Hi sorry i haven't been online for ages, i have busy revising for my exams!I just wanted to find out some infromation about cyanosis in relation to asthma.Thanking you in advance!
Cyanosis: Hi sorry i haven't been... - Asthma Community ...
Cyanosis
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Simi, in what way do you need more information. Do you want to know why people might become cyanotic or do you want to know what it looks like and what signs to watch out for?
Bex
Cyanosis
If you or someone you know is cyanosed, please seek medical attention now!
If it's more of a general question, try emedicine.com/med/topic3002... for an in depth (and quite technical) discussion of cyanosis, or nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/enc... for a shorter and less complicated article.
Happy to answer any specific queries.
Emily H
When I have been in hospital the notes always say i'm cyanotic and tachicardic,no one bothers to explain it to me either
Cyanosis means you are ""blue"" due to lack of oxygen although that does not mean you have become a blue berry it can simply mean there is a blueish tinge around your mouth and nose.
Tachicardia, simply means your heart is beating too fast, either because you are working harder to breath or cos of the medication given to you (most drugs given when in an attack cause it). If you are scared your heart rate also goes up so there are a multitude of reasons for it.
Neither term if you are admitted for asthma attack would be unexpected.
Bex
Thanks for replies, it has cleared up a bit of confusion my mum thought it may have been to do with my veins as they look realy bad!
Can't put it better than Bex but just to add that cyanosis is a sign of a fairly severe attack, if you do notice a blue or purple tinge (most obvious in lips, tongue and nail beds) call an ambulance!
Don't mean to scare you but just picturing you sitting at home turning blue!
Emily H
Good point EmilyH being cyanotic is pretty good reason to call in the green men!
Bex
ive had my nail beds go a bluey purple colour before, was this the beginnings of cyanosis? It certainly scared the doctors at the hospital, but nobody explained why they went that colour.
Oh dear it wouldnt inspire me with confidence if blueish nailbeds scared my sons docs! Sean will often appear blue during attacks and during recovery in hospital, luckily we have home oxygen. Sometimes he can be quite agitated/confused as sats drop as well. I guess we are very lucky to have sats moniter without having to tell if he cynasosed by colour.
julie, i agree about the sats monitor - sometimes to look at michael you wouldnt know that he needs oxygen and top wait for blueness can be leaving it a bit too long!!!! we dont have home o2 yet but it has been suggested - at the mo i take in his symptoms plus sats readings and am able to judge now wether he needs to go in. if his mouth turns blue though, i 999 it before i even put the monitor on!!!!
Just to re-iterate what others have said!
If you have signs of cyanosis (eg, blue tunged lips, mouth nail beds) then call 999 as you are NOT getting enough Oxygen!
The tachycardia is a fast heart rate like Bex said!
Alot of asthma meds can push the heart rate higher!
I know I permanently have tachycardia due to my regular medications!
It always panics Dr's who dont know me so now we have it MARKED on all my medical records and notes!
As a pulse rate between 120 to 140 is normal in me like I said because of my medications!
Where it should be 60 to 80 in a fit healthy person!
So does it have anything to do with veins? My veins are really blue and sickly looking which doesn't match my skin colour as I am not fair and I am not the slimmenst person in the world thanks to repeated prednisolone!
hmmm, I was just going to ask about cyanosis. For me, I can have blue nails and still feel ok-ish. I know you are supposed to call an ambulance as soon as you see any blue tinge, but for me it seems to happen with almost every attack and most of the time it's before I feel really bad. Anyway I'll talk about it with my doc when I see her, but what do you guys think?
Brynne
I'm the same Brynne.
Usually on high pollen count days, my nails permanently look blue/purple but I feel as though I can just manage - probably slumped a chair thinking guurugh!
My b'friend asked me if I had purple nail polish on once!
Hello Simi,
No it doesn't have anything to do with the appearance of your veins through the skin.
Veins show up in people in lots of different ways - some are greeny blue, some are hidden, some stand out like body builders etc. When you are warm they are more noticeable too.
I wouldn't worry about it though, we are all different.
Cyanosis is the medical term for lack of oxygen in the blood. See the info below this message.
Kate
xxx
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