Most people associate the appearance of blue fingers with cold. However, this does not have to be involved in the discoloration. Affected people should see a doctor. Often, the discomfort is not only unpleasant, they can also indicate diseases.
What characterizes blue fingers?
Often, blue fingers are due to a lack of oxygen or bruising. There can be a variety of reasons behind the insufficient oxygen supply. Blue areas of the body can be caused by cold in some circumstances. More often, however, blue fingers are caused by a lack of oxygen or bruising. There can be different reasons behind the insufficient oxygen supply, some of which require treatment. Blue fingers are rarely a symptom in their own right. Instead, they alert the affected person to an underlying condition. If the discoloration is accompanied by other complaints, a connection to the cause can often already be established. The time of occurrence of the discolorations is also decisive. Especially if no accident due to bruising or other physical influences has caused the changes, medical advice should be consulted.
Causes
Various causes may be behind blue fingers. These include cyanosis, for example. Often this provides for discolored lips, but also fingertips can be affected by the changes. Ultimately, it is a present oxygen deficiency. The blood is responsible for the distribution of oxygen. The pigment that colors the blood red is called hemoglobin. If too little oxygen is put into the circulation, this can be perceived by the hemoglobin. For oxygenation, the blood is pumped via the heart into the lungs, where gas exchange takes place. If this has been successfully completed, the blood is perceived as lighter in color. In the case of cyanosis, on the other hand, it appears bluish and the skin looks discolored. In addition, blue fingers may indicate Raynaud’s syndrome. The circulatory disorders result from different causes. Generally, they are vasoconstrictions that can occur at differentiated sites. Raynaud’s syndrome is often triggered by stress or cold, and the disease occurs in the form of episodes. Furthermore, blue fingers may indicate bruises, heart valve defects, and asthma.
Diseases with this symptom
- Bruising
- Finger dislocation
- Bronchial asthma
- Thrombosis
- Heart failure
- Hypoxia
- Finger fracture
- Raynaud’s syndrome
- Sports injuries
- Sprain
- Cyanosis
- Polyglobulia
- Flexor tendon injuries of the hand
- Compartment syndrome
- Polycythaemia vera
- Heart attack
- Circulatory disorders
- Frostbite
Diagnosis and course of the disease
Crucial for the diagnosis is first the conversation. The patient should have all the important information ready. Questions are often asked about the duration of the complaints and the exact circumstances. Pain as well as other symptoms should not go unmentioned. External examination for possible swellings and injuries can already help to narrow down the wide range of possible causes. If the physician suspects the presence of Raynaud’s syndrome, he can test the suspicion confrontationally. The patient is exposed to a cold stimulus to observe the progression. Blood tests and ultrasound images may provide further information. If the physician tests for cyanosis, he first examines the lips, ears, tip of the nose and mucous membranes. An existing discoloration already indicates disturbances of the blood circulation. The degree of expression can provide information about the degree of the disease. If there is further doubt, the fingers can be x-rayed and in this way conclusions drawn about the oxygen content. Laboratory examination of the blood can be used to check how much oxygen is circulating in the patient’s organism.
Complications
Most of the time, blue fingers are just an indication that simply the hands are not warmed enough. But this does not necessarily have to be the cause of the discoloration, there may also be a serious disease behind it. Those affected should therefore urgently go to the doctor, only he can make a correct diagnosis. Cold is only one cause of blue fingers, but often there is also a lack of oxygen.External influences, such as a bruise, can also cause blue fingers. If there is an oxygen deficiency, it must be explored where the deficiency actually comes from. However, blue fingers are usually only a side effect; other symptoms are also noticeable. The cause can often be identified from the other symptoms, blue fingers only draw attention to it. The time when blue fingers appeared is important, the doctor can draw conclusions from it. Especially if there is no violence, a medical diagnosis must be made. If there is a lack of oxygen, the circulation must be enriched with oxygen. However, there may also be a circulatory disorder or blue fingers may indicate a heart valve defect. The physician will first try to gain access to the patient through conversation and will ask about the duration of blue fingers and, of course, other symptoms. However, blood work and ultrasound examination will provide information and the correct treatment can be initiated.
When should you go to the doctor?
