Acrocyanosis: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment

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What is acrocyanosis?

Acrocyanosis is a painless condition where the colour of our hand or feet turn bluish. This blue colour is due to a functional vascular condition in which the mucosa membrane causes discolouration due to oxyhemoglobin deficiency. In this condition, due to decreased blood flow, lesser oxygen reaches to the veins. It may be attributed to oxygenation defects of the central or local tissue…..Learn more

Acrocyanosis symptoms-

In acrocyanosis, hands and feets being the extremities get affected the most. Other body parts such as nose, lips, ears, wrists, ankles, nipples may also show some symptoms. The symptoms will be visible on both sides in primary acrocyanosis.

In secondary acrocyanosis, these marks may be painful as they are caused due to loss of tissue.

The common symptoms which can be experienced in acrocyanosis are-

• Blue colour fingers and toes due to oxygen deficiency.
• Hands and feet come damp, clamorous and sweaty.
• Body temperature tends to decrease.

These symptoms tend to get even worse if the body is exposed to cold temperature, whereas the symptoms improve under a warmer temperature…..Learn more

Acrocyanosis causes

There could be different reasons for different kinds of acrocyanosis-

Primary acrocyanosis

This condition happens due to decreased blood flow in the blood vessels resulting in lesser oxygen being able to reach the blood vessels…..Learn more

Primary acrocyanosis can happen due to the following reasons-

• Being exposed to cold temperature
• Genetically defective blood vessels
• If one lives in a place which is at a high altitude, the oxygen level is usually low in such places and the wind is also comparatively cold. People living under such conditions may have a higher chance of having acrocyanosis.

Secondary acrocyanosis

The reason for the occurrence of secondary acrocyanosis is usually an underlying disease…..Learn more

Secondary acrocyanosis can happen due to the following-

• Raynaud’s phenomenon is the most common underlying cause for the occurrence of acrocyanosis, which makes our hands, legs or other body parts turn blue.
• People suffering from anorexia have higher a higher tendency of having acrocyanosis. As under this condition, due to the weight loss, the body’s heat regulation may be affected.
• Ergot alkaloid medications, which can contribute to acrocyanosis, used for treating migraines and headaches.
• Acrocyanosis may be caused by mosquito-borne viral infect chikungunya.
• Acrocyanosis occurs in up to 24% of people with cancer.

Acrocyanosis in newborns

When a baby is born, its hands and feet are usually blue and also cold when touched. This happens due to improper blood circulation and is not a result of freezing or heating sensation.

The hands and feet start getting pink and less cold when the baby gets warmer……Continue reading