusted to help you keep healthy.
Blue coloured lips might indicate a more serious issue, and as such, you should request medical help as soon as possible. This is important if you have an underlying disease like sickle cell disorder, lung disease, heart disease, or others.

If your blue lips occur suddenly and are not the result of strenuous exercise or time spent outdoors, get immediate medical assistance. Blue lips are a symptom that may occur as a result of a serious underlying condition, like a lung problem. If it occurs, seek help immediately.

The symptoms should resolve immediately after the underlying problem has been treated. In most cases, there will be no long term effects. But if left untreated, the underlying condition can worsen, leading to disabilities and death.