Your nails are an outgrowth of your skin. They are made of protein–keratin–which protects your toes and fingers. Jazmin Fox-Skelly reports for the BBC on what your nails can tell you about your health and what’s happening in your body. Usually, changes to your nails are of no consequence and likely result from an injury. But, if your nails lose their shape, get thinner or change their texture or color in some way for a long period of time, you should speak with your physician.
Physicians can identify a range of health conditions simply by studying your fingernails. They can detect skin problems, kidney disease, autoimmune disorders and more.
At the bottom of your fingernails is a somewhat white small half moon or lunula. It is the root from which your nails grow. It is located right on top of your cuticles, which are dead cells connecting the bottom of your nails to your skin. The lunula generates the cells that become your nail. Your cuticles play a critical role in preventing infection, keeping bacteria and other dangerous materials from getting into your skin.
Nail shape: Your finger and toenails should have a convex shape, turning a bit outwards. They should be flat, without ripples. If they are not flat or your nail curves in or is not strong, you might have anemia–insufficient iron–or celiac disease.
If your fingernails change shape, a physician might detect “clubbing,” which indicates low blood oxygen levels. The nails and their anchors are misaligned, so that your nails look like a spoon turned upside down. Your nails are not connected to your finger as they should be, almost floating. Your fingers look as if they are swollen.
People with clubbing might have lung cancer, or a lung or heart infection, celiac disease, or liver cirrhosis. People with nail clubbing should get an X-ray to make sure that they do not have lung cancer.
Nail lines: If you have lines across your nails, you might lack protein or zinc. You might have diabetes or peripheral vascular disease, without enough blood circulation resulting in some cases from extra cholesterol or fat in your arteries.
Nail flecks: It is not clear why people get white flecks on their nails. Most likely, you have injured your finger or toenails. You could have lead or arsenic poisoning or psoriasis. You could possible lack vitamins; but, the evidence is not certain.
White nails: If your whole nail is white, you might lack protein in your blood, and you could have diabetes, kidney or liver disease. If your nail is blue, you might not have sufficient oxygen; that could mean you have heart disease or emphysema or a rare skin cancer.
Nail bleeding: If you have bleeding underneath a nail that does not go away, you might have a splinter haemorrhage. It could look like a splinter of blood. And, your blood vessels could be inflamed as a result of a heart valve infection.
Discolored toenails: If your toenails turn a different color–darker white or yellow, you might have a fungus. Sometimes, an over-the-counter medicine will kill it. The longer you leave it though, the harder it is to treat it.
Brittle nails: If your nails are brittle, you could have hypothyroidism. Or, you could lack vitamin B7.
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