Nails aren’t just there for looks, but can also let you know a lot about your health. Nails are layers of keratin, a protein that’s also found in our skin and hair, and are made up of six parts. The nail plate is the hard, protective piece and the most visible part. They can even be the key to catching serious illnesses before it’s too late.
8 Warnings Sign Your Fingernails May Be Sending About Your Health
Ridges
Nails should have smooth surfaces with almost imperceptible lines. Obvious ridge lines are a signal that something is up with your body. Some of the most common conditions associated with heavy ridge lines are, Iron deficiency, Inflammatory arthritis, Lupus
Blue nails
If you find your nails suddenly have changed to a blue or purple tinge, it’s likely you have developed hypoxia, a lack of oxygen, often triggered by poor circulation to your feet, ears and hands. Impaired circulation is easily reversible and is not a serious health issue unless it goes untreated.
Thin brittle nails
Everyone breaks a nail, but if nails start to split at the lightest touch, it could be an indication of a thyroid disorder. This disorder, which affects your metabolism, also causes nails to grow slow and separate from the nail bed.
Brown nails
It can indicate a thyroid disease or malnutrition. Fingernails that are half white at the bottom and half brown near the tips can be a sign of kidney failure, AIDS or appear after chemotherapy.
Concave (Spoon) nails
Concave Spoon fingernails signal a number of internal issues. To be considered full spoons, nails will be soft and curve up, forming a dip that is often big enough to hold water. Spoon nails signal Iron deficiency, Hemachromatosis, Liver disorder, Heart disease, Hypothyroidism
White stripes
While dark striped nails usually indicate cancerous growth, white stripes are more commonly seen as indicative of a disorder. It usually indicates an imbalanced or innutritious diet, lacking in proteins. This problem can easily be resolved with an increase in proteins rich foods such as fish, quinoa, nuts, seeds and lean meats.
Yellow nails
Usually yellow nails are a sign of an unpleasant fungal infection and it’s advisable to purchase anti-fungal tablets or a topical cream to treat this. You can also treat it with a more natural solution such as applying essential oils. Yellow nails can also be indicative of more serious illnesses namely a lung problem, such as fluid accumulation around the pleurae (a lung membrane) or emphysema.
Pale white nails
Ghostly pale nails beds are signs indicating anemia, a blood disorder that is characterised by having low iron in your blood. It also could point to liver or diabetes as both these illnesses can cause irregularity in blood flow.
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Specialities in Family health; autoimmune diseases; mental health; diabetes, cancer; fitness and nutrition.
