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What Causes Purple Discoloration On The Nail Beds?
Question: 24 year old female , i have purple nail beds they are all the same on every finger half way up they are constantly like that they go more blue when im cold , i have seen cardiologists had ecg echo stress test chest xray does that rule out my heart? My oxygen levels were 98% , i had d dimer blood test aswell to rule out clots , i also had blood tests 2 months ago but my doctor wants to check it again and repeat it , ive also been having wide spread pain on arms throbbing elbows hands fingers everywere really and today ive been having hot flush on upper body , what could be causing this ive also been having anxiety aswell ! Thanks
Brief Answer:
could be Raynaud's
Detailed Answer:
Hello and thank you for your question.
The most common reason for purple nail beds is not enough oxygen getting to the fingers. It is great that you had blood tests to rule out anemia and heart tests to make sure that your heart is okay.
The fact that your oxygen saturation is 98% also means that in general your blood is carrying enough oxygen.
There is a condition called Raynaud's syndrome where, due to vasoconstriction, the fingers do not get enough blood flow. This can cause pain and is worse in cold weather.
In addition, anxiety can cause release of neurotransmitters that can cause vasoconstriction as well, but I have never heard of it being so severe that it causes blue nails.
Talk to your doctor or cardiologist and see if they think it may be Raynaud's. If so there are vasodilating drugs that sometimes help with this conditon.
Regards,
Dr. Robinson
could be Raynaud's
Detailed Answer:
Hello and thank you for your question.
The most common reason for purple nail beds is not enough oxygen getting to the fingers. It is great that you had blood tests to rule out anemia and heart tests to make sure that your heart is okay.
The fact that your oxygen saturation is 98% also means that in general your blood is carrying enough oxygen.
There is a condition called Raynaud's syndrome where, due to vasoconstriction, the fingers do not get enough blood flow. This can cause pain and is worse in cold weather.
In addition, anxiety can cause release of neurotransmitters that can cause vasoconstriction as well, but I have never heard of it being so severe that it causes blue nails.
Talk to your doctor or cardiologist and see if they think it may be Raynaud's. If so there are vasodilating drugs that sometimes help with this conditon.
Regards,
Dr. Robinson
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Ok thanks for the reply could it be a thyroid problem ? Are the tests ive head enough to rule out heart ? Im scared of heart attack or heart failure ? Thanks
Brief Answer:
not likely thyroid
Detailed Answer:
Hello and thanks for the follow up
I have never known thyroid disease to cause this, but it can make anxiety worse so it would be good to get that tested if it has not already been done.
Yes, if you had the echocardiogram stress test then you can be sure that your heart is okay. Heart disease at your age would be very unlikely but the echo test is excellent to look at the structure of the heart and the stress part makes sure there is no coronary artery disease so I feel sure you are safe on that account.
I hope you get an answer soon,
Dr. Robinson
not likely thyroid
Detailed Answer:
Hello and thanks for the follow up
I have never known thyroid disease to cause this, but it can make anxiety worse so it would be good to get that tested if it has not already been done.
Yes, if you had the echocardiogram stress test then you can be sure that your heart is okay. Heart disease at your age would be very unlikely but the echo test is excellent to look at the structure of the heart and the stress part makes sure there is no coronary artery disease so I feel sure you are safe on that account.
I hope you get an answer soon,
Dr. Robinson
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Ok thanks again for the reply have you seen this before on people ? Its like a light purple but when im cold its blue but the purple is always there . Ano i just keep thinking my heart i had the tests 2 months ago so could anything change from then would i need to repeat these tests again? The echo ? I had the nails when i had stress test done .. Also could it be heart failure what tests rule this out as ive read online it could be this ? Or a stroke? Im scared incase something bad will happen to me like its a bad sign .. Also will it ever go away thanks so much also about the wide spread pain in arms etc what could this be and like hot flushes i keep getting ? Thanks
Brief Answer:
not your heart
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
I do not think there is a problem with your heart and it is very unlikely that anything would change unless you have been doing something dangerous that may damage the heart like cocaine or methamphetamines.
If not then I think you can relax about the heart problems. Stroke would be very unlikely and would not cause the blue nails or pains.
It would be good to get the thyroid checked to make sure it is normal as it could cause the not flushes.
I am not sure the cause of the arm pain unless it is from the Raynaud's. You really need to talk to the cardiologist and see if they think this may be Raynaud's. If so they could treat it and your symptoms should go away.
I do not think that something bad is going to happen. Nothing you have told me makes me think you have heart disease or an impending stroke.
Make sure your anxiety is being treated and that your thyroid is checked
Dr. Robinson
not your heart
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
I do not think there is a problem with your heart and it is very unlikely that anything would change unless you have been doing something dangerous that may damage the heart like cocaine or methamphetamines.
If not then I think you can relax about the heart problems. Stroke would be very unlikely and would not cause the blue nails or pains.
It would be good to get the thyroid checked to make sure it is normal as it could cause the not flushes.
I am not sure the cause of the arm pain unless it is from the Raynaud's. You really need to talk to the cardiologist and see if they think this may be Raynaud's. If so they could treat it and your symptoms should go away.
I do not think that something bad is going to happen. Nothing you have told me makes me think you have heart disease or an impending stroke.
Make sure your anxiety is being treated and that your thyroid is checked
Dr. Robinson
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Hi again well before my nails turned blue i took a tiny amount of cocaine at a party just been honest that was before my echo and stress test so could that have damaged it ? Would a small amount cause problems and this was before my nails turned this colour could this have caused anything or would the tests of picked it up? I do not take this drug regulary
Brief Answer:
a small amount once should be no problem
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
The problem that usually occurs with cocaine is a heart attack from the blood vessels getting so constricted that the heart does not get oxygen and part of the heart muscle dies. This occurs at the time of usage and not later.
The stress echo would have picked up this damage so you are safe on that account.
Cocaine can make anxiety much worse so it is best to avoid it in the future.
Dr. Robinson
a small amount once should be no problem
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
The problem that usually occurs with cocaine is a heart attack from the blood vessels getting so constricted that the heart does not get oxygen and part of the heart muscle dies. This occurs at the time of usage and not later.
The stress echo would have picked up this damage so you are safe on that account.
Cocaine can make anxiety much worse so it is best to avoid it in the future.
Dr. Robinson
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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