Nails tell a lot about your health

Nails tell a lot about your health

Every limb of the body is a mirror of how health you are.  Similarly, nails can offer an important glimpse into your overall health. Having strong and healthy nails isn't just good news for your manicure—unpleasant nail symptoms could also indicate bigger health problems.  Health specialists and experts have written extensively on how to take care of nails and how nails reflect on the health condition.  Some of the health issues that can be identified from nails are given below:

Cracked, Dry or Brittle Nails

Soft, brittle nails can occur from dryness on the nail plate, say experts.  The problem can arise from swimming, overuse of nail polish remover, frequent dishwashing without gloves, or just from living in a low-humidity environment etc. Consult your doctor if problem persists for a long time.  Try slathering them with a super-moisturizing lotion to soothe cracked nails. Like your skin, nails are absorbent, and lotion can prevent them from drying out in the future. If that doesn't help, you can also try taking biotin, an over-the-counter nutritional supplement that promotes healthy nail growth, say experts.

Yellow Nails

This can happen naturally with age and can sometimes be due to nail lacquers or acrylic nails.  If you often wear acrylic nails or paint your nails and are having this problem, try taking a break from the salon and give nails a chance to recover. Another possible cause is smoking, which can stain nails and give them a yellowish hue.

White Spots

Many believe that white spots on nails suggest calcium deficiency, but this isn't typically the case: "Usually, those white spots are not very significant”, says an expert. "They're often the result of minor trauma, such as if you whack your finger against something, and aren't generally to do with calcium", it is said.

Clubbing

It can happen so slowly, so gradually, that many people are unaware of the changes taking place in their fingernails until the new appearance jolts them into awareness.  It is a glum picture: The fingernails are curved downward, feel soft when pressed, and the tips are swollen. Nail clubbing could be a warning sign of a serious condition too.  The nail become red, sponge-like, and swollen, almost like tiny balloons.  As per experts, this can sometimes be a sign of liver or kidney disease.  If you spot this problem, consult your doctor. 

Vertical Ridges

This is usually a normal sign of aging.  Just like wrinkles on your face, you also get lines on your nails as you age.

Horizontal Ridges

Beau’s lines are horizontal ridges or dents in one or more of your fingernails or toenails and are a sign that an illness, injury or skin condition interrupted your nail growth.  "This is typically the result of direct trauma to the nail or a more serious illness, in which case you'll see it on more than one nail at a time", say doctors. When your body is working overtime to combat an illness, it saves its energy for the important stuff. Horizontal lines across the nail plate can also be caused by a drug reaction, for example if the patient recently had chemotherapy.

Severely Bitten Nails

Nail-biting is a common habit, but if it's excessive—say, constant biting or picking at the skin around the nails—it could be a sign of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Sometimes psychiatric medicine is required to treat OCD-related nail biting.

Pitting

If nails are covered with pits or dents, it could be a sign of psoriasis.  Consult your doctor.

“Spoon” Nails

"Spoon" nails refer to a very thin nail which has become concave in shape. "This is usually a sign of iron deficiency anaemia. It can be treated with iron supplements in consultation with doctors." Extremely pale nails could also be a sign of iron deficiency anaemia.

Dark Stripes

If you have black discoloration on your nails, such as black streaks, or a painful growth on the nail, see your doctor immediately. Melanoma that comes from the nail unit is serious, and can sometimes cause black lines or stripes to appear on the nail.