Pallor is a pale color of the skin that can be caused by illness, emotional shock or stress, stimulant use, or anemia, and is the result of a reduced amount of oxyhaemoglobin and may also be visible as pallor of the conjunctivae of the eyes on physical examination.
| Pallor | |
|---|---|
 | |
| A girl with circumoral pallor due to scarlet fever | |
| Specialty | Hematology, Rheumatology, Dermatology |
| Differential diagnosis | Hypopigmentation |
Pallor is more evident on the face and palms. It can develop suddenly or gradually, depending on the cause. It is not usually clinically significant unless it is accompanied by a general pallor (pale lips, tongue, palms, mouth and other regions with mucous membranes). It is distinguished from similar presentations such as hypopigmentation (lack or loss of skin pigment) or simply a fair complexion.
Causes
- migraine attack or headache[1]
- excess estradiol and/or estrone
- osteoporosis
- emotional response, due to fear, embarrassment, grief, rage[2]
- anorexia
- anemia,[3] due to blood loss, poor nutrition, or underlying disease such as sickle cell anemia
- iron deficiency
- vitamin B12 deficiency[4]
- shock, a medical emergency caused by illness or injury
- acute compartment syndrome
- frostbite
- common cold
- cancer[5]
- hypoglycaemia[6]
- bradycardia
- panic attack
- medications
- lead poisoning
- motion sickness[7]
- heart disease
- Peripheral vascular disease
- hypothyroidism
- hypopituitarism
- scurvy
- tuberculosis
- sleep deprivation
- pheochromocytoma
- squeamishness
- visceral larva migrans
- Orthostatic hypotension
- methyldopa
- loss of appetite
- Space adaptation syndrome
- fibromyalgia
- Buerger's disease
- Hypovolemia