Bluish Lips and Face - A Serious Asthma Symptom

Asthma is a major health issue, and one that you need to monitor closely with your physician in order to control. The first issue is simply to figure out whether or not you actually do have asthma. There are many different symptoms that can suggest asthma, but only your physician will be able to diagnosis you for sure. However, some signs are more obvious than others and some are much more serious. There are many common asthma signs that might be barely noticed, and some that only arise when serious problems are occurring. One of the things that falls into the latter category is the presence of bluish colored lips or skin on the face.

As mentioned above, having a bluish tint to the skin on the face or to the lips is cause for serious concern, and one of the most serious asthma symptoms in existence. Unlike other symptoms, this isn't usually an ongoing long term issue but one that will arise quickly and need to be dealt with as soon as possible in order to ensure that you have the best chance at a healthy life. Ignoring serious symptoms like this one could result in major health complications, brain damage, or even death.

The bluish tint to the lips or face will occur because of a lack of oxygen within the blood. When your blood is filled with oxygen it appears read, but with no oxygen present it will be blue. It first appears around the lips and face because these areas are the most susceptible to a lack of oxygen and because the skin and membranes are thin in these areas, thus more likely to display signs of discoloration. In most cases you'll only notice a blue tint to the lips or face during a serious asthma attack, but on occasion it could be a prolonged issue.

Either way, blue pallor is something that needs to be addressed as soon as possible in order to prevent serious complications from occurring. When asthma occurs it restricts the amount of oxygen reaching the lungs, which in turn reduces the amount of oxygen entering the blood. In serious cases the oxygen levels are simply too low and will lead to bluish tints as well as other major issues. This asthma symptom should be considered an emergency, and emergency medical care should be sought out instead of simply scheduling a visit with your physician.