Post 92

Fingernail Symptoms & Disorders

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Fingernails are a window to our bodies’ health.  When fingernails begin to change in shape, color, or texture, this indicates a change in your internal health.  It may take years for this to develop and often we overlook these changes until they become unsightly or painful.  When our nails change, it can indicate the development of a disease or disorder somewhere within our body.  For example, your fingernails may look more “white” than they used to in an abnormal way.  This can be anemia or the start of kidney problems.  It you start developing splits in your fingernail tips or pitted brown spots, you may have psoriasis.  If you have white fingernails but also have an obvious pink band near the tips under the nails, you may have liver problems or in some cases the beginning of cirrhosis of the liver.  If your blood is not circulating properly, a nail symptom is an abnormal thickening of the entire nail. The body is miraculous and long ahead of crisis it sends out warning signals for our attention.

Fingernails are comprised of protein, keratin, and sulfur.  See POST 28 to read about organic sulfur, which is also known as DMSO2.  Sulfur being lost in our soil is causing many health problems in America.  This Post will help you understand its role and how this may be affecting you adversely even if you are unaware.   The following symptoms may reveal disease, disorder or simply nutritional deficiency.  If you feel you need medical attention be sure to see your doctor for a diagnosis.

• Yellow Nails

Liver, lung & bronchial, diabetes, lymph system.  Generally the nails turning yellow occurs years prior to a disorder and acts as a warning. Nails do also yellow when we get up there in age.

• Flat, Dark, Thin, Nails

Flat dark nails are also thin, and they can be spoon shaped—indicates a B12 deficiency.  A spoon shaped nail starts to indent in the middle forming a bowl-like appearance and can hold a drop of water.

• Half and Half Nails

Half white and half red.  White portion indicates possible circulatory disease or impaired circulation, brownish portion indicates liver or kidney disease

• Brown Line Across the Tips Under Nail Tips

Renal or liver disease, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, congestive heart failure, White portion indicates decreased vascular supply to nail bed, edema, and anemia, a brown band at the edge of the nail indicates renal failure or renal disease. If the other symptoms exist but the brown band is missing, this suggests hepatic (liver) disease

• Transverse White Streak on an Isolated Single Nail

Renal failure, anemia

• Pink Band-Line Under Nail Tips

Nails appear white and basically normal but develop pink tips or bands under the nail at the tips–  this occurs in the aging, but also is a symptom of congestive heart failure, liver disease, diabetes, kidney disease, kidney failure

• Yellow Nails With Slow Growth and Thickening, Becoming Discolored

Respiratory disease, chronic bronchitis, lymphedema

• Spooned Nails (koilonychias)

Nails are become soft with an appearance of being scooped out with enough dip in the nail to hold a drop of liquid– indicates iron deficiency- anemia, hemochromatosis which means you are absorbing too much iron from foods, low thyroid metabolism, heart disease, ingrown nails, tumor under nail, protein deficiency, sulfur deficiency, Raynaud disease, exposure to petro chemicals.  Spooned Nails should be evaluated by a professional.

• Brittle Nails

Iron deficiency, impaired kidneys, thyroid disorder, and circulatory problems

• Brittle, Soft Nails, No Moon, with a Shine

Overactive thyroid or hyperthyroid

• Brittle, Soft Nails, No Moon, with a Shine, Nails Separates from Nail Bed

Thyroid disorder

• Brittle, Soft Nails, No Moon ,with a Shine, Nails Separate from Nail Bed, Form Ridges in the Nails

Thyroid disorder, infection

• Ridged Bumpy Nails

Thyroid disorder

• Indentations Under Cuticles and Across Nails

Indentation lines run across the nails are known as Beau’s Lines.  Indentations may develop under the cuticle from illness or injury.  Deep indentations, indicates erious disease.  Illnesses that have developed due to contraction of measles, pneumonia, scarlet fever, or mumps, uncontrolled or undiagnosed diabetes, zinc deficiency, peripheral vascular disease

• Nail Separation from Nail Bed

Nails are loose and separating from the bed with an off color of white, tan, yellow or green.  This can occur with injury to the nails or an internal infection.   It may indicate thyroid disease, or psoriasis.  It can also be a symptom of exposure to glues, adhesives, certain drugs or medications, and chemicals used for nail hardening.

