Nail health warning signs you shouldn't ignore: Expert advice
5:18 PM EDT, July 27, 2024
Nails tell a lot about our health. Sudden changes in their appearance should prompt us to visit a doctor. What do different types of ridges, lines, and color changes in the nail plate mean? An internist explains.
Dr. Bhavini Shah, writing for WalesOnline, warns about signs of diseases that appear on the nails. Although it is normal for them to become more brittle with age, there are specific changes that a specialist should examine.
You should also consult a doctor if the skin around the nail becomes painful, red, swollen, and itchy, as this may indicate an infection, emphasizes the internist.
Seven alarming changes. When you notice them, go to a doctor
Spoon nails
When there are significant iron deficiencies in our bodies, leading to anemia, nails take on a shape similar to a spoon. In this case, the nail plate bends inward. Dr. Bhavini Shah, speaking to WalesOnline, emphasized that this symptom often appears in women after pregnancy when iron levels drop significantly. Other symptoms of anemia include headaches, pale skin, shortness of breath, and persistent fatigue.
Split nail tips and irregular plate
Are the tips of your nails delicate, splitting, breaking, and the plate wrinkled and changing color? It is very likely that you have hyperthyroidism. This organ produces excessive amounts of hormones, which affects our health.
Brittle nails
Nails that break easily, split, and grow slowly with white lines on the plate may be symptoms of hypothyroidism, which produces too few hormones.
Red/purple lines
If you haven't hit your nail, but you see red or purple lines underneath, it could be a sign that you have heart disease.
White nails
If you notice that most of your nail is white, see a doctor. According to Dr. Shah, this is a symptom indicating potential liver problems, especially if accompanied by loss of appetite, yellow skin, and fatigue without an apparent reason.
Small indentations
Indentations and pits in the nails can be signs of skin conditions such as psoriasis or alopecia areata. In the case of eczema, the skin becomes dry, cracked, itchy, and painful.
Horizontal lines
Deep lines or grooves on the nails are known as Beau's lines. This temporary nail growth disorder is usually caused by severe illness or infection. In some people, Beau's lines developed after having COVID-19, explains Dr. Shah in WalesOnline.
These symptoms can also occur when our overall health is not the best. Be sure to consult a doctor then.
