Pale skin – causes and types. What can a change in skin color mean?

Proven content

Pale skin is a symptom of change in the color of the skin. The color of the skin depends on the thickness of the epidermis and the stratum corneum, the presence of a pigment in the epidermal cells, and the degree of blood supply to the skin. It varies from one race to another. Most disturbing is the pale skin all over the body.

What is pallor?

Pale skin is a symptom of discoloration of the skin which can have many different causes. Often, this symptom is a clue for doctors when suspecting certain ailments. Possible causes of pallor are, among others, ischemia and anemia due to the lack of adequate amount of iron or its absorption disorders. Pale dark circles with dark circles under the eyes and blue lips may indicate more serious medical conditions.

The causes and types of pallor

We can distinguish:

1. constitutional pallor – its cause is an inborn deeper location of the vessels,
2. paroxysmal pallor – in vascular breakthroughs, e.g. in patients with phaeochromocytoma,
3. pallor accompanying edema (e.g. nephrotic, myxomatous),
4. short-term pallor – occurring under the influence of cold, as a result of fear and other psychological factors, also during vomiting or fainting.

If the skin is pale, this may mean that you are suffering from an underlying condition or deficiency. The causes of pallor are:

1. inadequate nutrition,
2. migraine headaches,
3. strong emotional states, e.g. fear, stress,
4. eating disorders (bulimia, anorexia),
5. motion sickness,
6. sickle cell anemia and as a result of significant blood loss,
7. cold,
8. lack of enough vitamin D in the body,
9. heart ailments,
10. Hypothyroidism,
11. hypoglikemię,
12. cardiogenic or hemorrhagic shock,
13. frostbite,
14. chilling,
15. albinism (a disease in which the skin’s pigment cells are destroyed),
16. leukemia (you may look pale as a consequence of high levels of white blood cells).
17. malignant tumor.

Paleness and anemia

Anemia is one of the most common causes of pale skin. It is characterized by a low level of red blood cells (erythrocytes) in the blood. Erythrocytes are oval blood cells that do not have a nucleus and are produced in the bone marrow. Their task is to carry oxygen and deliver it to the entire body. Red blood cells mature in about seven days. The decrease in the blood of oxyhemoglobin is responsible for the pale color of the skin. Anemia can have many causes, which can be divided into:

1. iron deficiency anemia – anemia usually occurs when your body is severely deficient in iron. This is usually caused by an inappropriate diet that lacks iron. Iron malabsorption can also contribute to the development of anemia. This problem usually occurs in celiac disease, after gastric surgery that reduces gastric acidity, and in the course of Crohn’s disease. Anemia also occurs when the body has an increased need for iron due to intensive erythrocyte synthesis, e.g. during pregnancy or breastfeeding;
2. haemorrhagic anemia – occurs due to acute or chronic blood loss. Chronic blood loss is very dangerous because we are not always able to observe it. We can bleed, for example, into the gastrointestinal tract from ulcers or polyps. Then the stool is dark and tarry in color. In chronic bleeding, an endoscopic examination is necessary to determine the location of the bleeding. On the other hand, laboratory tests show a low level of hemoglobin and an increased amount of immature erythrocytes in the blood;
3. megaloblastic anemia – occurs because the body has low levels of vitamin B12 and folate, which are needed for the proper synthesis of red blood cells. First of all, you should change your diet. Vitamin B12 can be found in meat, e.g. liver. Therefore, vegetarians may suffer from its deficiency and thus megaloblastic anemia. In turn, folic acid is found mainly in fruits and green vegetables.

How to treat anemia?

The main thing is to find the cause of the anemia. In a situation where the cause lies in a deficiency of folic acid or vitamins and iron – supplementation of these elements is necessary. Sometimes it is enough to simply change your diet. If this is not enough – give the listed elements in an artificial form, e.g. in the form of injections or tablets. You should see improvement after a week.

Paleness and hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia is a condition whose essence is low blood glucose (below 70 mg / dl). The symptoms of this problem appear gradually as blood sugar levels fall. These usually include nausea and vomiting, a very high appetite (feeling hungry), general weakness, diarrhea, paleness, faster heart rate, anxiety and irritability. Sometimes patients have dilated pupils, and over time they experience orientation disorders, problems with logical thinking and memory disorders.

Paleness and albinism

Albinism is congenital vitiligo and is associated with a lack of pigment (melanin) in the skin, eyes and hair. As the disease progresses, the discolored patches grow in size, merge with each other and form larger lesions, eventually occupying the entire body. People suffering from albinism may sometimes have white or white-yellow hair.

Paleness in leukemia and neoplastic diseases

In people with leukemia, pallor is caused by diseased cells displacing red blood cells. Additionally, symptoms of anemia are added. Patients feel weak and tired, skin pale and exercise tolerance is worse. In addition, bruises are observed on the body. Bleeding from the nose and gums may occur due to the lack of platelets in the blood.

Shock and pallor

1. Hypovolemic shocky arises as a result of a decrease in the volume of circulating blood. Its main symptoms are pallor, weakness, shortness of breath, low urine output, feeling cold and confusion. It is life-threatening to lose one fifth of the volume of blood or fluids.

2. Cardiogenic shock – occurs when the heart is damaged beyond its ability to pump enough blood to the organs of the body. Impairment of this function causes blood pressure to drop and the patient develops multi-organ capacity that is life-threatening. People in cardiogenic shock often have pale skin, which is additionally cool and has a bluish color. In addition to the symptoms listed above, there is profuse sweating and rapid breathing.

Eating disorders and pallor

One of the eating disorders is anorexiafor which a very large emaciation is characteristic. However, it is not the only symptom of this disease. People struggling with anorexia are often very pale, for example due to iron deficiency, which is eliminated from the diet like other products. For this reason, the body lacks the essential nutrients that allow it to function properly. Another disorder is bulimiawhich is based on the constant return (vomiting) of the consumed food. By provoking vomiting and taking laxatives, the body loses the vitamins and minerals it needs. Additionally, frequent vomiting destroys tooth enamel and oral mucosa. People suffering from bulimia also suffer from nausea, constipation, flatulence and dizziness.