• Soft, Bendable Nails

Rheumatoid arthritis

• Pitted Nails, Brown Spots, Split or Repetitive Splitting Nail Tips

Psoriasis

• Wide Square Nails

Hormonal disorders

• Cracked, Chipped, Soft and Easily Peeled Nails

Protein deficiency, mineral deficiencies

• Flat Nails With Cold Hands and Feet

Raynaud’s disease, circulatory deficiency affecting extremities, limbs.  May be mistaken for thyroid disease because of cold hands and feet

• Blue Nail Beds

Emphysema, respiratory obstruction

• Red Skin Surrounds Base of the Nail on the Fingers

May indicate a connective tissue disorder.   Red skin surrounding the nails may indicate connective tissue disorders such as;  lupus, scleroderma, polymyositis, erythematosus, dermatomyositis, Wegnener’s granulomatosis, and polyarteritis nodosa.  There are over 200 disorders involving connective tissue.  These disorders affect protein-rich tissue.  Examples of connective tissueare found in fat, bone, and cartilage.

• Nail Clubbing, Nails Widen and Curve Downward Over Finger Tips- Forms Over a Period of Years

Lung diseases, inflammatory bowel disease, liver disease, cardiovascular disease, AIDS, gastrointestinal disease, right heart failure, endocrine diseases

• Nails Appear as Hammered Brass

Progressive or tendency towards hair loss- partial or total

• White Spots on Nails

Zinc deficiency

• Pitting Nails, “Ice-Pick-Like Depressions” on Nails

Psoriasis, connective tissue disorders, autoimmune disease alopecia areata (hair loss), Reiter’s syndrome

• Yellowing, Deteriorating Nails on Multiple Fingers, Rough or Flaking Texture- Fungus

Systemic fungal and yeast infection, treated internal and external with high rate of reoccurrence

• Yellowing, Deteriorating Nails on Limited Fingers—Rough Flaking, Peeling Texture- Fungus

A more rare type of systemic fungal and yeast infection often associated with exposure to mold, discoloration starts at the tip under the nail and spreads to affect the entire single fingernail,  it must be treated both internal and external.  It has a high rate of reoccurrence.  A more common type that develops where the nail plate separates from the nail bed, yet inflammation is minimal or nonexistent.  This may indicate psoriasis, eczema, exposure to toxic solvents, use of tetracycline antibiotic, autoimmune disease, or contact dermatitis.

• Pitting

Psoriasis, eczema, lichen planus, reactive arthritis

• Nail Colors

Pink or Red—  malnutrition, carbon monoxide poisoning

White-–  anemia, cirrhosis, diabetes mellitus, cirrhosis, kidney failure, side effect of chemotherapy

Brown-Gray-–  diabetes mellitus, breast cancer, lichen planus, syphilis, B12 deficiency, cardiovascular disease, melanoma

Green or Blackening—  chronic infection, topical damage from nail polish or preparations, trauma

• Transverse White Lies (Mees lines) Across Nails

Symptom of heavy metal toxicity or poisoning, arsenic or carbon monoxide poisoning, chemotherapy, malaria, leprosy, Hodgkin disease

• Brown Longitudinal Line-Ridge Through the Middle of the Nail From the Base to the Tip

Rheumatoid arthritis, lichen planus, peripheral vascular disease, myxoid cyst near the nail fold associated with osteoarthritis

• Brown Spots at the Tip Under the Nail

These are blood spots and are brown or reddish-brown which are associated with trauma to the nail or a symptom of kidney disease, kidney failure, trichinosis (from pork), psoriasis

• Temporary Cessation of Nail Growth

Nail stops growing and forms a line (Beau lines) transversely across the nail plate.  The old nail extends to the tip of the finger, but new nail stops across the plate and growth cessation occurs.  This happens sometimes when taking doses of immunosuppressive drugs or chemotherapy, or may also indicate a severe zinc deficiency.  The depth of the lines indicates the severity of the illness.  It may affect a single nail or multiple nail plates.

• Longitudinal Brown Lines Across the Nail Plate

Addison disease, breast cancer, melanoma

• Yellow Nails Without Appearance of Fungus

Dermatitis resulting from nail polish, heart disease, lichen planus, symptom of a narrowing and constriction of the carotid artery (sides of neck) caused most often by atherosclerosis

• Large Moon at Base-Root of Nail, Especially the Thumb

Anemia, systemic malnutrition, may result from injury due to excessive manicure or from injury to the nail.  Indicates need for full blood screen panel

• Lunula (moon shape at the base) Abnormalities

Pale Blue Lunula–  diabetes mellitus

Pyramidal Lunula Shape–  injury or excessive manicure/injury

Redish Lunula-  cardiovascular disease, blood disease-malignancy, collagen vascular disease

Missing Lunula–  full blood screen panel recommended, serious health condition may exist

A sudden or progressive change in normal nail health indicates something changing in your body chemistry or the development of disease.  If you are noticing unusual or troubling signs in your fingernails, see your health care professional for diagnosis or evaluation.