Several causes are possible for blue fingers. In cold temperatures, blue fingers may form without gloves. This process is less dramatic than blue fingers triggered by a finger injury or cyanosis. Unlike the first example, it may be wise to seek medical attention for the other two causes. When a finger is bruised or contused, blood leaks into the tissue where it appears as a bruise. In this case, it is often sufficient to simply wait until the injury has healed. In this case, the family doctor should only be contacted if the injury is larger or complications arise. However, if bruised fingers are suspected of being oxygen deficient, a doctor should be consulted immediately. The general practitioner is well suited as the first point of contact. He already knows his patient, which is helpful in finding a diagnosis. The symptom of blue fingers may indicate heart disease, including valvular defects, as well as circulatory disorders or asthma. Another possible trigger is Raynaud’s syndrome, in which cyanosis of the hands and fingers may occur in addition to pallor or redness. Each of the above cases requires its own thorough treatment by an internist, cardiologist, or pulmonologist.
Treatment and therapy
The treatment used depends on the underlying cause. Accordingly, the diagnosis is relevant to the subsequent course. If bruises and contusions are present, no further treatment is usually necessary. If pain and swelling are present, they can be alleviated with the help of various ointments. Under certain circumstances, the doctor may prefer to apply a bandage. If there is bleeding under the fingernail, it must be lanced so that the fluid can drain off and the nail is preserved. Furthermore, it is recommended that the affected finger be spared. The attacks of Raynaud’s syndrome can be treated preventively. The disease is not continuous, but usually becomes noticeable only in certain situations. These include stress and, above all, cold. Thus, affected persons should take care not to come into contact with cold. Gloves can help keep the hands warm in winter and while cycling. In order not to further promote the development of vasoconstrictions, the consumption of nicotine should be avoided. Patients find it helpful to limit stressful situations to a large extent. Relaxation techniques can have a supporting effect. If the preventive measures were unsuccessful, heat can first be resorted to in the event of an attack, for example in the form of a warm bath or hot water bottle. The affected area should be massaged to enlarge the vessels. As a rule, the attack subsides within 30 minutes. Otherwise, a doctor should be consulted. In the case of cyanosis, treatment depends on the trigger of the oxygen deficiency. If there are only mild symptoms due to hypothermia, heat is resorted to. The acute form, however, is often based on shortness of breath. Doctors administer oxygen to the patient. Heart and lung diseases require optimal therapy. In the case of valvular heart disease, patients usually require nonpharmacological treatment. Cynosis ultimately represents only a symptom of an existing disease that requires therapy.
Outlook and prognosis
Blue fingers are only a temporary symptom.In most people, the blue fingers appear only briefly and disappear again after a while. Responsible for the blue color is the lack of oxygen, which can be caused by cold or wetness. If a patient’s fingers are blue, heat must be applied to the fingers and the entire body. The symptom then disappears within a few hours. However, the blue fingers can also occur due to a disease in the arteries, which causes too little oxygen to be transported to the fingers. In the case of this malfunction, a doctor must be involved to perform the treatment. In most cases, a medication is used for this purpose, which relieves the spasms and promotes blood flow again. If you want to treat the blue fingers at home, you should definitely put them in warm water and massage them. This will make the blue color disappear relatively quickly. However, if the blue color persists for several hours and does not disappear on its own, a doctor must be consulted urgently so that the fingertips do not die. In most cases, however, this does not occur and home treatment leads to success.
Prevention
Blue fingers can only be prevented to a limited extent. When doing manual work, tools should be handled with care to avoid bruising. Frequent exercise helps stimulate the circulation of blood in the body and prevent circulatory problems. Cyanosis is triggered by a variety of causes. Most can be prevented by a healthy diet and regular exercise.
Here’s what you can do yourself
Since blue fingers are in most cases an undersupply of oxygen to the fingers, they need to be supplied with heat first and foremost. Therefore, a simple way to get rid of blue fingers is heat. The fingers can be wrapped in a warm cloth or held in warm water. Hand warmers or warm clothing are also suitable for this purpose. It is important that the water is not too hot if the fingers have previously become very cold. They may not be able to sense the heat properly, resulting in burns. If the affected person smokes, stop smoking. This will allow the fingers to receive enough oxygen again, which will help blood circulation and remove the blue color from the fingers. In addition, plenty of exercise and sport helps against blue fingers. Sufferers should drink enough fluids. In most cases, the blue fingers disappear again on their own, but there are medications that relieve cramps. These contain nitrates and have a positive effect on blood flow to the fingers. If it is a problem with the nerves and the fingers are blue for several hours, a doctor should be called. If the finger tips are deprived of oxygen for too long, they may die.
