Pallor is a reduced amount of oxy
hemoglobinHemoglobin is the iron-containing oxygen-transport metalloprotein in the red blood cells of vertebrates, and the tissues of some invertebrates....
in
skinThe skin is the outer covering of the body. In humans, it is the largest organ of the integumentary system made up of multiple layers of mesodermal tissue, and guards the underlying muscles, bones, ligaments and internal organs. Skin of a different nature exists in amphibians, reptiles, birds...
or
mucous membraneThe mucous membranes are linings of mostly endodermal origin, covered in epithelium, which are involved in absorption and secretion. They line various body cavities that are exposed to the external environment and internal organs. It is at several places continuous with skin: at the nostrils, the...
, a pale color which can be caused by illness, emotional shock or stress, avoiding excessive exposure to sunlight,
anemiaAnemia is a decrease in normal number of red blood cells or less than the normal quantity of hemoglobin in the blood...
or genetics. It is more evident on the
faceThe term face refers to the central sense organ complex, for those animals that have one, normally on the ventral surface of the head, and can depending on the definition in the human case, include the hair, forehead, eyebrow, eyes, nose, ears, cheeks, mouth, lips, philtrum, teeth, skin, and chin....
and palms. It can develop suddenly or gradually, depending on the cause.
Pallor is not usually clinically significant unless it is accompanied by a general pallor (pale
lipLips are a visible body part at the mouth of humans and many animals. Lips are soft, movable, and serve as the opening for food intake, as an erogenous organ used in kissing and other acts of intimacy, as a tactile sensory organ, and in the articulation of speech.-Anatomical basics of the human...
s,
tongueThe tongue is a muscle on the floor of the mouth that manipulates food for chewing and swallowing . It is the primary organ of taste, as much of the upper surface of the tongue is covered in papillae and taste buds. A secondary function of the tongue is speech, in which the organ assists...
,
palmThe hands are the two intricate, prehensile, multi-fingered body parts normally located at the end of each arm of a primate. They are the chief organs for physically manipulating the environment, used for both gross motor skills and fine motor skills...
s,
mouthThe mouth, buccal cavity, or oral cavity is the first portion of the alimentary canal that receives food and begins digestion by mechanically breaking up the solid food particles into smaller pieces and mixing them with saliva...
and other regions with mucous membranes). It is distinguished from similar symptoms such as
hypopigmentationHypopigmentation is the loss of skin color. It is caused by melanocyte or melanin depletion, or a decrease in the amino acid tyrosine, which is used by melanocytes to make melanin.-Associated conditions:It is seen in:*albinism...
(loss of skin
pigmentA pigment is a material that changes the color of reflected or transmitted light as the result of wavelength-selective absorption. This physical process differs from fluorescence, phosphorescence, and other forms of luminescence, in which a material emits light.Many materials selectively absorb...
).
Pale skinHuman skin color can range from almost black to nearly colorless in different people. Skin color is determined primarily by the amount and type of melanin, the pigment in the skin. Variation in skin color is largely due to genetics...
is also a very light skin tone most commonly associated with people of
EuropeanThe European peoples are the various nations and ethnic groups of Europe. European ethnology is the field of anthropology focusing on Europe....
descent, particularly people of Celtic and Scandinavian descent. In addition, people who avoid sun exposure and thus avoid
sun tanningSun tanning, also called bronzing, is the act of exposing the skin to ultraviolet radiation, for the purpose of darkening skin color, either during sun bathing or using artificial sources, such as tanning beds....
also tend to have paler complexions in comparison to their peers.
Possible causes
- death
Death is the termination of the biological functions that define a living organism. It refers to both a particular event and to the condition that results thereby. The true nature of the latter has for millennia been a central concern of the world's religious traditions and of philosophical...
, due to pallor mortisPallor mortis is a postmortem paleness which happens in those with light skin almost instantly because of a lack of capillary circulation throughout the body...
- migraine attack or headache
Migraine is a neurological syndrome characterized by altered bodily perceptions, severe headaches, and nausea. Physiologically, the migraine headache is a neurological condition more common to women than to men. The word migraine was borrowed from Old French migraigne...
- natural genetics
Genetics, , a discipline of biology, is the science of heredity and variation in living organisms. The fact that living things inherit traits from their parents has been used since prehistoric times to improve crop plants and animals through selective breeding...
