Why Purple Nails? This Is The Cause And How To Diagnosize It

Illustration of why the nails are purple. (Pexels/Daria Shevtsova)

YOGYAKARTA - Why are nails purple? Fingernails that are blue or sinosis generally occur due to extreme cold air temperatures. However, what actually causes and underlying these conditions? Can low oxygen levels in the blood also be the cause? Reported from the Healthy page, see the review below.

Purple nails or commonly referred to as cyanosis are conditions that cause skin tones and fingers to look blue purple. This occurs due to low levels of oxygen in the blood. Under normal conditions, the color of the nails will look clear and reddened.

This color change is influenced by the hemoglobin or protein levels contained in red blood cells. Hemoglobin itself has an important function to carry and distribute oxygen throughout the body.

Some of the causes of cyanosis include:

Changes in skin color and finger nails to purple can also be caused by heart problems. Types of heart problems that risk cyanosis are congenital heart disease, heart attack, and heart failure.

One of the causes of cyanosis that usually occurs is extreme cold temperatures. Although the color of the thumbnails is blue, including the body's normal response to maintaining organ function, this can occur due to narrowing of blood vessels so that oxygen levels flowing throughout the body are reduced.

Syanosis or blue finger nails can also occur due to problems with blood disorders, such as deep vortex thrombosis (DVT) and methemoglobinemia. This happens because the need for oxygen in the body's organs is not well fulfilled, resulting in cyanosis.

Other health problems that can cause cyanosis include lung disorders, including asthma, pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (PPOK), to lung swelling. This can occur because the lung organs do not receive enough oxygen.

Disorders in blood vessels, such as Raynaud syndrome caused by narrowing of arterial blood vessels due to reduced blood flow can also make the color of the nails of the fingers blue and numb.

In some cases, cyanosis can be a sign of danger. Therefore, if the thumbnails are blue and accompanied by other symptoms, such as chest pain, dizziness, paleness, difficulty breathing, cold sweat, numbness, and loss of consciousness, then you must immediately check yourself with a doctor.

If the finger of the nail or leg turns blue purple, then there is a possibility of abnormality that interferes with the body's ability to send red blood cells carrying oxygen throughout the body.

Therefore, the way for cyanosis diagnosis must be done by physical examination and supporting examination which aims to find out the main underlying cause. This is very important to do especially when the symptoms of the cyanosis characterized by changes in the color of the thumb turn blue occur repeatedly.

Examination of symptoms of cyanosis can include the following:

That's why the nails are purple. Visit VOI.id to get other interesting information.