What Nail Abnormalities Say About Your Health\n

Did you know that your nails can provide clues about your overall health? Normal, healthy nails should have a smooth appearance and even coloring, but as you age, you may develop vertical ridges, or your nails may become a little more brittle. This is harmless and nothing to worry about. If you notice any spots on your nails from injuries, these should go away as the nail grows out and should not be too serious.\n

What Nail Abnormalities Say About Your Health\n

Abnormalities that occur on the nails may also warrant further examination. These oddities such as spots, discoloration, and separation of the nail can be telltale signs of viral warts, infections, and certain medications, such as those used for chemotherapy.
\nWhite Nails
\nIf your nails are mostly white and darker at the edges, this could indicate liver problems, such as hepatitis. In the image below, you can see that the fingers are also yellowish which is a sign of jaundice, which is another liver condition.\n

Very pale nails can sometimes be a sign of liver problems.
\nBut very pale nails can sometimes be a sign of very serious health problems, such as:
\nAnemia
\nCongestive heart failure
\nLiver disease
\nMalnutrition
\nWhite spots
\nIf small white spots or white spots appear on the surface of your nail and don\u2019t go away when you try to buff them away, it\u2019s usually due to some type of trauma, even as simple as a stubbed finger or overly aggressive cuticle care. In this case, just give them time to fade as the nail grows out, but if they remain, see your dermatologist, as they could be a sign of other health problems like leukonychia
\nLeukonychia
\nCommonly called white nails or milk spots, leukonychia is more commonly found on fingernails than toenails and is often located in the middle of the nail. The surface of a normal nail should be pink, indicating good blood flow below the nail surface.
\nThese white spots are usually quite benign, although in some other situations they may indicate an underlying disease. This may be a bacterial or fungal infection or an unusual side effect of systemic chemotherapy. They may also be found in people who have arsenic poisoning, kidney failure or respiratory disease. Exposure to extreme cold may eventually lead to the progression of leukonychia, but these spots will slowly disappear over time.\n

Yellow Nail Syndrome\n

With yellow nail syndrome, the nails thicken and new growth slows down. This results in a yellowish discoloration of the nails. One of the most common causes of yellow nails is a fungal infection. As the infection worsens, the underside of the nail may recede, and the nails may thicken, crumble, fail to form the cuticle, and the nail may peel off in places.
\nYellow nail syndrome is often a sign of respiratory illness, such as chronic bronchitis. It can also be linked to swelling of the hands (lymphedema). In rare cases, yellow nails can indicate a more serious condition such as a serious thyroid condition, lung disease, diabetes, or psoriasis.\n

Bluish Nails\n

The medical term for blue nails is cyanosis, which can be a sign of a variety of disorders and should be investigated. While very cold temperatures can temporarily slow blood flow to the skin causing a bluish color, this color should disappear as soon as you warm up. In Raynaud\u2019s disease, the fingers and toes turn white, then blue, and may become numb or painful when exposed to cold. The problem is simply excessive sensitivity of the nerves that control blood flow in the small arteries of the fingers, toes, nose, and earlobes.\n

Green Nails\n

Green nails are the result of a pseudonomas infection, which is usually caused by the environment. This means that those with already weak immune systems are very susceptible to this type of nail infection, which often turns the nail green.\n

Pitted Nails\n

Small pits or pits in the nails are common in people with psoriasis, which is a condition characterized by scaly patches on the skin.
\nIt may also be related to connective tissue disorders, such as Reiter\u2019s syndrome, alopecia areata, an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss.\n

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Wavy Nails\n

If the nail surface is wavy, much like the pitted nails I discussed above, this can be an early sign of psoriasis or inflammatory arthritis. Discoloration of the nail is also common, and the skin beneath the nail may appear reddish-brown.
\nSplit Nails
\nSplit or cracked nails are common nail disorders related to the disease. Dry, brittle nails that are cracked or broken have been frequently associated with thyroid disease. Cracked nails with a yellowish color are likely due to a fungal infection.
\nLow levels of vitamin C, folic acid, and certain proteins in the diet are also known to cause split nails.
\nRibbed Nails
\nRibs can be horizontal or vertical. Vertical ribs can mean nutritional issues, dehydration, or problems absorbing nutrients. Horizontal veins in the nail are often associated with diabetes, liver disease, or other chronic conditions. Both types of veins can also be caused by nail injuries.
\nDark lines under the nail
\nIf you have dark skin, it is quite common to have streaks of the pigment melanin at the base of your nails. However, you should always have this checked by your doctor, as it can sometimes indicate a form of skin cancer called subungual melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin cancer. This usually only affects one nail, and causes the line to change in appearance, becoming wider or darker over time. Pigmentation can also affect the skin around the nail.
\nSmall brown streaks
\nThese are thin, dark lines under the nail that could be tiny vessels bleeding under the nail. These are known as \u201cfiliform hemorrhages\u201d and are not a cause for concern if they are due to nail injury. However, if a few nails are affected, it may be a sign that one of the heart valves is infected, a condition called endocarditis. These threadlike hemorrhages can also be associated with several other conditions, such as scleroderma, lupus, psoriasis, and rheumatoid arthritis.
\nVertical pearls or ridge formations
\nThese look like vertical ridges or beads, resembling drops of wax from a candle. The pearls appear to flow down the nail like wax and this is associated with endocrine or hormonal problems, such as diabetes mellitus, thyroid disorders, Addison\u2019s disease, vitamin B deficiency, hormonal changes or stress.
\nHowever, just like with our skin, these \u201cnail wrinkles\u201d are usually caused by aging. They run from the base of the nail to the tip and usually start on one or two nails. Over time, the ridges can appear on all nails. Gently filing and buffing them can help smooth them out.\n

