Serious Health Concerns Your Fingernails Could Be Warning You About

Nails and hair are a very reliable source of information about the state of health, doctors admit, but it’s still not worth doing self-diagnosis. If you have examined some kind of flaw on your nail, you need to take tests before diagnosing a particular disease in yourself, writes Dr. Peter. How to understand what nails say about human health? Here are a few warning signs that may indicate a problem in the body. The absence of lunula (white crescents) on the nails can be due to vitamin B12 deficiency and anemia.

Ideally, the hole should be 1/5 of the length of the nail. If the nail plate is concave, spoon-shaped, anemia can also be suspected. Grooves on the nail plate can appear with anemia, and if there are a lot of them, with a deficiency of vitamin B12. White spots on the nail and whitening of the nail plate often appear with zinc deficiency.

The state of various systems in the body, including the immune and sexual, depends on this microelement. Zinc deficiency leads to furunculosis, dermatitis, decreased spermatogenesis, hair loss. The white plate of the nail indicates a deficiency of vitamins B12, B1. Horizontal white lines on the nails indicate a B12 deficiency.

Yellowing of the nail plate indicates a lack of vitamin C. Also, the yellowish color and moon-shaped shape of the nails can suggest a pathology of the thyroid gland.

What healthy nails should look like

Nails are dense horny plates made of keratin protein. Normally, they are smooth to the touch, but with age, vertical grooves may appear on them. On the surface of a healthy nail there should be no pits and irregularities, it is of a uniform pink color without spots and stripes.

It’s also ok if:

• with age, the nails thicken or begin to break;
• nails become harder, softer, or more brittle during pregnancy (they should be healthier within 6 months after the baby is born);
• after an injury, they change color, exfoliate from the finger and eventually peel off. They recover on their own in 6 months on their hands and 18 months on their feet.

What changes can indicate health problems

Though your fingernails may seem like a very insignificant part of your body, they are actually indicative of your overall health in many different ways. Your fingernails reflect how well you eat , how much you sleep, and the state of your internal health. Learn more about the top eight ways that your nails can show you that something’s going wrong.

1: Heart Problems

Heart disease is a serious threat in the United States, and your fingernails can actually warn you about possible cardiovascular problems. Thin red or brown lines under your nails may be a sign of a heart valve infection, while congenital heart problems often cause your nails to club.

2: Oxygen Deprivation

Your body relies on getting enough oxygen to function properly. However, if there is not enough oxygen, your extremities are often the ones to get the shaft. That’s why fingernails may be a sign of oxygen-related health problems, like emphysema, pneumonia, asthma, or low hemoglobin.

3: Lack of Nutrition

Sometimes, the body is strong enough to overcome any nutritional deficiencies you may put it through. However, over time, these deficiencies get expressed in a variety of ways. If you aren’t getting the protein, omega-3 fatty acids, or iron you need, your nails may start to splinter, get pale, or break.

4: Skin Cancer

Skin cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in the world, and it can pop up just about anywhere in your body. Surprisingly, it can even develop under your fingernails. A specific type of melanoma is very likely to develop under the fingernails, and many people don’t even know to check that part of your skin. Skin cancer under the nails often manifests as dark lines.

5: Thyroid Disorders

Irregularities in your fingernails can indicate a thyroid disorder. If your nails start splitting away from the nail bed, this may be a sign of hyperthyroidism. Nails that take on a concave shape and seem to round away from the finger are often a sign of hypothyroidism.

6: Arthritis

Different types of arthritis can cause quite a range of nail conditions. Weak nails that easily split, yellow nails, a puffy nail fold, or red lunula can all indicate joint problems. If you notice any of these symptoms, you may be at risk for osteoarthritis, lupus, psoriasis, or rheumatoid arthritis.

7: Infection

Your fingernails are particularly prone to infections, thanks to how easily they can break and how weak the skin is right around your fingernails. If the skin around your nails becomes red and puffy, it is likely that you’re dealing with an infection. Snagged or ingrown nails are common culprits, but artificial nails can also lead to nail infections.

8: Diabetes

If you have diabetes , the glucose in your body often connects with the proteins in your fingernails. This causes nails to take on a yellow tint. If your nails stay yellow for any prolonged period of time, you may want to get checked out for diabetes.