Major Symptoms Of Pneumonia

Blue Lips And Fingernails

Blue lips and fingernails can also be a symptom of pneumonia. The blue hue in the lips and fingernails is a result of the way light reflects through the skin off the dark red color of poorly oxygenated blood. Light reflects off the bright red color of oxygen-rich blood through the skin in a different way, resulting in a healthy pink hue to the skin. The fingertips and lips have a shortage of oxygenated blood in severe cases of pneumonia. This malfunction occurs because the excess production of mucus and sputum in the lungs can interfere with the passage of air from the trachea to the little air sacs called alveoli. The alveoli contain many tiny blood capillaries responsible for the exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen. However, when mucus blocks oxygenated air from reaching these capillaries, they cannot function to absorb the oxygen and release the carbon dioxide. The blockage of numerous alveoli at the same time causes blood oxygen levels to fall and carbon dioxide levels to rise. There is then not enough oxygen in the blood to reach all of the tiny vessels in the patient's fingertips, lips, and mucous membranes, resulting in the blue hue in the skin.

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