Can Fingernails Problems Be A Sign Of Health Conditions?

I remember when I was little my mother used to look at my fingernails every day.

I thought that she wanted to see if they are clean, but she also had another reason – to see if they look ok or if they indicate health problems.

Believe it or not, it is a scientifically proven fact that unhealthy fingernails can be a sign of deficiencies and even diseases of the major organs.

Here are some of the most common ones:

1. Yellow nail syndrome.

The normal color of the fingernails is the pinkish one. This means that the fingernail is transparent and that the skin behind it is a healthy pink one.

When the fingernail becomes yellowish it can be affected by this syndrome which is a consequence of respiratory problems. One of the most frequent problems can be the bronchitis.

2. Depressions in the nails.

Also known as nail pitting, these depressions are not only unaesthetic but they can also be clues of a possible psoriasis. This condition has many facets, but the nail pitting is just one sign that should make you a little bit worried.

3. Fingernails that are excessively enlarged and curved.

There are some people, especially older ones who seem to have what is called nail clubbing. This means that the nail becomes larger especially at the extremities and has a tendency to become overly curved.

There are a number of health conditions that can have this fingernails problem as a symptom, but the most frequently met ones have to do with liver, heart, lung or bowel diseases.

4. White spots on the nails.

This is one of the most frequently met fingernails problems and people associate it with calcium or zinc deficiencies. The truth is that anemia is just one of the possible causes of the white spots, but the most probable one is trauma to the nail.

These spots seem to appear overnight, but the truth is that if they are caused by a trauma to the finger, it might take days or even weeks until the spot becomes visible, that is until the nail grows. This is not something that should have you worried too much, but there are some health conditions that can cause the spots, like heart problems, diabetes or even problems of the kidneys.

There are many other fingernails problems like the spoon nails, deep lines that cross the nails horizontally or loose nails that eventually separate from the finger and fall off, that should definitely not be ignored.

They are most of the times either the result of a severe trauma or a health condition that needs to be treated by a specialist. Even in the case of small problems, if they persist it is advisable to see a physician.

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