What your fingernails can reveal about your health

Fingernails play a vital role in protecting the delicate skin underneath and are handy for tasks like scratching itches or peeling fruit. But did you know they can also reveal clues about your overall health?

Nails are made of Keratin, a robust protein that shields your fingertips and toes. The half moon at the base of your nail, called the lunula, is the growth center. The cuticle, a layer of dead cells at the nail base, offers additional protection from bacteria, fungi,and other pathogens.

While traditional beliefs, like white flecks(leukonychia) indicating a calcium deficiency, persist, medical professionals know that nails can reveal much more about health. Doctors use nails to diagnose conditions ranging from dermatological issues to kidney disease and autoimmune disorders.

One significant indicator is nail clubbing, where the nail bed softens, and nails appear to float rather than being firmly attached.The fingertips might also become large bulging, resembling drumskicks.Nail clubbing is often a sign of low blood oxygen levels and can be linked to serious conditions such as lung cancer, heart infections, celiac disease, liver cirrhosis, and lung infections.

Dr.Baumagardt advises that nail clubbing , often indicative of lung cancer, necessitates an urgent x-ray.Despiteits prominence in medical education, he has only encountered it once in 14 years.

White flecks on nails(leukonychia) are often linked to vitamin or mineral deficiencies, but evidence is inconsistent.One study found no correlation with zinc or calcium intake, though a Crohn's disease patient saw leukonychia vanish after selenium treatment. Generally, leukonychia results from nail trauma like stubbing toes or excessive manicures.

Nonetheless, while nail discoloration can indivate health issues like lead or arsenic poisoning, psoriaisis, or protein deficiencies linked to kidney or liver disease, or diabetes.Blue nails may signal oxygen deprivationlinked to kidney and conditions like heart disease or emphysema.Dark lines under nails might indicate subungual melanoma, a rare , severe skin cancer.

Persistent bleeding under nail can suggest conditions like vasculitis or heart valve infection, marked by splinter hemorrhages, which look like tiny blood streaks under the nail.

Other common nail indicators include color, thickness, and shape changes.Healthy nails should be pink with white tips.White or Yellow discoloration, especially in toenails,often signals a fungal infection, requiring prompt treatment.

Fragile nails can reveal underlying problems.Healthy nails slightly convex without dips.Koilonychia, where nails curve inward and appear thin and brittle,can indicate anemia or coeliac disease. Horizontal ridges , or Beau's lines , suggest nutritional deficiencies or conditions like diabetes and peripheral vascular disease.

Brittle nails may signal hypothyroidism or vitamin B7 defiency.Peeling nails, or onychoschizia, usually result from excessive hand washing, dryness,or the use of acrylics and nail polishes.

Nails, as visible of the body, provide insights into overall health.Changes in shape, color,or texture that persist should prompt consultation with a doctor.