Did you recognize that your fingernails can inform you rather a lot about your health? Healthy nails appear smooth and have a consistent color, but they will change on account of underlying health conditions, injuries and infections.
Abnormalities in fingernails could result from injuries to fingers or hands, viral warts, infections, medical conditions and sometimes from medication.
Please seek a physician in case you are experiencing any of the next:
- Discoloration (display of dark streaks, white streaks, or any unexplained changes in color)
- Noticeable changes in the form of your nails (curling or clubbing)
- Changes in nail thickness (thickening or thinning)
- Brittle nails (fragile nails that break easily)
- Pitted nails (nails developing small depressions or pits)
- Bleeding around nails
- Swelling or redness
- Persistent pain across the nails
- Nail separation (nails beginning to separate from the skin)
These changes in nails could be attributed to quite a lot of different conditions as follows:
Nail Pitting
Nail pitting is when small round depressions or notches appear on the nails. It’s common in individuals with skin disorders like psoriasis and eczema. It may additionally be related to an autoimmune disease referred to as alopecia areata, which causes hair loss, as reported by Mayo Clinic.
Beau’s Lines
Beau’s lines seek advice from grooves that run across the nails and appear when nail growth halts temporarily on account of injury or illness. It may even be an indication of malnutrition.
Other underlying causes of Beau’s lines are:
- Diseases that cause high fever like measles, mumps and scarlet fever.
- Peripheral vascular disease
- Pneumonia
- Uncontrolled diabetes
- Zinc deficiency
- Infections
- Certain sorts of medicines, corresponding to retinoids and chemotherapy
Nail Clubbing
Nail clubbing is characterised by the thickening and curving of fingertips, and typically develops over a span of several years. In accordance with Healthline, it could be related to the next issues:
- Low levels of oxygen within the blood
- Cardiovascular diseases
- Pulmonary diseases
- Liver cirrhosis
- Gastrointestinal problems
- Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)
Onycholysis (Nail Separation)
Onycholysis refers to a condition where the fingernails turn out to be loose and separate from the nail bed, causing a white, yellow or green discoloration. It may very well be on account of an injury, an infection or the usage of nail products like hardeners or adhesives.
Other causes for onycholysis are:
- Psoriasis (a skin disease that causes rashes with itchy, scaly patches)
- Thyroid disease
Yellow Nail Syndrome
Yellow nail syndrome is characterised by thickening nails and slower-than-normal growth that ends in the nails having a yellowish color. Sometimes the nail might lack a cuticle and detach from the nail bed. It may be a symptom of:
Koilonychia (Spoon Nails)
Koilonychia is a condition where fingernails are raised up around the sides, resembling spoons. It may be a symptom of:
- Iron deficiency anemia
- Pulmonary diseases
- Hemochromatosis (liver disorder)
- Hyperthyroidism
- Raynaud’s disease (Prevents blood flow to fingers and toes)
- Lupus erythematosus (an autoimmune disorder that causes inflammation)
Seeing even a small change in our fingernails can stress us out. Nevertheless, it will be important to do not forget that a mere change in appearance alone is just not proof of a medical condition. Many a times, proper nail care is sufficient to make the nails healthy again. To get a transparent understanding of the underlying issue, if any, it is best to seek the advice of a health care skilled.