Did you know your nails can reveal clues to your overall health?

A touch of white here, a rosy tinge there, or some rippling or bumps may be a sign of disease in the body.

 Problems in the liver, lungs, and heart can show up in your nails.

Nails are a very important part of our body. They help over the tender tissues and skin on our extremities. They are made of a hard protein structure called keratin. These nails help in enhancing the movements of our distal digits by applying counter pressure on the pulp of the finger.

This counter pressure helps one in enhancing the touch and sensitivity of the fingertip. Nails are also prone to various diseases and disorders that require medical treatment. This will help you know more about different conditions that affect the beautiful, pink nails.

White nails, also known as leukonychia, describes fingernails that are partially or completely white in color.

The white color could be the result of several things such as trauma, anemia, dietary deficiencies, heart or kidney disease, or even poisoning.

If the nails are mostly white with darker rims, this can indicate liver problems, such as hepatitis. In this image, you can see the fingers are also jaundiced, another sign of liver trouble.

One of the most common causes of yellow nails is a fungal infection. As the infection worsens, the nail bed may retract, and nails may thicken and crumble. In rare cases, yellow nails can indicate a more serious condition such as severe thyroid disease, lung disease, diabetes or psoriasis.

Nails with a bluish tint can mean the body isn’t getting enough oxygen. This could indicate a lung problem, such as emphysema. Some heart problems can be associated with bluish nails.

Disclaimer: The information on this POST is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional advice. The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. All content, including text, graphics, images and information, contained on or available through this article is for general information purposes / educational purposes only, and to ensure discussion or debate.

Thank you ….Dry, brittle nails that frequently crack or split have been linked to thyroid disease. Cracking or splitting combined with a yellowish hue is more likely due to a fungal infection.

Chronic paronychia is a condition that causes inflammation, redness, tenderness, and swelling of the skin folds and tissues surrounding the nails.

It is usually the result of irritants or allergens, but it can be caused by the fungus Candida albicans, other infections or psoriasis. It can usually be treated with topical steroids.

This nail discoloration is called a melanonychia and is caused by the pigment melanin. There are several possible causes including skin cancer, infection or injury.

Biting your nails may be nothing more than an old habit, but in some cases it’s a sign of persistent anxiety that could benefit from treatment.

Nail biting or picking has also been linked to obsessive-compulsive disorder. If you can’t stop, it’s worth discussing with your doctor.

Did you know that your fingernails can provide clues to your overall health?

For example, ice pick-like depressions in the nails (nail pitting) are common in people who have psoriasis — a condition characterized by scaly patches on the skin. Nail pitting can also be related to connective tissue disorders, such as Reiter’s syndrome, and alopecia areata — an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss.

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Though nail changes accompany many conditions, these changes are rarely the first sign. And many nail abnormalities are harmless — not everyone with white nails has hepatitis.

If you’re concerned about the appearance of your nails, see your doctor or a dermatologist.

Patients can present with nail plate changes (e.g. hyperkeratosis, onycholysis, pitting), discolouration, pain and inflammation. The diagnostic work-up of nail disease should include a detailed history and clinical examination of all 20 nail units.

Dermoscopy, diagnostic imaging and histopathologic and mycological analyses may be necessary for diagnosis. Nail findings concerning for malignancy should be promptly referred to a dermatologist for evaluation and biopsy. Nail disease management requires a targeted treatment approach.

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Ever looked at a chipped, brittle, or black-lined nail and wondered why it looks that way? Well, it turns out that nail health is closely associated with how well your body is functioning in other areas.

For the general population, nail health is most often an indicator of poor nutritional intake or poor Nail conditions are not only aesthetic concerns, and nail changes may be a clue to an underlying systemic diseases or infection. Without timely treatment, nail diseases can continue to worsen and significantly impair performance of daily activities and reduce quality of life.

Examination of the nails is essential at every medical visit, and may uncover important findings. Brittle nail syndrome, onychomycosis, paronychia, nail psoriasis, longitudinal melanonychia, Beau’s lines, onychomadesis and retronychia are common nail disorders seen in clinical practice.

These conditions stem from infectious, inflammatory, neoplastic and traumatic aetiologies. Though each nail condition presents with its own distinct characteristics, the clinical findings may overlap between different conditions, resulting in misdiagnosis and treatment digestion. Brittle, weak, and peeling nails are the most common concerns. These symptoms are more often the result of a poor diet than of systemic disease.

Peeling

This is likely caused by external trauma to the nail itself — by using your nail as a tool, pressing into the nail too firmly or removing acrylic nail polish. Nails can also peel if you soak your hands too long in sudsy water.

Here’s a trick to figuring out whether it’s an internal or external cause: Are your toenails also peeling? If so, it might be an internal cause, such as iron deficiency. If not, it’s probably external.

The fix: If you think it’s internal, trying adding iron- rich foods to your diet. If the cause is external, keep your nails moisturized by applying lotion after any activity that might dry them out. Talk with a healthcare professional if symptoms continue, especially if you also notice peeling on your toenails.

Ridges

Have you ever noticed ridges that look like little horizontal or vertical waves on your fingernails? Vertical ridges generally appear later in life and run from the tip of your fingernail to the cuticle. As long as they aren’t accompanied by other symptoms such as changes in color, they’re usually aren’t a cause for concern.

Horizontal ridges, also called Beau’s, lines may be a sign of kidney disease or another underlying condition.

The fix: For vertical ridges, you can gently buff the surface of your nail to smooth them. For horizontal lines, see a healthcare professional to find the underlying cause.

Black lines

Also called a splinter hemorrhage, black lines (which can appear brown or dark red) look like splinters. They can appear multiple times. The most likely cause is a trauma to your nail, such as accidentally slamming a door on your finger.

In rare cases, the lines could be a sign of an underlying issue, including psoriasis, endocarditis, or nail melanoma.

The fix: The lines should disappear over time as your nail grows if they’re due to an injury. But if you don’t notice any change over a few weeks, talk with a healthcare professional, especially if you notice any other symptoms, like inflamed skin, night sweats, or bleeding in the nail.

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