Interestingly, the fingernails speak a lot about the overall health. Healthy nails have a consistent coloring and appear smooth. As time passes and a person ages, the nails may become a bit more brittle and may develop vertical ridges. Typically, there is nothing to worry about because this is a harmless occurrence. If you happen to notice some spots caused by some injury on your nails, this should grow out without causing any additional problem.
The abnormalities that can occur on the nails require a closer look. The nail separation, discoloration and spots can be a silent sign of infections, viral warts, and medications as the ones used for chemotherapy.
Yellow Nail Syndrome
This syndrome slows down the new growth and thickens the nails. It results in a yellow discoloration of the nails. The fungal infection is one of the main causes of this syndrome. When the condition worsens, the nails may thicken, the nail bed may retract, the nails may crumble, lack a cuticle and finally detach from the nail bed.
This, yellow nail syndrome is usually a sign of some respiratory disease, such as chronic bronchitis. Moreover, it can be linked to lymphedema, known as swelling of the hands. Rarely, this syndrome can indicate even more serious and harmful conditions, including psoriasis, severe thyroid disease, diabetes, and lung disease.
White Nails
If the nails are mainly white with some darker rims, this occurrence can be associated with liver problems, such as hepatitis. The fingers may be yellowish in color which means that they are jaundiced. This is another sign of some liver problem.
If the nails are very pale, this can be a sign of various serious diseases, including the following:
Malnutrition
Congestive heart failure
Anemia
Liver disease
Green Nails
The green nails are mainly result of a pseudomonal infection, usually caused by the environment. Individuals whose immune system is very low are most liable to this type of nail infection, making the nails appear green in color.
White Dots
This condition is usually caused by some type of trauma- too aggressive cuticle trim or something as simple as a banged finger. The small white dots appear on the surface of the nail and they don’t budge when you try to buff them off. It is recommended to give the nails some time to grow out and lose the white dots. However, you should consult your dermatologist if they don’t disappear. In this case, the condition can be a sign of some health problems such as Leukonychia.
Bluish Nails
The cyanosis, also known as Blue fingernails syndrome can indicate various health issues and it should be checked out. Sometimes, the bluish color can occur as a result of a very cold temperature which slows the flow of blood through the skin, temporarily. Once you warm up, the bluish color should disappear. There is a disease, known as Raynaud`s disease which is associated with blanch of the fingers and toes, then they become blue and finally become painful or numb when exposed to cold. This condition is caused by the over-sensitivity of the nerves, responsible for controlling blood flow through small arteries such as earlobes, nose, fingers, and toes.
Since the hemoglobin is responsible for carrying the oxygen in red blood cells, low hemoglobin can be another cause for this coloration. As the blood has a bright red color thanks to the oxygen it contains, it turns a blue-red color when the oxygen levels decline.
This chronic condition can indicate many different breathing and lung problems including chronic bronchitis, asthma, emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other respiratory issues. Moreover, it can be a sign of various heart problems, as a result of an overdose of certain drugs such as sedatives, narcotics and benzodiazepines. It can be result of high altitude as well.
Leukonychia
This condition is also referred to as milk spots or white nails. It is more often located on fingernails, in the central portion of the nail plate. It rarely occurs to toenails. The normal nail beds should have pink color which indicates a proper blood flow underneath the nail plate.
Although in some situation this condition can be a sign of an underlying disease, the white spots are usually completely benign. The potential cause for leukonychia can be some fungal or bacterial infection on the nails. Sometimes, it can occur as a result of some side effect of chemotherapy. It can be found in people with some respiratory issue, kidney failure, and arsenic poisoning. Exposure to extreme cold can lead to progression of this condition, but the spots should eventually disappear.
