The hands and face of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) have gotten some attention on ... [+] social media. Some were questioning whether they saw discoloration in both. (Photo by Stefani Reynolds/Getty Images)
It isnt every day that a body part trends on Twitter. Its more like every other day. And the latest body parts to gain attention have been Senator Mitch McConnells (R-Kentucky) hands. Yep, photos of the 78-year-old Senate Majority Leaders right hand in particular have been making the rounds on social media. This isnt a George Costanza hand model situation from the TV show Seinfeld, though. Instead, McConnells hands have attracted attention because in the photos theyve appeared discolored with blackish and blueish hues. He also seemed to have bandages on both hands.
Just take a look at the photos accompanying these tweets from @anastasiakeeley:
And @VicStoddard offered some more pictures:
Others were wondering whether McConnells face also had similar discoloration:
His hands did prompt reporters to inquire about McConnells health. However, as Ted Barrett and Clare Foran reported for CNN, McConnell said on Thursday that there were "no concerns about his health.
Of course, it is very difficult to diagnose any medical condition from afar. Sure, some medical issues may be fairly obvious. For example, if a hedgehog riding a motorcycle were to run into a person, then you may assume that any injuries immediately suffered by the person were the result of the HMVA or hedgehog motor vehicle accident. Although, in such a case, you couldnt completely rule out the possibility that injuries actually resulted when the person subsequently fell on a tarantula holding a knife.
In most other cases, trying to diagnose a medical condition from afar is like trying to determine marriage material from a Tinder profile alone. Theres a lot of inaccurate guessing involved. You really need to conduct a physical exam, review the persons medical history, ask the person questions directly, and perhaps even perform some testing. Dont rely on hearsay or there-say or anywhere-say. Oh, and you need medical experience and expertise to then make a diagnosis. Dont rely on what that random crazy Uncle on social media may be telling you. Without knowing more, you cant say for sure whats going on with McConnell.
Thats because there are a number of possible causes of bluish hands. Here are some in no particular order:
1. Being a member of Blue Man Group.
Here is a picture of Blue Man Group and Tracy Behr, the one person who is not blue. (Photo by David ... [+] Mendez/Young Hollywood/Getty Images)
This tends to be obvious. You are typically a man, who paints yourself blue and does performance art. Usually you dont have to go to a doctor to determine if you are a member of Blue Man Group.
2. Paint, a tattoo, henna, or a costume.
Similarly, unless you had a night of drunken revelry, way too much avocado toast, or something similar, you will remember if you got a tattoo, are wearing a Mystique costume, or painted your hands to signify that you are going Blue. McConnell has not indicated any of these possibilities.
3. You are a baby.
Senators typically arent babies, in chronological age at least. A baby may have bluish hands and feet due to a rather immature blood circulation system. Such a tint will typically go away as the baby gets older. It should be pretty obvious if you are a baby too. If you need to go to a doctor to determine whether you are a baby, chances are you are probably a baby.
4. You are pregnant.
There are no clear indications that McConnell is pregnant. Nonetheless, hormonal or blood circulation changes can lead to changes in skin color or enlarged veins.
5. Bruising, bleeding, or skin damage from an injury
Some on social media speculated whether McConnell had an intravenous line placed in the veins in his hands, which may cause bruising. Anything from medical procedures to a right hook in a mixed martial arts (MMA) fight to slapping yourself on the hands too much saying, darn it, I am good enough, could lead to bruising and bleeding in the hand. Discoloration could also occur from burns resulting from exposure to chemicals or really, really hot lasagna.
6. Bruising or bleeding from a clotting issue
Speaking of bruising and bleeding, these can arise from blood clotting disorders or taking blood thinning and anti-clotting medications such as heparin or coumadin as well.
7. Reduced blood flow to the hand.
Cyanosis sounds like what happens when Psy, the singer of the song Gangnam Style, undergoes hypnosis. But instead, the term refers to the bluish skin discoloration that results when not enough oxygen reaches one or more of your body parts. This can occur when blood flow to the body part or parts is disrupted. Say you were to wear really tight skinny jeans. This could compromise the blood circulation to your feet, which could eventually turn blue if you continue to insist that you are just too sexy wearing those jeans.
Similarly, overly compressive jewelry on your wrists or hands could cause parts of them to go blue. Cyanosis can occur when either the arteries that bring blood to an area are compressed or otherwise disrupted or when the veins which carry blood away from the area are disrupted resulting in back-up that then impedes blood flow. Examples of such situations are blood clots, arterial or venous insufficiency, or spasms in the blood vessels such as when you have Raynauds phenomenon.
