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Blue or pale lips
Category: Chest, Heart & Circulation · All chest & heart symptoms
What it can feel like
Blue or pale lips — a bluish tinge to the lips, tongue or fingertips — can mean the blood is carrying less oxygen than it should. It is called cyanosis, and new blueness together with breathlessness is an emergency sign that needs immediate help.
Possible causes
A symptom can have many causes, and most are not serious. The lists below group conditions this symptom can be associated with — common causes first. They are possibilities to discuss with a clinician, not a diagnosis.
Common causes
Temporary blueness of the fingers and toes can be associated with cold weather and with Raynaud's-type circulation changes, and it resolves as the hands warm. Lips that look pale rather than blue are more often a sign of anaemia or feeling faint.
Other possible causes
Blueness of the lips and tongue (central cyanosis) can be associated with lung conditions such as pneumonia or severe asthma, with heart conditions, and with anything that seriously lowers blood oxygen — it should never be waited out at home.
Red flags — when to seek help promptly
- Blue lips or tongue together with breathlessness at any age
- A baby or child with blue lips, poor feeding or unusual sleepiness
- Blueness with chest pain, confusion or collapse
- Blueness that does not resolve as you warm up
What a clinician may do
In an emergency setting the team will measure oxygen levels with a fingertip monitor, listen to heart and lungs, and may take blood gas measurements and a chest X-ray. Treatment targets the underlying cause and includes oxygen when levels are low.
Watch: related videos
Examination and clinical videos from the MedicalVideos.com library relevant to this symptom. Some clinical footage is graphic — that is the nature of a medical video library.
Related guides on MedicalVideos.com
Frequently asked questions
How do I tell cold-related blueness from the dangerous kind?
Look at the lips and tongue, not just the fingers. Blueness limited to cold fingers that clears with warming is usually circulation reacting to cold. Blueness of the lips or tongue, or any blueness with breathlessness, is a different matter — seek emergency help.
Can anaemia make lips look blue?
Anaemia more often makes lips and the inside of the eyelids look pale. True blue discolouration is about oxygen, pale discolouration is about blood count — your clinician will usually check both an oxygen level and a blood count.
Related symptoms — Chest, Heart & Circulation
Browse the B section of the A–Z list or return to the Symptoms A–Z hub.