Hyperemia and congestion both indicate a local increased volume of blood in a particular tissue. Hyperemia is an active process that result from augmented blood flow due to arteriolar dilation (e.g. at sites of inflammation or in skeletal muscle during exercise). The affected tissue is redder than normal because of engorgement with oxygenated blood. Congestion, on the other hand, is a passive process resulting from impaired venous return out of a tissue. It may occur due to systemic causes like cardiac failure or a local cause like isolated venous obstruction. The tissue is cyanosed because the worsening congestion leads to accumulation of deoxygenated hemoglobin in the affected tissues.