Cupped Nails\n

Cupped nails can be hereditary and may be harmless. However, if they develop suddenly, they can be a sign of an underlying medical condition, and due to low blood oxygen levels, leading to various diseases such as lung or heart disease.
\nWith cupped nails, the natural angle is gone and the nails are level with the tops of the fingers. This can be Hamman-Rich syndrome, an acute interstitial lung disease, (a form of pneumonia) characterized by inflammation of the lung. With advanced interstitial lung disease, clubbing and signs of heart failure may appear. It is also associated with irritable bowel disease, cardiovascular disease, liver disease and AIDS.
\nTerry\u2019s Nails
\nThis was named after Dr. Richard Terry and occurs when the fingernails or toenails appear white with a characteristic \u201cground glass\u201d appearance, without a lunula \u2013 that crescent-shaped white area of \u200b\u200bthe nail. With this condition, most of the nails are white except for a narrow pink band at the tip. It is described as a brown arc near the ends of the nails.
\nTerry\u2019s nails can sometimes be attributed to aging. In other cases, they can be a sign of a serious underlying disease. This condition can be due to decreased vascularity and increased connective tissue within the nail, and often occurs in the setting of liver failure, cirrhosis, renal failure, diabetes mellitus, congestive heart failure, hyperthyroidism, and\/or malnutrition.
\nOnychorrhexis
\nThis is the presence of longitudinal ridges or veins on the nail and can simply be a sign of advanced age, but can also be associated with conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, peripheral vascular disease, lichen planus, and Darier\u2019s disease (broad white and red streaks on the nail). A central vertical ridge or groove (as pictured) may be due to myxoid cysts that appear near the base of the nail, which are associated with osteoarthritis.
\nOnychorrhexis mainly affects people who suffer from disorders. Malnutrition or poor nutrition can affect the health and growth of the nails and make them brittle, any trauma or injury to the nails can also lead to onychorrhexis. Repeated injury to the nail often leads to this condition. Those who work for long hours with soap and water are also at risk, as are those who use too much nail polish, and those who are subjected to prolonged exposure to cold. Hypothyroidism is a glandular disease that results from a deficiency in the production of thyroid hormone. Reduced thyroid production is due to an underactive thyroid gland. This is one of the main causes of onychorrhexis.\n

Bulimia is a condition that affects young women who become depressed after overeating and feel guilty for not controlling their diet and weight. Anorexia nervosa is another psychological illness in which the sufferer is obsessed with her weight and has the illusion of being too fat even though she is rather thin.
\nDiagnosis of onychorrhexis is not complicated, as the condition has been detected mainly by physical observation of the nails. Blood tests and thyroid level examinations may be recommended if the doctor suspects an underlying disease such as hypothyroidism.
\nMedical treatment of onychorrhexis usually depends on the underlying condition. The treatment is said to vary depending on the nature of the disease underlying the onychorrhexis. Once the causes have been treated, the symptoms of onychorrhexis will also disappear soon.
\nHome treatment for onychorrhexis involves medications such as hand creams. A cream or lotion made with natural plant oils will keep the hand moisturized and help heal the condition. Regular application of moisturizers to the skin and nails will prevent these symptoms from returning.\n

Beau\u2019s Lines\n

Beau\u2019s lines are indentations that run across the nails and may initially appear in the area under the cuticle and this phenomenon was first described in 1846 by French physician Joseph Honor\u00e9 Simon Beau. The lines are caused by diseases that affect the entire body, including malnutrition, heart attack, liver disease, serious infections such as mumps, measles, scarlet fever, pneumonia, and metabolic disorders such as poorly controlled diabetes.
\nHowever, Beau\u2019s lines can result from any disease process that is severe enough to affect the growth of the nail. Malnutrition and chemotherapy drugs for cancer can also cause Beau\u2019s lines, as can zinc deficiency. Trauma or injury can also be a cause of Beau\u2019s lines or nail veins. The onset of the disease can be estimated by measuring the distance from Beau\u2019s line to the base of the nail.\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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