What causes purple lips?
Sep 16, 2025
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Ren Yi
Introduction
Under normal circumstances, the main causes of cyanosis (bluish discoloration) of the lips include cold exposure, excessive fatigue, iron deficiency anemia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and congenital heart disease. If discomfort symptoms occur, it is recommended to seek timely medical consultation and treatment at a qualified hospital. In daily life, one should stay warm and avoid prolonged exposure to cold environments; maintain a regular作息 (routine作息 should be translated as "routine" or "regular作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息作息......
Generally, the main causes of cyanosis (bluish discoloration) of the lips include cold exposure, excessive fatigue, iron deficiency anemia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and congenital heart disease. If symptoms occur, it is recommended to seek timely medical consultation and treatment at a formal hospital. Detailed explanations are as follows:
1. Cold Exposure
In cold environments, blood vessels in the lips constrict, slowing blood flow and reducing oxygen supply, which can cause the lips to turn purple. It is important to dress warmly, drink warm water, and gently wipe the lips with warm water to promote local blood circulation.
2. Excessive Fatigue
Long-term high-intensity work or staying up late can increase the workload on the heart and lungs, decreasing the body's oxygen supply capacity and resulting in cyanotic lips. Ensure 7-8 hours of sleep daily, avoid staying up late, reduce heavy physical labor, and engage in mild exercises like walking or yoga.
3. Iron Deficiency Anemia
Insufficient iron intake or excessive iron loss can lead to reduced hemoglobin synthesis and decreased oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood, causing the lips to appear purple. Under a doctor's guidance, medications such as ferrous succinate tablets, ferrous fumarate granules, and vitamin C tablets may be taken. Additionally, consume more iron-rich foods like lean meat and spinach.
4. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Impaired lung ventilation function leads to insufficient oxygen intake, causing cyanosis of the lips. Under medical supervision, medications such as budesonide-formoterol powder inhaler, salbutamol aerosol, and acetylcysteine effervescent tablets may be used. Avoid smoking and exposure to dusty environments in daily life.
5. Congenital Heart Disease
Abnormal heart structure causes circulatory disturbances and body hypoxia, resulting in purple lips. After medical evaluation, surgical treatments such as ventricular septal defect repair or atrial septal defect closure may be selected based on the condition. Avoid strenuous exercise and prevent respiratory infections in daily life.
In daily life, it is important to stay warm and avoid prolonged exposure to cold environments; maintain regular作息 (作息 translates to作息 rhythm or作息 habits, but in English, it's better to use "作息" as "rest and work patterns" or rephrase accordingly); maintain a regular作息 schedule to avoid excessive fatigue; eat a balanced diet and supplement with iron and other nutrients; quit smoking and avoid polluted environments; and undergo regular health checkups to detect and manage underlying diseases promptly.