8. Reduce blood flow throughout your body.
Your hands are connected to the rest of your body. At least they should be. If they arent, see your doctor immediately. And bring your hands. Cyanosis can result when all of your body is not getting enough blood flow. This can be seen when your heart is not pumping blood adequately, you are dehydrated or losing blood, or your blood vessels are not functioning properly such as during septic shock.
9. Not enough oxygen in your blood.
Unless you are an android, robot, or a gigantic tooth pick, your cells need oxygen to survive. This comes from when you take a breath, especially when you take a deep one and say, oh, Justin Bieber. The oxygen then makes its way down to your lungs where its transferred into to your blood. There red blood cells carry the oxygen to different parts of your body. Disruption of any of these steps can lead to not enough oxygen reaching your body parts. For example, problems with your lungs such as a bad pneumonia or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can reduce the ability of your lungs to inhale oxygen and exchange it with your blood. Problems with your red blood cells can reduce their ability to carry oxygen.
10. Lymph flow issues
Another thing that flows from your hands besides blood, money, and dreams is lymphatic fluid. This drains through your lymphatic system, hence the name. Anything that prevents the normal flow of fluid through your lymphatic system can lead to backup, swelling (e.g., lymphedema), and discoloration of the affected body parts.
11. Skin conditions.
A number of different skin conditions can lead to discoloration of the hands. These range from various autoimmune diseases to hormonal imbalances to skin infections. Some examples are seen in the NIH MedlinePlus website from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
12. A photo issue.
Of course, any time you see a photo on the Internet, dont rule out a different type of doctoring: doctoring of the photo. You see, theres this thing called Photoshop that allows you to change what a photo looks like. So surprise, surprise, not everyone looks like they do in a picture. For example, with enough Photoshopping, McConnell could potentially be made to look like Channing Tatum. Although Snopes has indicated that the photos of McConnells hands are legit.
These are some but not all of the possibilities. In general, bluish hands are not something that you should overlook. Unless, you can say, oh, thats right, I am one of those characters from the movie Avatar, contact your doctor if your hands have such persistent discoloration. They could be signs of something serious happening.
Again, at this point, any speculation about whats causing the apparent discoloration of McConnells hand is no more than that, speculation. Like the left eye of Vice President Mike Pence during his debate with Senator Kamala Harris, seeing a discoloration of a body part from a distance can only tell you so much. Any diagnosis now would be premature speculation. McConnell does not seem to be a member of Blue Man Group, although thats never really seemed to come up during interviews. But other possibilities are harder to rule in and out without more information. In other words, you need a real direct medical hand to tell whats really going on with his hands.
Visit link:
Why Senator Mitch McConnells Hand Appears Discolored, Here Are Some Possibilities - Forbes
- Rohanpreet Singh gets a tattoo of wife Neha Kakkars name! - The Tribune India - February 19th, 2021
- Valentines Day 2021: Neha Kakkars Husband Rohanpreet Singh Gets Nehus Man Tattooed On His Arm; Lady Gushes Over Him And Calls It The Best Gift Ever-... - February 17th, 2021
- Rohanpreet Singh gets a tattoo for Neha Kakkar on Valentines Day; 'Nehu's man', it reads; check it out - The Tribune India - February 14th, 2021
- Norfolk tattooist turns to art in lockdown - Eastern Daily Press - February 14th, 2021
- CrimeStoppers says face masks are making it harder to identify wanted criminals - KHON2 - February 11th, 2021
- Sapna Choudhary gets husband Veer Sahu's name tattooed on her arm | Latest photos - India TV News - February 6th, 2021
- Khushi Kapoor is OBSESSED with tattoos; Take a look at these PHOTOS which prove the same - PINKVILLA - February 4th, 2021
