Health Encyclopedia

Paleness

Definition

Paleness is an abnormal loss of color from normal skin or mucous membranes.

Alternative Names

Skin pale or gray; Pallor

Considerations

Unless pale skin is accompanied by pale lips, tongue, palms of the hands, inside of the mouth, and lining of the eyes, it is probably not a serious condition, and does not require treatment.

Pale skin does not necessarily mean you are sick. You may just lack of sunlight or have inherited light-colored skin.

General paleness affects the entire body, and is most easily seen on the face, lining of the eyes, inner mouth, and nails. Local paleness usually affects a single limb.

How easily paleness is diagnosed varies with skin color, and the thickness and amount of blood vessels in the tissue under the skin. Sometimes it is only a subtle lightening of skin color. Paleness may be very difficult to detect in a dark-skinned person -- sometimes it is apparent only in the eye and mouth lining.

Paleness may be the result of decreased blood supply to the skin (cold, fainting, shock, hypoglycemia) or decreased number of red blood cells (anemia).

Common Causes

Normal fair complexion
Lack of exposure to the sun (it is healthier to be pale than tanned)
Anemia (blood loss, poor nutrition, or underlying disease)
Shock
Frostbite
Chronic diseases including infection and cancer

Call your health care provider if

Call your doctor or emergency number if a person suddenly develops generalized paleness. Emergency action may be needed to maintain proper blood circulation.

Also call your doctor if paleness is accompanied by shortness of breath, blood in the stool, or other unexplained symptoms.

What to expect at your health care provider's office

The doctor will examine you and ask questions about your medical history and symptoms, including:

Did the paleness develop suddenly?
Did it happen after reminders of a traumatic event?
Are you pale all over or only in one part of the body? If so, where?
What other symptoms do you have? For example, do you have pain, shortness of breath, blood in the stool, or are you vomiting blood?
Do you have a pale arm, hand, leg or foot, and cannot feel a pulse in the area?

Tests that may be done include:

Review Date:4/16/2007
Reviewed By:Michael S. Lehrer, M.D., Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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