Chewed Nails
Although it appears to be a harmful habit, biting your nails can be a sign of persistent anxiety that requires treatment. Picking and nail biting is related to obsessive compulsive disorder as well. This habit is often a way of easing anxiety or keeping one part of the body occupied while the mind isn’t focused and lacks interest. Additional emotional triggers leading to nail biting can be the loneliness and frustration. According to many researchers, the genes play a huge role in this condition. However, you should consult your doctor if you simply cannot stop.
Nail Beading or Vertical Ridging
This condition is characterized with vertical beaded ridges which resemble a candle`s wax drippings. In this condition, the beads drip down the nail like wax. It is usually associated with endocrine conditions such as stress, Addison`s disease, diabetes mellitus, hormonal changes, vitamin B deficiency and thyroid disorders.
These “wrinkles of the nail” are usually caused by aging, just like with our skin. The ridges run from the nail bed to the tip and start on one or two nails. Eventually, they appear on all nails. You can smooth them with gentle filing and buffing.
Nail Pitting
Nail pitting is characterized with small hole or ice pick-like depressions in the nails. This condition is very common in people suffering from psoriasis, a condition marked by scaly patches on the skin. The nail pitting can be linked to connective tissue disorders as well, including Reiter`s syndrome and alopecia areata (autoimmune disease leading to hair loss).
Dark Lines Beneath the Nail
Individuals with dark skin usually have streaks of the pigment melanin down the fingernails. However, it is still recommended to get checked by doctor, because sometimes it can be a sign of skin cancer known as sunugual melanoma. This cancer is the most dangerous type of skin cancer. Usually, only one nail is affected and this condition causes the stripe to change in appearance and become darker or wider over time. The surrounding skin can also be affected by the pigmentation.
Nail Clubbing
This condition can be harmless and run in the families for years. But if it develops suddenly, it can indicate an underlying medical condition. The low levels of oxygen in the blood can result with many different diseases including the heart and lung disease.
In cases of clubbed fingertips, the nails are in line with the top of the fingers because the natural angle is gone. This condition is associated with acute interstitial pneumonitis (a form of pneumonia which is usually characterized by inflammation of the lung) and Hamman-Rich syndrome. Signs of heart failure and digital clubbing can appear in cases of advanced interstitial lung diseases. Nail clubbing is associated with AIDS, inflammatory bowel disease, liver disease, and cardiovascular disease as well.
Paronychia
This condition is actually an inflammation that causes red, swollen and painful fold. The skin and soft tissue that surround and support the nail can be inflamed as well. The paronychia is mainly caused by irritation, infection or some injury. It can be found in two forms: chronic, when it lasts for more than six weeks and acute, when it develops over a few hours. In some cases, there can be an underlying skin condition such as psoriasis, eczema or other medical conditions such as HIV or diabetes. This condition is more common in women than in men for about three times.
Terry` s Nails
This condition was named by Dr. Richard Terry. It is associated with white fingernails or toenails, “ground glass’ appearance, with no lunula, or the white crescent-shaped area of a finger nail. With this condition, most of the nails appear white except for a narrow pink band at the tip. It is described as a brown arc near the ends of the nails.
In some cases, Terry`s nails can be caused by aging. In other cases, this condition can be a sign of serious potential health issues. Terry`s nails can be caused by a decrease in vascularity and an increase in connective tissue within the nail bed. It usually occurs in the setting of kidney failure, malnutrition, congestive heart failure, liver failure, diabetes mellitus, hyperthyroidism, and cirrhosis.
Onycholysis
This condition is characterized by loose fingernails that can detach from the nail bed. The detached part becomes opaque with yellow, green or white tinge.
Detached nails are usually associated with some infection or injury, but in some cases the separation can be a reaction to a certain consumer product such as adhesives or nail hardeners. It can be a reaction to a particular drug as well. In addition, psoriasis and thyroid disease are yet another cause of nail separation.
Onychorrhexis
This condition is characterized by longitudinal striations or ridges on the nail plate. It can simply indicate an advanced age, but it can be linked to issues such as lichen planus, rheumatoid arthritis, peripheral vascular disease and Darier disease (broad white and red striations in the nails). A central vertical ridge or groove (shown) may be due to myxoid cysts that appear near the nail fold, which are associated with osteoarthritis.