- Best of Jackson 2021: Community and Culture - Jackson Free Press - February 4th, 2021
- All About Alev Aydin, Halsey's Boyfriend and Father of Her Child - ELLE.com - February 2nd, 2021
- Who is Leni Klum? 5 fascinating facts about Heidi Klum's 16-year-old daughter who walked her first runway - MEAWW - January 27th, 2021
- BTS Jungkooks tattoo to Jennies 25th birthday; Heres a weekly round-up of K-pops - Republic World - January 24th, 2021
- UK lotto winner shares photo of her bizarre bum tattoos on Instagram - NEWS.com.au - January 22nd, 2021
- 90 Day Fiance: Everything To Know About Yolanda's Ex Josh Seiter - Screen Rant - January 15th, 2021
- Tattoo artists share 6 of their favorite designs to ink, and 5 they don't really like - Insider - INSIDER - January 12th, 2021
- Chicago Activist Outs Local Insurgents Who Traveled To Capitol - WBEZ - January 12th, 2021
- POLICE LOOKING FOR SUSPECT IN TOOL THEFT FROM LOWE'S IN DECEMBER - wccsradio.com - January 9th, 2021
- Brad Pitt Shows Off His 7 Back Tattoos As He Goes Snorkeling In Turks And Caicos - SpotboyE - January 5th, 2021
- Raheem Sterling's tattoos explained: What do they mean and where are they on his body? - Goal (English) - January 5th, 2021
- Inspired by the sun's nourishment - Otago Daily Times - January 5th, 2021
- Raheem Sterling's tattoos explained: What do they mean and where are they on his body? - Goal.com - January 3rd, 2021
- David Fincher, the Unhappiest Auteur - The New York Times - January 3rd, 2021
- The Nashville explosion slammed these small businesses. They'll need help digging out - WLS - December 28th, 2020
- Ink Master Season 1: Where Are They Now? Ink Master Season 1 Winners Today - The Cinemaholic - December 25th, 2020
- Police trying to ID woman hit by van - Times-Mail - December 23rd, 2020
- Chhavi Mittal Flaunting Her Stomach Tattoo Dedicated To Hubby, Mohit Hussein Screams Of Eternal Love - BollywoodShaadis.com - December 21st, 2020
- Mom-To-Be Kareena Kapoor Khan Turns Author, Shares How The Subject Of Her Book Is Close To Her Heart - BollywoodShaadis.com - December 21st, 2020
- Fantasy Island reboot on the cards - The New Indian Express - December 18th, 2020
- She was in Iraq when her son was killed. Four years later, the police have no leads. - Houston Chronicle - December 17th, 2020
- Sushmita Sen And Rohman Shawl Vacay In Dubai, Her Brother, Rajeev And Wife, Charu To Join Them Soon - BollywoodShaadis.com - December 16th, 2020
- Nipsey Hussle, The LAPD And The Inescapable Trap Of Gang Affiliation - NPR - December 14th, 2020
- This Alberta dad sat through 30 hours of tattoo pain so his son would feel better about birthmark - CBC.ca - December 11th, 2020
- Mom-to-be Kareena Kapoor Khan snapped with hubby Saif Ali Khan; latter's new tattoo grabs everyone's atte - Times of India - December 11th, 2020
- Gwen Stefani reveals why shes delayed Blake Shelton wedding - Metro.co.uk - December 9th, 2020
- Madonna, 62, Gets Her Very 1st Tattoo and the Beautiful Design Is Touchingly Beautiful - Us Weekly - December 8th, 2020
- At the age of 68, Purnimas mother with a tattoo on her arm! - Primetime - December 8th, 2020
- Lost Gypsy Tattoo holds giveaway to encourage holiday sponsorship of veterans, children in need - Hazard Herald - December 5th, 2020
- Chris Evans and His Dog, Dodger, Have the Purest Bond See Their Cutest Photos - POPSUGAR - December 5th, 2020
- Press photographer's new collections of snapshots bring Swindon's history to life - Swindon Advertiser - December 2nd, 2020
- Justin Bieber wants 'a little tribe' of kids with wife Hailey Baldwin - Metro.co.uk - December 1st, 2020
- Merrill man charged with making child pornography after investigators say they identified him by his tattoo - Wausau Daily Herald - November 25th, 2020
- Kunal Kemmu's tattoo will leave you impressed - Times of India - November 25th, 2020
- Karan Mehra And Nisha Rawal Celebrate 8th Wedding Anniversary, Share Photoshoot Pictures With Kavish - BollywoodShaadis.com - November 25th, 2020
- Dipika Kakkar Flaunts 'Shoaika' Tattoo, Calls it Her Reason for Happiness - News18 - November 25th, 2020
- When Tracey was Traci: Emin's unseen early paintings published for the first time - The Guardian - November 23rd, 2020
