Your nails could reveal more information about your health than you realize.
Eastern and Traditional Chinese Medicine view nails as energy levels and blood health indicators.
Most nail color and texture changes are typically regular; however, if something concerns you, it’s worth discussing with your physician.
Yellow Nails
Yellow nails may result from many causes, from nail polish stains to smoking. Still, suppose their hue darkens significantly, or they start crumbling. In that case, you should seek medical advice immediately, as it could indicate a fungal infection or more severe conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, respiratory illness, or thyroid.
Yellowing of nails is a telltale sign of diabetes or psoriasis. Additionally, this symptom often appears among smokers or individuals exposed to certain chemicals, drugs, or toxins.
If a fungal infection causes the yellowing, oral prescription medications like Terbinafine (Lamisil) or Itraconazole (Sporanox) may help clear it up quickly. You could also try applying natural antifungals like tea tree oil on nails and skin; just be sure to read and follow all directions from its label carefully!
Horizontal ridges, commonly called Beau’s lines, should not be cause for alarm; however, frequent instances could indicate chronic conditions such as psoriasis, dermatitis, or psoriatic arthritis. Vertical ridges caused by nail varnish or nail fungus should not cause alarm unless other symptoms appear, such as brittleness or crumbling of nails.
Healthy nails should be firm with transparent, light colors. Brittle nails could indicate liver or energy imbalance; we must identify its source and appropriately address it as quickly as possible.
Dark Lines Under the Nails
Dark lines under nails that don’t appear elsewhere could be an early indicator of subungual melanoma, an aggressive form of skin cancer with potentially lethal outcomes. Sometimes, black lines under nails may signal serious health problems like heart disease or diabetes, but such cases are relatively rare. Most commonly caused by injury or illness damage to blood vessels under nails known as “splinter hemorrhages,” however, they could also indicate Raynaud’s disease or subungual melanoma – all severe health concerns worth noting.
If you notice black lines under one of your nails, you must seek medical advice immediately. Dark lines under the nails could be an early indicator of multiple health conditions – including psoriasis, hypothyroidism, and lupus. However, treatment depends on its underlying cause; medications and lifestyle modifications could provide effective solutions.
Thinner black lines under nails, known as splinter hemorrhages, may indicate blood vessel injuries under the nail bed. More comprehensive black lines forming horizontal stripes within a staple are called Beau’s lines and may or may not be harmless. Black lines under nails could also indicate subungual melanoma cancer – more dangerous than other melanomas and capable of spreading to other body parts.
Concave nails (or spoon nails), which appear scooped out of the nail bed, may indicate an underlying health problem. Hollow nails may indicate conditions like lupus, scleroderma, hypothyroidism, and psoriasis, as well as kidney diseases such as end-stage renal disease or a change in the size of the lunula (white half-moon shape at the base of the nail that grows larger as the fingernail grows and decreases at pinkie) due to disease which results in reduced blood albumin levels indicating low blood albumin levels within bloodstream indicating hypoalbuminemia – low blood albumin levels within the bloodstream).
Ridges in the Nails
Ridges are small, raised lines that may appear on your fingernails and toenails. These ridges may run vertically up and down or horizontally from side to side; typically, these occur as part of normal aging but could indicate an illness or condition. It’s best to consult your physician if ridges suddenly appear to make sure it’s nothing serious.
Several factors, including insufficient moisture or nutrition, may cause nail ridges. While in most cases, this shouldn’t be cause for alarm, it could become problematic if banks continue to appear even after taking steps to improve your nail health – for example, if you regularly cut or trim too short nails that no longer have enough room to grow out properly and develop into ridges as a result.
Under stress and anxiety, your nails may produce less natural oil, leading to ridged nails. To combat this problem, try applying nourishing oils such as olive or vitamin E oil regularly as a preventative measure while trimming them at least occasionally.
Beau’s lines, or horizontal ridges in your nails, should be taken seriously as a telltale sign that something more serious might be at play – they could indicate kidney disease, diabetes, or thyroid disease, as well as be indicative of certain infections such as the mumps or bacteria infections, according to Linder.
If your new horizontal ridges are accompanied by symptoms like thin nails or color changes, it is wise to consult a medical provider immediately. They’ll be able to identify its source and begin treating it so your nails return to their previous state.
Discoloration
Linder notes that most nails feature a white half-moon shape known as the lunula at their bases, which becomes larger on thumbnails and gradually reduces to pinkie nails. A change in this feature could signal an underlying disease; for example, if its color becomes pale or yellow, it could indicate thyroid conditions; similarly, a bluish tint may signify kidney disease, while entirely black or brown nails could indicate psoriasis or diabetes; again, any black appearance under nails might be from trauma, injury, bleeding under or it could even indicate cancer.
Dark lines on nails may also be an indicator of health problems. Vertically running dark lines that stop just before the cuticle could indicate melanomas; horizontally extending horizontal dark lines could indicate psoriasis; streaked nail colors could indicate either Hepatitis C or B infections, anemia, or tuberculosis; any change in their color suggests it’s best to visit a dermatologist as soon as possible. If the color of your nails changes suddenly, it is essential to see a dermatologist immediately for evaluation and possible medical advice.
Healthy nails should have pink or mauve hues with subtle white highlights and possess subtle shine, firmness, and no ridges or pits. If there is any change to their appearance or texture, they must see their doctor immediately – it could indicate infection or disease requiring immediate medical treatment.
Regular nails are an indicator of overall health. If you eat healthily, exercise regularly, and avoid nail biting, they should look normal. If their color or texture changes suddenly, visiting a physician immediately is essential, as their health chart can give valuable information about overall well-being.