People who suffer from disorders are the most affected by onychorrhexis nail disorder. Poor nutrition or malnutrition can make the nails brittle and affect their growth and health. Injury or some trauma can potentially result with this condition. Repeated injuries often give rise to the condition itself. People who use too much nail polish remover, individuals who are subjected to prolonged exposure to cold, those who work for long hours with water and soap, are at risk from this disease. In addition, one of the major causes of onychorrhexis is the hypothyroidism. This glandular disorder results from a deficiency of thyroid production. Reduced thyroid production occurs because of a hypoactive thyroid gland.
Nervosa in a disease in which the sufferer becomes obsessed with his or her weight and it has a delusion of being too fat despite being emaciated. Bulimia is another psychological disease which affects young women who get depressed after eating in excess. They feel guilty about not controlling their diet and paying attention to their weight.
The diagnosis of this condition is very simple as the disease is detected mainly by physical observation of the nails. If the doctor suspects underlying conditions such as Hypothyroidism, thyroid level examinations and blood tests are highly recommended.
The treatment of onychorrhexis depends on the underlying condition and it varies with the nature of the diseases that lies behind its appearance. Once the causative condition is properly treated, the symptoms disappear in short time. Hand creams are an alternative, natural remedy for this condition. Lotions and creams made of natural plant oils keep the hand moist and thus cure the disease. It is recommended to apply moisturizers on the skin and nails regularly, in order to ensure that the symptoms don’t appear again.
Spoon Shaped Nails
Koilonychia, often referred as spoon nails, are nails that look scooped out. The depression is large enough to hold a drop of liquid.
This condition usually indicates iron deficiency, anemia or a liver condition known as hemochromatosis. In this condition, the body absorbs too much iron from the food you consume. Spoon nails can be associated with hypothyroidism and heart disease as well.
Beau`s Lines
This condition is characterized by indentations that run across the nails, and can appear when growth at the area under the cuticle. This condition was originally described in 1846 by Joseph Honore Simon Beau, a French physician. The indentations are caused by diseases that affect the entire body such as pneumonia, heart attack, scarlet fever, malnutrition, liver diseases, measles, mumps and metabolic disturbances, such as poorly controlled diabetes.
The Beau`s lines can result from any disease or illness that is able to affect the growth plate of the nail. Zinc deficiency, chemotherapy drugs for cancer, and malnutrition can also cause Beau`s lines. Another cause for Beau`s lines or nail ridges can be trauma or injury. The distance from the Beau`s line to the nail bed can be a sign of the timing of the disease.
Cracked or Split Nails
Split or cracked nail is one of the most common disease related nail disorders. Dry and brittle nails that frequently spit or crack are linked to thyroid disease. When combined with yellowish hue, it indicates a fungal infection. Common cause from nail splitting can be the certain proteins in the diet, low levels of vitamin C, and folic acid.
Little Brown Streaks
This condition is characterized by dark lines under the fingernail that could be a result of bleeding of the tiny vessels under the nail. They are also known as “splinter hemorrhages” and they are not a big deal if caused by nail injury. In cases when few nails are affected, it can be a sign of heart valves, often referred to as “endocarditis”. They can be associated with other conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, scleroderma, and psoriasis.
Rippled Nails
If the nail surface is rippled a lot, it can be a sign of inflammatory arthritis or early psoriasis. As the skin under the nail can seem reddish-brown, discoloration of the nail is also common.
Nail Ridges
The ridges can be either vertical or horizontal. When it comes to vertical ridges, it can be a sign of nutrition issues, nutritional absorption issues or moisture loss. On the other hand, horizontal ridges are associated with chronic diseases, such as liver diseases or diabetes. Either type of ridges can be caused by damage to the nails.