- Dipika Kakar gets a tattoo of 'Shoaika' on her hand dedicated to her and Shoaib's love - News Track English - November 21st, 2020
- 2021 Oscar Predictions: Best Picture [Updated November 19] - Gold Derby - November 20th, 2020
- I'm A Celebrity: Jordan gets a helping hand from Gavin and Stacey - Metro.co.uk - November 20th, 2020
- Lisa Congdon On Creativity, Activism, and Finding Your Flow - Brit + Co - November 20th, 2020
- Is it the last of the Camden Lock mohicans? - Camden New Journal newspapers website - November 18th, 2020
- Is Angelina Pivarnick already headed for divorce? Heres why Jersey Shore fans think she and Chris L ... - Monsters and Critics - November 18th, 2020
- Unseen Pictures Of Arpita Khan Sharma And Aayush Sharma From 'Grih Pravesh' Ceremony Post-Wedding - BollywoodShaadis.com - November 18th, 2020
- Police release pictures of three men wanted for knife and bat attack on woman in Lancaster - Lancashire Post - November 16th, 2020
- Tattoo Inks Market Expected To Witness A Sustainable Growth Over 2026 - PRnews Leader - November 6th, 2020
- Brooklyn, son of David Beckham, is the latest popular child to reveal a face tattoo - DodoFinance - November 5th, 2020
- Dad ridiculed after getting tattoos of his kids POO on his leg as gobsmacked people joke I thought Id seen - The Sun - November 5th, 2020
- Kajal Aggarwals fan gets her name tattooed on the formers wedding day. See PHOTOS - Times of India - October 31st, 2020
- First day of tier 3 restrictions in Sutton - in pictures - Mansfield and Ashfield Chad - October 31st, 2020
- Tattoo Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images - October 30th, 2020
- Kunal Kemmu's Stylish Tiger Tattoo Took 4 Years to Complete and It Looks Awesome - Report Door - October 30th, 2020
- Larissa Lima has yet another cosmetic procedure, promises pictures after she heals - Monsters and Critics - October 30th, 2020
- Prince Monolulu: The truth behind horse racing's original showman tipster - BBC Sport - October 30th, 2020
- Tattoo artist has nose CUT OFF and horns added to make himself look like Marvel villain Red Skull - The Sun - October 27th, 2020
- Removery Expands To Meet Increasing Tattoo Removal Demand - PRNewswire - October 27th, 2020
- Shaquille O'Neal's Son Shareef Reveals Another Tattoo He Got in Honor of the Late Kobe Bryant - AmoMama - October 27th, 2020
- Chris Evans shares a picture of his pup Dodger resting in the sweetest place - Dog of the Day - October 27th, 2020
- Rashod Bateman: Back with the Gophers, and receptive to change - Minneapolis Star Tribune - October 22nd, 2020
- Actress Lake Bell And Husband Scott Campbell Split After 7 Years Of Marriage - YourTango - October 22nd, 2020
- Vanessa Bryant Shares Pictures of Her New Tattoo Honoring Kobe and Gianna - Fox Sports Radio - October 21st, 2020
- Chef Jennifer Zavala on the Best and Worst Things About South Philly - Philadelphia magazine - October 19th, 2020
- Sanjay Dutt Looks Fit And Fabulous in New Pictures After Assuring Fans That he Would Beat Cancer - India.com - October 17th, 2020
- Sushant Singh Rajputs sister shares rare pictures of their mother, who died when SSR was a teenager.... - Hindustan Times - October 17th, 2020
- Newly Married Niti Taylor Gets Husband Parikshits Name Tattooed on Her Ring Finger, Says Very Long Name - India.com - October 16th, 2020
- Niti Taylor Gets Husband Parikshit Bawa's Name Tattooed on Finger as 2nd Month Anniversary Gift - News18 - October 16th, 2020
- The Argonaut Pen and Oak Tattoo opens shop - Argonaut - October 16th, 2020
- This Has Been a Trying Year. Chris Smith Knows As Well As Anyone - Sports Illustrated - October 16th, 2020
- Interview with Photographer Sacha Jennis: I wanted to give a more Positive Picture of Bosnia and Herzegovina - Sarajevo Times - October 16th, 2020
- Kaley Cuoco and Zosia Mamet Got the Chicest Matching Tattoos in Honor of Their Show The Flight Attendant - Us Weekly - October 14th, 2020
- Niti Taylor Gets Hubby Parikshit Bawas Name Inked On Second Month Anniversary After A Hush-Hush Wedding - SpotboyE - October 14th, 2020
- 11 pictures of YOUR Sunderland AFC tattoos - Sunderland Echo - October 14th, 2020
- Fantasia's Husband Kendall Taylor Honored Her with a Tattoo Glimpse at His Romantic Gesture - AmoMama - October 14th, 2020