Khaberni - Facial pallor is natural for some individuals, but it causes concern for others, especially when the skin suddenly becomes pale, as it often indicates the presence of an unhealthy condition called unhealthy pale skin.
What causes skin pallor?
Physiologically, sudden pallor occurs due to a lack of adequate blood supply to the skin or due to a decrease in the number of red blood cells below normal levels. Common causes of sudden pallor include:
Gallstones
Gallstones form when there is a high concentration of bilirubin or cholesterol in the fluid stored in the gallbladder, which is one of the causes of facial yellowness.
Hepatitis B
The virus that causes hepatitis B is transmitted through direct contact with the infected person's blood such as needle stick injuries, and can be transmitted from the mother to her baby during childbirth.
Common symptoms of the virus include fatigue, dark urine, joint and muscle pain, loss of appetite, fever, as well as discomfort in the abdomen and stomach, and the appearance of yellowness in the whites of the eyes and the skin.
Anemia
This is a deficiency in red blood cells, which can cause severe fatigue, pale skin and yellowness, dizziness, headache, and general weakness in the body. There are many causes of anemia including malnutrition, chronic conditions, or iron deficiency.
Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism causes a slowdown in body functions, resulting in weight gain, skin yellowness, and feeling very tired all the time.
Pancreatic cancer
This occurs when pancreatic cells become cancerous and grow uncontrollably, which may be one of the causes of facial yellowness. Common symptoms include loss of appetite, which leads to weight loss, and blood clots.
Liver cirrhosis
This is a medical condition resulting from the scarring of healthy liver tissue, which affects its normal functioning, causing fatigue, general weakness, and skin yellowness.
Hypoglycemia
Hypoglycemia refers to low blood sugar levels, and symptoms vary from one person to another and are often found in diabetics. Symptoms can range from mild to moderate or severe and usually appear suddenly, with the most famous symptoms being the sudden appearance of facial pallor and yellowness.
Methods of treating facial pallor
The type of treatment recommended by the doctor in this case depends on identifying the causes of facial yellowness, and once treatment begins, it is likely that the yellowish skin will return to its normal state.
In cases of jaundice in infants, it is usually resolved within a week to two weeks, and treatment usually involves light therapy either in the hospital or at home to help remove excess bilirubin. The light waves used in phototherapy are absorbed by the child's skin and blood.
