Well-groomed nails are certainly the business card of each of us, but apart from that, we learn a lot of interesting information about our health from their shape, color and structure. They are a kind of visible probe into the interior of the organism. What can we learn from them and how should we behave?
Changes in the appearance of nails can be considered a cosmetic problem, but in reality it is a clear signal of deeper health complications. It can be a lack of certain nutrients, but it can also be a disease of the liver, heart, lungs and other organs, which for the time being do not show outwardly in any other way. Therefore, if we pay due attention to seemingly insignificant details, we can prevent problems with often fatal consequences.
Nails are a decoration and a clear sign that something fishy is going on:
They grow very slowly
When monitoring the condition of the nails, it is necessary to realize that they grow really slowly, and therefore every unpleasant event in the organism affects them will show up after a few weeks. We should place all the more emphasis on such changes – what began to manifest a month ago may already be in the next and even more dangerous phase. So what should we definitely not overlook?
White spots? Check the liver
The most noticeable are probably the color changes of the so-called nail plate, or places where the nail connects to the finger. If white spots appear at the base of the nail, but its tips remain dark, it may be a problem with or liver. But if the nails turn white along their entire length, the game is even an advanced stage of cirrhosis.
Mold appears yellow
The yellow color of the nails is usually a manifestation of a fungal infection, which is not pleasant, but it is not an unsolvable problem. In exceptional cases, doctors may also worry about lung diseases. If it appears on the nail bed blue tone (so-called cyanosis), the body warns us of a lack of oxygen. Whether it is a circulatory problem or a lung disease, medical intervention is definitely necessary.
Watch out for the dark line
So far, the mentioned color changes mainly concerned the nail bed, but unfortunately there is one more option – and that is a dark line stretching along the entire length of the nail (so it grows together with the nail). Although it may be a harmless pigment trifle, another option is melanomathe most aggressive type of skin cancer.
Also watch for changes in shape
Color is not the only thing we should watch on our nails. If it appears club toes, where the nails are wide and arched (the ends of the fingers also enlarge at the same time), this is a classic symptom lack of oxygen and lung diseases. But the doctor will certainly also make sure that it is not a heart or digestive problem.
Spoon-shaped nails and the thyroid gland
Opposite the bulging nail of the mallet finger here they are lapsed nails that indicate iron deficiencypossibly to reduced activity of the thyroid gland. Transverse grooves that appear across the entire width of the nail (so-called Beau’s lines), arise either because of a severe acute illness, or during great stress, malnutrition, or as a reaction to the effects of certain drugs. After the mentioned factors disappear, the growth of the nail returns to normal.
Are you at risk of alopecia?
We shouldn’t forget either small pits, fine stipplingwhich can appear in different places of the nail. In the case of such a finding, it will probably be a person with psoriasis or alopecia. These diseases are also visibly manifested on other parts of the body – typically in the hair and elsewhere on the skin.
The doctor will give the best advice
So what can we take from the previous list? Changes on the nails are definitely not an insignificant detail and any discrepancy should be consulted with a doctor. A change in diet, cosmetics, and sometimes even the work environment will probably do everything. But don’t be lulled into thinking that nothing is happening – this way you will prevent possible very serious health problems.
