blue fingers..

during my last, longest admission last week, i was more short of breath than usual cos of the asthma and added complication on pneumonia and other infection...

but also, even standing up my sats 98-82 and walking round my bed was short of breath and was noted to have blue lips (usual for me from time to time in attacks) but also blue fingers as well on a few occasions...

the shortness of breath was not always associated with nellie or wheeze either...

has anyone else had this blue fingers symptoms with their asthma? as a nurse i know this is normally a heart sign not chest/ lungs but just wondered if it could be cos of lack of oxygen cos of asthma, leading to something to the heart, or cos of meds taking ??

it was noticed by nurses as wel as a dr whilst in resus, but not mentioned again during my stay in costa and not investigated.

when spoke to friends who are medical coleagues they suggested i waited till iam not symptomated from my asthma and infections and speak to consultant as it sounds heart related :S

like i need that on top of everything else lol

any thoughts ?

[Annista]

I get very cold very quickly and I notice that my fingers go blue then - could it have something to do with circulation?

[Hidden]

not sure, i was thinking something to do with the cold, but my hands were warm. circulation tho/ heart maybe... ?

x

[Hidden]

hi snowygirl

My fingers dont go blue but my lips go blue alot. my doc and asthma nurse and A n E and my consultant and his asthma nurse know about it and heart scan ok also.. So would get it checked out but could be asthma related like mine. Love Glynis xxx

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thanks glynis.

yes my lips do go blue a lip a lot more now than they used to cos of the hypoxia (lack of oxygen) during an attack cos of the asthma....

but never the fingers, so defo having it checked out, hoping it is just a new thing to do with the asthma symptoms and nothing else :S

x x x

[Hidden]

the blue fingers are a sign of lack of oxygen, the body shuts down the small blood vessels of the skin to keep more oxygen for brain and heart. i have had blue lips, but never blue fingers

touch wood lol

[Hidden]

thank you hannahrose.

you would think as a snenior nurse with heart knowledge as well, i would think that!! lol but i dunno, its the brain fog kicking in!!

it is just the lack of oxygen thing i guess then .... i was afraid to mention it to the consultant + docs etc incase they put it down to anxiety etc like everything else docs seem to do with asthma when u go to costa!! i.e. slow ur breathing down ur hyperventilating, u know wot i mean... the usual lol. but doc in resus, my friends who are docs and a nurse seen it so its not just 'anxiety' ....

defo have to mention it at my appt wiv my asthma consuoltant/ nurse next week so that he is aware, as this is new symptom, along with the blue lips (well for past few months)

thanks hannahrose, u put my mind at ease a little now u still in costa arent u? hope ur not in much longer :S

xxx

[Hidden]

I have a heart defect, so I don't know if I'm much help....but I've had blue toenails before. The time that happened I was having more asthma/ wheezing symptoms than anything. It was one of the brilliant times where my lung specialist asked me to try and go off my asthma inhalers to see if it worked.

But it would make sense to me that anything that causes low oxygen (heart OR lung related) could cause blue colored skin.

The only other thing I would add is this also happened to me at night when my heart rate used to go really low before I got my pacemaker....yeah I'm a young adult can you tell? So I was just wondering if you noticed anything too slow or fast about your heart rate? Because if you did I guess that would be another clue.

Bee

[yaf_user681_30355]

Hi snowygirl,

I would definitely mention it at your next GP/Consultant appt. I have often had bluish fingernails during poorly controlled asthma but, have never mentioned it to GP as i thought it was down to my asthma. However, i am currently undergoing tests on my heart as my lung function tests, daily shortness of breath (last 10 months) indicate something else going on. They have also mentioned the possibility of a hole in the heart. I am in my late 40's and have had poorly controlled asthma on and off for the last 24 years and i am only just learning now it may not just be asthma.

Jac

[Annista]

I've been thinking about this for a couple of days, and it's a bit hard for me to say this, but please please talk to your GP about this.

My sister developed asthma in about 2003 and she was meticulous about using her preventer every day. As time went on her symptoms became worse and she used a lot of medication. When I spoke to her on the phone she sounded different and always blamed the asthma for that and for her headaches and poor cirulation in her fingers and feet. Only it wasn't asthma. She quite literally fell down dead one morning and the post mortem showed that her arteries were so furred up that it was a miracle that she'd lived as long as she had.

Because she'd assumed that all of her symptoms were due to asthma she never mentioned them to her GP so they were never investigated.

There are all sorts of things that could cause your blue fingers and it's quite likely that,if it's not asthma, it's something easily treated. My sister would be alive today if she hadn't assumed the asthma was to blame for everything and I would hate to think that anyone else had fallen into the same trap because i didn't say anything.

Good luck

xx

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thank you for all your replies guys i will be sure to mention it to my consultant on thursday as i definitely want it investigated to be on the safe side.

even if it is anoter asthma symptom to deal with along with blue lips i normally get, at least i know for sure.

annista i am so sorry about ur sister thank you for having the courage to post that on here

x x x

[Hidden]

hi guys

mentioned the blue figers to the consultant this morning. as it only happened a few times in hopsital and twice since being at home. he assures me it is asthma related and related to the blue lips - cyanosis, lack of oxygen during an attack, shortness of breath. however if this continues, he will investigate

thats a worry off my mind for the time being.

as he is keeping me on pred maintenance dose long-term he is keeping a close eye on me and therefore i will be in clinic every 2-3 weeks so if i an unsure, i will have plenty of chance to raise anymre concerns!

xxx

[Hidden]

Well I think I would count that as good news then :). I'm glad they're keeping a close eye on you!

Bee

[Hidden]

i think so

thanks bee

x