In a recent photo of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth that is being widely circulated, what has caught the attention of netizens is the 95-year-old monarch’s hands. The Queen had hosted the Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir Nick Carter at Windsor Castle on November 19, after being ordered to rest for more than a month following a back sprain recently.
The photographs of the meeting were released by Buckingham Palace where the hands of both the Queen and the General have a purplish tinge. This has sparked speculation on the Queen’s health.
According to the John Hopkins Medicine site, it causes decreased blood flow to the fingers in response to cold or stress. The UK National Health Service states that the phenomenon is not a serious condition and can be remedied quickly by keeping warm. It usually occurs in a cold climate which restricts blood flow and oxygen.
Meanwhile, Dr Jay Verma, from the Shakespeare Medical Centre, was quoted by the Metro as saying, “It might be Raynaud’s phenomenon or just really cold hands. The purple is due to deoxygenated blood.”
According to the Metro, GP and Online Doctor for Prescription Doctor Giuseppe Aragona said that reduced circulation, frail skin, exposed veins, bruises, a leakage of blood to the tissue beneath the skin are possible explanations behind the colour. “Blood which has a normal amount of oxygen is a deep red. However, low oxygenated blood is bluer which causes your skin to have a purple hue,” he added.
