You may not look very often at your fingernails, but did you know that your fingernails can tell you a lot about your health? Did you know there are hundreds of medical conditions and diseases that may cause nail changes? Your nails can show the history of recent health and physiological problems, and has been used as a diagnostic tool since ancient times.<\/p>\n
Sometimes it might be a\u00a0fungal infection\u00a0or injury, but your fingernails can sometimes indicate a\u00a0more serious underlying problem, such as problem in the liver, lungs or heart.<\/p>\n
When the nails are healthy, they have a pink color and the moons near the nail base are light pink to white color. According to Dr. L Reed, ND, the half moons at the base of your fingernail is an\u00a0indicator\u00a0of good thyroid health. Each nail that is missing a half moon indicates a weaker thyroid. Weak thyroid can lead to mood swings, depression, thinning hair as well as\u00a0other symptoms.<\/p>\n
Healthy nails are smooth, without ridges, grooves, spots or discoloration. But what happens if you see that your nails have changed in color, shape, texture, thickness or any other unusual growth pattern, and you don\u2019t know the reason for that? Well, maybe it\u2019s time to visit your GP.<\/p>\n
Here you will learn how to read the signs on your nails and discover the secrets they tell you about your overall health:<\/p>\n
Brittle or crumbly nail can be a result of aging or a long exposure to detergents or nail polish, but sometimes it can indicate a fungal nail infection, Lichen planus (a condition that forms an itchy rash on the skin or in the mouth), thyroid disease or psoriasis. In rare cases it can also may be an indication of a Reactive arthritis which is a painful form of inflammatory arthritis.<\/p>\n
Yellow nails<\/strong>\u00a0can occur due to a long use of nail varnish, but can indicate fungal nail infection or psoriasis. It can also indicate several other ailments, such as: jaundice due to liver problem (also see my other post about\u00a0early signs of liver damage), sinus infection, a problem with the thyroid gland, lung infection and lymphedema (fluid retention that generally occurs in arms or legs). For more information, read my article about the most\u00a0common causes of yellow nails.<\/p>\n Green-black nails<\/strong> \u2013 indicate bacterial infection that usually occurs under loose nails.<\/p>\n Bluish or purple<\/strong>\u00a0fingernail beds may indicate oxygen deprivation.<\/p>\n Grey nails<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 can be caused by certain medications.<\/p>\n Brown nails<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 can indicate a\u00a0thyroid disease\u00a0or malnutrition. Fingernails that are half white at the bottom and half brown near the tips can be a sign of kidney failure, AIDS or appear after chemotherapy.<\/p>\n White nails<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 might be a sign of aging, fungal nail infection or\u00a0iron deficiency (anemia), as well as other range of ailments, such as: cirrhosis\u00a0(scarring of the liver), kidney or heart failure,\u00a0diabetes, hyperthyroidism, malnutrition or after chemotherapy.<\/p>\n There are a few\u00a0reasons for having thick nails\u00a0but they are commonly caused a fungal nail infection, but can also result from psoriasis and reactive arthritis (a painful form of inflammatory arthritis). Yellowish, thickened, slow-growing nails can also indicate\u00a0lung\u00a0diseases.<\/p>\n When the fingernails become loose and\u00a0can separate from the nail bed, it may indicate an injury or infection, as well as thyroid disease, psoriasis,\u00a0poor circulation\u00a0or allergic reaction to medicine.<\/p>\n When your finger nails curve inwards and look scooped out, it may indicate iron-deficiency (anemia), hemachromatosis (liver condition which results in iron overlaod), Raynaud\u2019s disease (that affects the blood supply to the fingers and toes), heart disease and\u00a0hypothyroidism.<\/p>\n Pitting or small dents on your nails can indicate psoriasis, eczema, reactive arthritis, and alopecia areata (hair loss due to autoimmune disease).<\/p>\n If you notice deep lines or grooves that run across the nail, it might be a result of having chemotherapy, a previous injury, exposure to cold temperatures, Raynaud\u2019s disease that affects the blood supply to the fingers and toes,\u00a0diabetes, vascular disease,\u00a0zinc deficiency\u00a0and illnesses associated with a high fever.<\/p>\n This is when the fingertips and nails are unusually curved around the fingertips. It can be harmless due to increased blood flow to the fingertips, and can run in families, but if it suddenly occurs, it may indicate low oxygen level in the blood that can indicate lung disease, as well as other ailments such as heart disease, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), liver disease and AIDS.<\/p>\n In this case the lines run parallel to the base of the fingernail. Don\u2019t confuse it with white\u00a0spots or streaks that are normal, but when there are parallel white lines across the nails, it\u2019s a sign of low levels of protein\u00a0in the blood, which can be due to malnutrition or liver disease.<\/p>\n This is common among black people and in most cases it\u2019s normal. However sometimes it may indicate a skin cancer that affects the nail bed, called subungual melanoma. Generally, this type of cancer only affects one nail.<\/p>\n These are usually lines of blood caused by tiny damaged blood vessels and are called splinter hemorrhages. This is nothing to worry about, but if many nails are affected, it may indicate another underlying disease.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t ignore your fingernails and the health signs they indicate. Have a closer look at you nails more often to keep an eye on your health. Your nails and your overall health are closely related and offer you a window into your health.<\/p>\n At Healthy and Natural World, our mission is to empower people to take control of their own health by providing comprehensive, practical and well researched information.<\/p>\n3. Thickened nails<\/h2>\n
4. Loose nails<\/h2>\n
5. Spoon-shaped nails (koilonychia)<\/h2>\n
6. Pitting or dents on the nails<\/h2>\n
7. Grooves across the fingernails (Beau\u2019s lines)<\/h2>\n
8. Nail clubbing<\/h2>\n
9. White lines running across the nails<\/h2>\n
10. Dark stripes running down the nails<\/h2>\n
11. Red or brown little streaks under the nails<\/h2>\n