What Your Nails Say About Your Health (2024)

FAQs

What illness can you tell from your nails? ›

Iron deficiency or overproduction may cause the nail bed's center to look like it had been scooped out, a condition known as spoon nails. Cardiovascular, pulmonary and gastrointestinal problems may also appear in the nails as curves around an enlarged fingertip, known as clubbing.

Terry's nails is a type of nail discoloration. The nailbeds look “washed out,” except for a thin reddish-brown strip near the tip. Often, Terry's nails is a symptom of a chronic condition, such as liver failure or diabetes. Sometimes, it is a sign of aging.

Healthy nails are strong with pink nailbeds, but problems — such as white spots, ridges, thickening and changes to nail color or texture — are common.

Nail changes in vitamin B₁₂ deficiency present as hyperpigmentation of nails like bluish discoloration of nails, blue-black pigmentation with dark longitudinal streaks, and longitudinal and reticulate darkened streaks. The nail pigmentation associated with B₁₂ deficiency is more frequent in patients with dark skin.

In some people with diabetes, the nails take on a yellowish hue and become brittle. This is often associated with the breakdown of sugar and its effect on the collagen in nails. In certain cases, this yellowing of nails can be a sign of a nail infection.

Your nails can develop concave or spoon-shaped dents if you have kidney disease. They may have a yellow overcoat or an unnatural white and red-brown coloration that divides the nail in half. Plus, they can become brittle or detach from the skin, which can signify chronic renal failure.

Blue nails may indicate that the blood is not carrying enough oxygen to the fingertips. There are many possible causes, including heart and lung diseases. Anyone with blue nails should seek medical advice. In some cases, fingernails turn blue or purplish because of cyanosis, which can also affect the lips and skin.

White Nails: On the other extreme, the nails are a bright white with darker edges; this can be a sign of liver problems such as jaundice or hepatitis. Yellowish Nails: Yellow-colored nails can indicate fungal infection, psoriasis, diabetes, lung disease, or severe thyroid conditions.

This article therefore helps clinicians to find the right treatment of the 5 most common nail disorders (brittle nails, onycholysis, paronychia, psoriasis, and onychomycosis) and provides practical tips that might improve patients' compliance.

What Colour are nails with kidney disease? ›

People who have advanced kidney disease can develop: A white color on the upper part of one or more nails and a normal to reddish brown color below, as shown here (half-and-half nails) Pale nails. White bands running across one or more nails (Muehrcke's nails)

When your body lacks calcium, your nails become thinner, weaker, and brittle. You may notice that they break easily and just don't look as healthy as they used to. Although nails and bones are made up of different substances, they're similar enough that poor nail health may be an early marker of bone density problems.

Hapalonychia (soft nails) has been associated with deficiencies of vitamins A and D among other causes. Longitudinal melanonychia of the nail plate has been reported in vitamin D deficiency.

Zinc deficiency can cause Beau's lines and white spots on your nails.

Some changes in your nails are due to medical conditions that need attention. See your doctor if you have any of these symptoms: discoloration (dark streaks, white streaks, or changes in nail color) changes in nail shape (curling or clubbing)

Koilonychia is an abnormal shape of the fingernail. The nail has raised ridges and is thin and curved inward. This disorder is associated with iron deficiency anemia. Leukonychia is white streaks or spots on the nails often due to drugs or disease.