Doctors of ancient China and India attached special importance to facial diagnostics. An experienced doctor today can diagnose the condition of the skin of the face, its color, moisture, vascular pattern, location and depth of wrinkles or answer the question why the nasolabial triangle is blue. Inspection of a person begins with an assessment of his expression, the correctness of features, symmetry and proportionality of its individual parts. In addition, the color of the skin, the presence of puffiness or rashes is important. For example, liver problems or fatigue are accompanied by redness of the eyes. Tightly closed thin lips may indicate colitis (an inflammatory disease of the large intestine). It is possible that some of these signs are features of the body of a particular person, but to dispel fear, you need to see a doctor.
A sign of a disease like methemoglobinemia is a discoloration of the skin when the nasolabial triangle is blue. This disease is characterized by an excess of 1% (normal level) of methemoglobin in the blood, which is an oxidized form of hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is an iron-containing (bound to Fe2 +) protein that is capable of reversibly reacting with oxygen and transferring it to tissues and cells of the body. Oxidation of Fe2 + to Fe3 + leads to a decrease in hemoglobin concentration (due to its conversion to methemoglobin) and a lack of oxygen in the body, since methemoglobin is not able to supply oxygen to cells and tissues. This disease can be congenital due to a deficiency of the enzyme diaphorase I and acquired.
Methemoglobinemia can occur as a result of taking oxidative exogenous drugs (for example, benzocaine and nitrates), which can increase the rate of formation of methemoglobin by 1000 times. Other classic causes include antibiotic treatment (trimethoprim, sulfonamides and dapsone), local anesthetics (articaine and prilocaine), taking metoclopramide or nitrates (as a medicine, with food or water), which turn into nitrites that oxidize the iron atoms in hemoglobin. Children are especially vulnerable for up to six months. If the child has a nasolabial triangle blue, then this indicates a lack of oxygen in his body.
However, methemoglobinemia is not the only reason. The nasolabial triangle is blue with heart defects, when due to getting into the arterial venous blood there is a shortage of pure blood in the body, which performs the function of transporting useful substances and oxygen to the tissues and cells of the body. Also lead to a lack of oxygen in the body lung disease. In this case, the function of red blood cells is impaired by the capture of oxygen in the lungs, its delivery to tissues, in which carbon dioxide is taken and its release in the lungs. But no matter what the cause of the cyanotic shade in the nasolabial triangle is, you should consult a doctor.
Blue lips cannot be ignored, especially if this is accompanied by a rapid heartbeat, cough, blue nails, shortness of breath, fever, or if the patient is cast into a fever. The main reason why the lips turn blue is cyanosis (they distinguish the central one when the lips turn blue and the peripheral limbs suffer). The more oxygen in the blood, the redder and brighter it is. Venous blood is dark red due to its low oxygen content. Blood vessels with venous blood, due to the optical properties of the skin, look blue. Central cyanosis occurs as a result of circulatory disorders or ventilation problems of the lungs. A disease develops when oxygen saturation of arterial blood is ≤ 85%. Causes of cyanosis can be problems with the central nervous system (cerebral hemorrhage, cerebral hypoxia, drug overdose), respiratory system diseases (COPD, asthma, etc.), heart (e.g., defects), blood (methemoglobinemia).
The tongue is also a mirror reflecting the state of the body. Among the doctors there are specialists who, according to the state of their language, can make an accurate diagnosis. A blue tongue warns about kidney problems. If its color is reddish, then this indicates inflammation or infection. Plaque in the language is of interest to gastroenterologists. Papillary desquamation indicates hematologists blood diseases. In ancient times, doctors believed that the body is able to warn about health problems. In eastern medicine, there is knowledge that says that each internal organ is associated with a specific area in the language, so there is an increase in certain areas of the language. For example, the root of the tongue shows the state of the intestine, and the tip of the tongue shows the state of the heart. The correct outline of a pale pink tongue with distinct papillae and even folds indicates a good condition of the body.