A DOCTOR has revealed why the Queen’s hands appeared purple this week.
The 95-year old monarch was recently admitted to hospital with a broken back. This prevented her from being able to attend events in person for longer than one month.
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When she met General Sir Nick Carter, Chief of Defence Staff at Windsor Castle on Wednesday, she was back in her regular duties.
Photographs from the meeting in The Oak Room, the Queen’s sitting room, showed Her Majesty’s hands were discoloured purple.
Dr Sarah Jarvis is a GP and Clinical Director. Patientaccess.com, told Central Recorder: “It’s likely this appearance is caused by poor blood circulation.
“One of the most common reasons for purple hands in cold weather is a condition called Raynaud’s, where the small blood vessels supplying blood to hands and feet shut down.
“If the room was very cold or she’d been outside before, this could be an explanation.
“It happens because the oxygen in narrowed blood vessels is used up and more blood full of oxygen isn’t coming in.
“Lack of oxygen in blood turns if from bright red to a duller red with a blue tinge.”
Raynaud’s phenomenon is a problem that causes decreased blood flow to the fingers, usually occurring between 15 and 25 years of age.
In later years, it can be secondary to other conditions like rheumatoid and thyroid disorders.
Dr Jarvis said: “There are other reasons for poor circulation, and thin skin in older people can make the blue/purple appearance more apparent.”
Dr Giuseppe Aragona is a GP and an Online Doctor for Prescription Doctor. He told the Metro that Cyanosis occurs when there’s not enough oxygen in your blood.
“Blood that has a normal level of oxygen is a deep-red colour. It means your skin is its usual colour. However, blood with low oxygen levels is more blue which can cause your skin to take on a purple hue.
“It is known that Cyanosis can develop quicker if the person has suffered a minor health problem, so this could be linked to her recent injury.”
Seniors can also apply for these benefits. “senile purpura”This is when the skin’s fragile nature makes it more likely to have large, purplish bumps.
However, the Queen’s hands do not look bruised, more purple all over.
Sir Gen Carter also had discoloured fingers, which could indicate that the room was just cold.
The Queen attended an audience with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2018 and heaters were previously seen warming Buckingham Palace’s huge rooms.
After several weeks of being in poor health, Her Majesty appeared to be in good spirits on Wednesday.
Watchers of the Royals are concerned that she has cancelled four public events in one month.
She was scheduled to make her first public appearance on Remembrance Sunday, to lead the nation’s commemoration of brave soldiers.
However, A Buckingham Palace statement on Sunday morning read: “The Queen, having sprained her back, has decided this morning with great regret that she will not be able to attend today’s Remembrance Sunday Service at the Cenotaph.”
Reassuring the public, Boris Johnson said that he saw the Queen last week on Wednesday for an audience in Windsor and that “she is very well.”
Prince Charles, however, admitted Wednesday that his mother was in trouble at the end of her life but was doing well.
When asked how the Queen was getting on, Charles, speaking at the Royal Scientific Society in Amman, Jordan, replied: “She’s all right thank you very much.
“Once you get to 95, it’s not quite as easy as it used to be. It’s bad enough at 73.”
Following an overnight stay in hospital, doctors advised the Queen to resign from her official duties.
She had been due to visit Northern Ireland on a two day trip but, as Central Recorder revealed, she cancelled it on the advice of her doctors and was kept in hospital for test.
Sources claim that she stayed the night because it was too late for her to travel 26 miles home.
According to her doctors, the back sprain was not related to the advice she received to rest.
Concerns were raised first when she used a walking stick to engage at Westminster Abbey and at the Welsh parliament in Oct.
She is also known for her strong constitution. Prior to her hospitalization, she was still on her feet for over an hour at a Windsor Castle business summit.
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