Why is the nasolabial triangle blue, blue tongue or blue lips?

Doctors of ancient China and India attached special importance to facial diagnostics. An experienced physician today can diagnose skin condition, color, moisture, vascular pattern, location and depth of wrinkles, or answer the question why the nasolabial triangle is blue. Survey of the person begins with an estimation of its expression, correctness of features, symmetry and proportionality of its separate parts. In addition, skin coloring, puffiness or rashes are important. For example, problems with the liver or fatigue are accompanied by reddening of the eyes. Tightly closed thin lips may indicate colitis (inflammatory disease of the large intestine). It is possible that one of these signs is the peculiarities of the organism of a particular person, but in order to dispel fears, one should consult a doctor.

A sign of such a disease as methemoglobinemia is a discoloration of the skin when the nasolabial triangle is blue. This disease is characterized by an excess of 1% (normal level) of methemoglobin in the blood, which is an oxidized form of hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is an iron-containing (associated with Fe2 +) protein, capable of reversibly reacting with oxygen and transferring it to tissues and cells of the body. Oxidation of Fe2 + to Fe3 + leads to a decrease in the concentration of hemoglobin (due to its conversion into methemoglobin) and lack of oxygen in the body, since methemoglobin is not able to supply oxygen to cells and tissues. This disease can be congenital due to a deficiency of the enzyme diaphorase I and acquired.

Methemoglobinemia can occur as a result of the use of oxidative exogenous preparations (for example, benzocaine and nitrates) capable of increasing the rate of methaemoglobin formation by 1000 times. Other classic causes include antibiotic treatment (trimethoprim, sulfonamides and dapsone), local anesthetics (articaine and prilocaine), the use of metoclopramide or nitrates (as a drug, with food or water) that turn into nitrites that oxidize iron atoms in hemoglobin. Especially vulnerable are children up to six months. If a child has a nasolabial triangle blue, then this indicates a lack of oxygen in his body.

However, methemoglobinemia is not the only reason. Nosogubny triangle blue happens with heart defects, when because of getting into arterial venous blood, there is a shortage in the body of pure blood, which performs the function of transporting to the tissues and cells of the body of nutrients and oxygen. Also lead to a lack of oxygen in the body of lung disease. In this case, the function of erythrocytes to capture oxygen in the lungs, to deliver it to the tissues in which carbon dioxide is extracted and isolated in the lungs is disrupted. But whatever the cause of the cyanotic shade in the nasolabial triangle area, you should consult a doctor.

You can not ignore the blue lips, especially if it is accompanied by rapid heartbeats, coughing, blushing of the nails, shortness of breath, fever, or if the patient is thrown into fever. The main reason why the lips are blue is cyanosis (they distinguish the central one, when the lips turn blue, and the peripheral ones - the limbs suffer). The more oxygen in the blood, the more red and brighter. Venous blood has a dark red color due to the low oxygen content. Blood vessels with venous blood, due to the optical properties of the skin, look blue. Central cyanosis occurs as a result of impaired blood circulation or ventilation problems of the lungs. The disease develops when the arterial blood oxygen saturation is ≤ 85%. The causes of cyanosis can be problems with the central nervous system (cerebral hemorrhage, cerebral hypoxia, drug overdose), respiratory system diseases (COPD, asthma and others), heart (for example, vices), blood (methemoglobinemia).

Language is also a mirror reflecting the state of the body. Among the doctors there are specialists who, according to the state of the language, can make an accurate diagnosis. The blue language warns of problems with the kidneys. If its color is reddish, then it indicates inflammation or infection. Plaque in the language of interest to gastroenterologists. Suckling the papillae indicates hematology for blood diseases. In ancient times, doctors believed that the body is able to warn about health problems. In eastern medicine there is knowledge that says that each internal organ is associated with a specific zone in the language, so there is an increase in certain areas of the language. For example, the root of the tongue shows the state of the intestine, and the tip of the tongue indicates the state of the heart. The correct outlines of a pale pink tongue with distinct papillae and an even fold indicate a good condition of the body.