WHAT DOES YOUR NAILS SAY ABOUT YOUR HEALTH?
Your nails are hard surfaces that are meant to protect the tips of your fingers and toes. Your nail can reveal more than you think. Nails are the visible part of your body that can provide certain significant hints about your health condition. Problems in the liver, heart and lungs can show up in your nails. For knowing the signs and symptoms upon your nails which might be due to other health conditions, check out the following details.
Pale nails are common signs of aging. However pail nails can also be an indication of other serious health problems like:
- Congestive heart failure.
White nail along with a pink band at the top of the nail bed is called Terry’s nail. It may signify serious health conditions. In the base of your nails, if you have half-moon area is called lunula. When you have a terry nail, the lunula becomes indistinguishable. This symptom may indicate:
- Congestive heart failure
The most common causes of yellow nails is fungal infection. When the infection worsens, your nail might crumble or thicken and the nail beds may retract. One who smokes may also have yellow nails because of tobacco. Yellow nails may indicate health conditions like:-
The yellow nail syndrome (YNS) may occur in rare cases of severe lung disease with the swelling of lymphedema.
It isn’t your nails that are blue but it is your nail beds that has blue tint. It means that your body is not getting enough oxygen. It indicates lung problems like emphysema and also some heart diseases are associated with them.
One of the causes of getting blue nails is silver poisoning or argyria. Your nails beds have no skin pigment and it could be the first places where signs of silver deposits can be visible. Those who work with silver, silver miners and manufactures might get blue nails due to silver poisoning.
People with HIV can also have signs of blue nails. Also the people who take certain HIV medications might get blue nails as side effects.
Mechanics might sometimes get blue nails due to the exposure to oxalic acid that is used to clean radiators. Similarly the use of metal cleaners, paint removers or manufacturing dyes or inks may also develop blue nails in one who deals with it.
Cyanosis is a condition in which your skin beneath the nails, lips and feet turns bluish-purple due to lack of oxygen in the red blood cells. This is mainly caused by exposure to cold temperatures or abnormally high level of hemoglobin. Acute cyanosis could be a sign of medical emergency.
5. Split or cracked nails
Split or cracked nails are common in aged people. Brittle nails could be a sign of having thyroid disease. It might also be due to certain drugs or nutrient deficiencies. In such cases you might be recommended by your doctor to vitamin supplements like biotin, amino acids or certain minerals like zinc. The best medicine app in India enables you online purchase of vitamin supplements.
Rippled or pitted nails might be an early sign of inflammatory arthritis or psoriasis. Nail colour changes are also common with this condition, like nails can seem reddish or brown. It is also seen patients with dermatitis of the fingertips.
7. Dark lines beneath the nails
This condition can be confusing to diagnose just by examining. Hence it has to investigates soon of you have dark lines beneath your nails. They can be sometimes caused by one of the dangerous kind of skin cancer- melanoma.
8. Gnawed or chewed nails
The technical term for nail biting is onychophagia. Nail biting could be just a usual habit you have but sometimes it might be a sign oh suffering from persistent anxiety that needs treatment. It could be also associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
For better healthy fingernails and toenails, eat variety of whole food that contain vitamins, minerals and nutrients which are essential for your nails. Other than a good diet, you can avoid activities that keep your fingers soaked in water for long duration or exposure to certain chemicals and other items by wearing protective gloves. Also keep your hands feet clean by washing them frequently to avoid fungal infections. For buying medicines for infections, you can always opt to buy them from the best pharmacy in India.
