What Nail Abnormalities Say About Your Health
What Nail Abnormalities Say About Your Health
Did you know that your nails can provide clues about your overall health? Normal, healthy nails should have a smooth appearance and even coloring, but as you age, you may develop vertical ridges, or your nails may become a little more brittle. This is harmless and nothing to worry about. If you notice any spots on your nails from injuries, these should go away as the nail grows out and should not be too serious.
What Nail Abnormalities Say About Your Health
Abnormalities that occur on the nails may also warrant further examination. These oddities such as spots, discoloration, and separation of the nail can be telltale signs of viral warts, infections, and certain medications, such as those used for chemotherapy.
White Nails
If your nails are mostly white and darker at the edges, this could indicate liver problems, such as hepatitis. In the image below, you can see that the fingers are also yellowish which is a sign of jaundice, which is another liver condition.
Very pale nails can sometimes be a sign of liver problems.
But very pale nails can sometimes be a sign of very serious health problems, such as:
Anemia
Congestive heart failure
Liver disease
Malnutrition
White spots
If small white spots or white spots appear on the surface of your nail and don’t go away when you try to buff them away, it’s usually due to some type of trauma, even as simple as a stubbed finger or overly aggressive cuticle care. In this case, just give them time to fade as the nail grows out, but if they remain, see your dermatologist, as they could be a sign of other health problems like leukonychia
Leukonychia
Commonly called white nails or milk spots, leukonychia is more commonly found on fingernails than toenails and is often located in the middle of the nail. The surface of a normal nail should be pink, indicating good blood flow below the nail surface.
These white spots are usually quite benign, although in some other situations they may indicate an underlying disease. This may be a bacterial or fungal infection or an unusual side effect of systemic chemotherapy. They may also be found in people who have arsenic poisoning, kidney failure or respiratory disease. Exposure to extreme cold may eventually lead to the progression of leukonychia, but these spots will slowly disappear over time.
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