The medical term for the bluish hue of the skin, including underneath the fingernails, is cyanosis. Blue fingernails can be the result of hypoxemia, an abnormally low amount of oxygen-carrying hemoglobin within red blood cells. Normally, arterial blood is flush with these oxygenated cells, making it appear bright red, but when oxygen levels decline, blood appears bluish-red. Cyanosis is an indicator of this deficiency, often first noticed on the lips, gums, around the eyes, and under the nails.
Andrew Weil
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Andrew Weil, M.D., is a world-renowned leader and pioneer in the field of integrative medicine, a healing-oriented approach to health care which encompasses body, mind, and spirit.