- emotional response, due to fear
Fear is an emotional response to a threat. It is a basic survival mechanism occurring in response to a specific stimulus, such as pain or the threat of danger. Some psychologists such as John B. Watson, Robert Plutchik, and Paul Ekman have suggested that fear is one of a small set of basic or...
, embarrassmentEmbarrassment is an emotional state experienced upon having a socially or professionally unacceptable act or condition witnessed by or revealed to others. Usually some amount of loss of honour or dignity is involved, but how much and the type depends on the embarrassing situation. It is similar to...
, griefGrief is the multi-faceted response to loss, particularly to the loss of someone or something to which we have formed a bond of attachment. Although conventionally focused on the emotional response to loss, it also has physical, cognitive, behavioral, social, and philosophical dimensions...
- anemia
Anemia is a decrease in normal number of red blood cells or less than the normal quantity of hemoglobin in the blood...
, due to blood loss, poor nutritionNutrition is the provision, to cells and organisms, of the materials necessary to support life. Many common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with a healthy diet....
, or underlying disease
- shock, a medical emergency caused by illness or injury
- frostbite
Frostbite-is a condition that results in body tissues is frozen. the next step is hyporterma. is the medical condition wherein localized damage is caused to skin and other tissues due to extreme cold....
- cancer
Cancer is a class of diseases in which a group of cells display uncontrolled growth , invasion , and sometimes metastasis...
- leukemia
Leukemia is a cancer of the blood or bone marrow and is characterized by an abnormal proliferation of blood cells, usually white blood cells . Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
- albinism
Albinism is a form of hypopigmentary congenital disorder, characterized by a partial or total lack of melanin pigment in the eyes, skin and hair, or more rarely...
- panic attack
Panic attacks are very sudden, discrete periods of intense anxiety, mounting physiological arousal, fear, stomach problems and discomfort that are associated with a variety of somatic and cognitive symptoms. The onset of these episodes is typically abrupt, and may have no obvious triggers...
- heart disease
Heart disease or cardiopathy is an umbrella term for a variety for different diseases affecting the heart. As of 2007, it is the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada and Wales, killing one person every 34 seconds in the United States alone.-Coronary heart disease:Coronary...
- hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism is the disease state in humans and in animals caused by insufficient production of thyroid hormone by the thyroid gland. Cretinism is a form of hypothyroidism found in infants.-Causes:...
- hypopituitarism
Hypopituitarism is the decreased secretion of one or more of the eight hormones normally produced by the pituitary gland at the base of the brain...
- scurvy
Scurvy is a disease resulting from a deficiency of vitamin C, which is required for the synthesis of collagen in humans. The chemical name for vitamin C, ascorbic acid, is derived from the Latin name of scurvy, scorbutus. Scurvy leads to the formation of spots on the skin, spongy gums, and bleeding...
- tuberculosis
Tuberculosis is a common and often deadly infectious disease caused by mycobacteria...
- sleep deprivation
Sleep deprivation, a sleep disorder characterized by having too little sleep, can be either chronic or acute. Long-term sleep deprivation causes death in lab animals...
- pheochromocytoma
A phaeochromocytoma or pheochromocytoma, is a neuroendocrine tumor of the medulla of the adrenal glands , or extra-adrenal chromaffin tissue that failed to involute after birth and secretes excessive amounts of catecholamines, usually adrenaline and noradrenaline...
- squeamishness
Squeamishness may refer to either a mild feeling of nausea or the quality of being easily disgusted or upset.- Causes :The sight of blood, insects, worms, slugs and sometimes the texture of fish can make someone feel squeamish. Sometimes certain words can unsettle people. The smell or sight of...
- visceral larval migrans
Visceral larva migrans is a condition in children caused by the migratory larvae of nematodes like Neoascaris vitulorum, Toxocara canis etc.Since they can't reproduce in humans, they wander throughout the body, invading the heart and the CNS...
- High doses or chronic use of amphetamines
- Reaction to ethyl alcohol and/or other drugs such as cannabis
Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa L., Cannabis indica Lam., and Cannabis ruderalis Janisch. These three taxa are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia. Cannabis has long been used for fibre , for medicinal purposes, and as a...