GREAT: This Is What Your Fingernails Say About Your Health

We know the eyes are windows of the soul, and so the fingernails can be the window to our overall health and as it turned out, having strong fingernails is not only of benefit to your manicure, but there are some fingernail symptoms that may be a larger indication of having some health issues. There is one dermatologist at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, as well as a New York City dermatologist and also author of the Skin Rules, and both of them noted that there are actually some nail symptoms that you mustn’t ignore.

You can find here about the most common health warnings that your fingernails will show you. 

Yellow nails

As Web MD has noted, the yellow nails is one of the most common warning sign that your fingernails will give, and they have added that one of the most common reasons of yellow nails is a fungal infection. In a few cases, they also say that it might show a more serious condition as for example a thyroid disease, lung disease or diabetes. Doctor Anthony has moreover stated that the yellow nails can be as well a cause from smoking which strains the nails, so maybe you will want to quit that if you notice your nails are constantly yellow, he furthermore added.

Cracked or brittle nails

 Doctor Jailman has moreover noticed that, cracked or brittle nails may be a sign that the nail plate is very dry and having cracked or brittle nails are very often correlated to thyroid disease. He explained that hypothyroidism may in some case cause this side effect as well. This one is a condition where the thyroid is not producing enough hormones.

Pitted nails:

Pitting your nail is as a result of the defective development of the layers of the nail plate and moreover it is usual for those who are suffering from psoriasis. They had said that nail pitting may affect for up to 50% of the people that are suffering from this sickness and it is a suggestion that if you are experiencing pitting or some dents in your nails, you shall immediately talk to your doctor.

Ridged nails:

Anthony has added that the reason why people will notice horizontal ridges on the nails is because  there may exist some direct trauma to the nail or maybe it can be a cause of some more serious sickness in which case you are going to notice it on more than only  one nail, and so furthermore he added that the reason this can happen is that your body is working overtime because it tries to fight the sickness so it is saving energy for the rest of the body that will need it more. What your body wants to say to you  is that the nails are not so important for energy.

Discolored or dark lines beneath

Having dark line or some discoloration on the nail may often be caused by melanoma, which is the most dangerous type of skin cancer. Anthony had said that melanoma that is coming  from the nail unit is very serious and it may as well cause a black line or stripe on your  nail, so if  you notice this you should immediately contact your doctor.

Bitten nails

Same as Medical Daily, the American Psychiatric Association’s diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) has put nail biting as one oft he symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder, but, this is not suggesting that everyone who bites their nails has this disorder. Doctor Jailman notes that when this habit becomes excessive, you shall definitely talk to your doctor.

Bluish nails

If your nails are becoming bluish, it may be a sign that the body may not be getting enough oxygen as needed, and there are a  few causes that are possible for this, so it may indicate lung problems but heart problems as well. Just in case you notice this is happening on a continuous basis, please talk to your doctor.

White spots

There exists a myth that is going around and that is that white spots on nails means calcium deficiency, but Anthony has explained to us that this is not always the case, so he further explained that having white spots are not as much significant because they are often a result of experiencing some trauma such as hitting your finger against something.