Ailments & ConditionsYour Health

Fingernails Turning Blue: Causes, Treatment, and More

Lung Conditions

Your fingernails may turn blue due to different lung diseases as well. These include:

– Asthma: This condition leads to swollen and narrower airways, which increases the production and buildup of mucus. Common symptoms include chest pain, cough, and difficulty breathing.

– Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD: This is an umbrella term for certain progressive lung conditions, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Bronchitis would lead to narrowed and inflamed bronchial tubes, while emphysema damages the lungs’ air sacs.

– Pneumonia: Fungi, viruses, and bacteria would cause pneumonia, a lung infection. Symptoms may be mild or severe and last somewhere from 1 to 3 weeks.

– Acute respiratory distress syndrome or ARDS: People with this condition may experience trouble breathing and a faster heart rate or breathing rate, which results in a reduction in oxygen in the blood.

– Pulmonary embolism: This condition occurs when a blood clot blocks an artery in the lungs, which prevents blood from reaching this organ. [6]