Warning Signs: 7 Things your nails say about your health
updated the 30 September 2015 à 18:37One of the smallest parts of our body speaks volumes about our health.
Our outward appearance is a reflection of our overall well-being. From your skin to your eyes, every part of your body has something to say about your health. Even our nails can be particularly expressive about our internal health.
Nails are made up of layers of keratin, the same protein found in hair and rhinoceros. The nail plate is the hard piece we often paint and it protects the soft nail bed underneath it. Your cuticles, which protect your nails from infections, gather at the base of your nail, where the white crescent shape, or the lunula is.
While they may seem to have a largely ornamental purpose, nails play an important role. They protect the tissues of fragile nail beds, scratch itches and are instrumental in untying knots. They can also be an early warning sign of illnesses or even poor nutrition.
However, do note that abnormal nail conditions are only part of the puzzle. A slight tinge on yellow doesn’t necessarily guarantee liver disease. Your body can go through many harmless changes, and is important to keep consult a physician if you are really concerned.
Yellow nails
When yellow nails are accompanied by the thickening of nails, it is a sure sign of a fugal infection. The stains can also come from frequent smoking. In rare cases, yellow nails may signal signs of liver disease or diabetes.
Blue nails
Nails with a bluish, purple tint often mean your body is lacking oxygen. This could indicate a range of oxygen-related problems such as asthma, pneumonia and other lung or heart problems.
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.
Pitted nails
Nails that have a series of pockmarks and grooves are commonly referred to as pitting. They are often linked to psoriasis (say ser-rye-uh-sis). This long-lasting chronic skin condition causes skin cells to build up rapidly on the skin surface, resulting in the formation of thick red or white patches.
White horizontal stripes
White horizontal stripes that go across the nails, also known as Muehrcke’s lines, are an indication of low levels of protein in your blood. This could be due to poor nutrition or even liver and kidney disease.
Dark brown vertical stripes
If you notice a dark brown stripe that goes across your nail vertically are early signs of melanoma, a serious type of skin cancer. Consult a doctor immediately if you suspect so. However, do not that the appearance of dark pigment could have other causes such as trauma to the nail.
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.
Amanda Lim
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