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Blue Lips and ear tips?

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.

penguinator

Well-Known Member
Sep 28, 2006
234
35
68
So I have quite large lips, and they are always the first to go blueish purple even when I'm just comfortably cold. It's just been this weird thing that happens. Their normal colour are already a reddy purple. Oddly enough the same thing happens with the tips of my ears.

During breathholds people have noticed the same thing happening to my lips and ears, and they worry that I'm close to blackout. Is this a definite sign of hypoxia? Or do the signs vary from person to person? As far as symptoms go, apparently partners will notice the blue ears and lips even before I've had any contractions, or I'll show the signs even after a quite comfortable dive.
 
Yes it's a sign of hypoxia. However, in your case it's rather related to exceptionally strong vasoconstriction in your lips than to low oxygen level in the body. It's just like when you're cold. Your lips are hypoxic because there is very little blood flow in this area, wheras oxygen level in your blood is normal.
 
Thanks for the link cdavis. It seems that people point to having early blue-lips as a sign of high fitness and haemoglobin count, which I'll take and run with :D
 
....blue ears , blue lips............................sorry , but i could not resist....
Avatar-jake_.jpg
 
....on a serious note, sorry cant be much of help with your problem.
i only had such happenings whenever i was getting too cold after hours in the water....at least the blueish lips....
dont know about the ears....
 
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