Each week, Verywell explains a term from health, medicine, science, or technology.
Word of the Week: Cyanosis
How to say it:Cyanosis(sigh-a-no-sis)
Where it comes from: From Latin,kyanōsis, “dark blue color.”
WikiCommons
Where you might see or hear it: One of the most important roles that your blood plays in your body is transporting oxygen. Not having enough oxygen in your blood can cause problems and can be a sign of several health conditions.
For example, your doctor might note a bluish tint to some parts of your body (your lips,hands and feet, yournail beds, or even your gums) if you have an infection like pneumonia that is making you have trouble breathing.
When you might want to use it: Having a bluish tint to your skin or mucus membranes is usually a sign that your body is not getting enough oxygen. When it comes on suddenly, involves the lips or mouth, and especially when it happens in babies and kids,cyanosiscan be a medical emergency.
In that situation, using the correct medical term will probably be the last thing on your mind. You can simply tell an emergency responder or doctor that your child’s lips are turning blue rather than worry about remembering the word “cyanosis.”
What Causes Your Lips to Turn Blue?
SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Merriam-Webster.Definition of cyanosis.
Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Merriam-Webster.Definition of cyanosis.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Merriam-Webster.Definition of cyanosis.
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