Nail appearance can open a myriad of information about your body's health. Sometimes, a number of may not know before. Healthy fingernails grow about 3.5 mm per month, and are affected by nutritional intake, medications, trauma, disease, and aging processes. If you notice a significant difference in your nails, including swelling, discoloration, or changes in shape and thickness of the nails, consult a doctor as soon as possible. The symptoms may be harmless and may disappear on its own, but may also indicate a particular health condition (eg, common nail problems experienced by diabetics).
Below is a compilation of 12 finger nail appearances and its relation to your health.
- Yellow nails
Common yellow nails are caused by aging and routine use of nail polish. Smoking also leaves yellowish stains on the surface of your fingernail.If your fingernails are thick, brittle, and yellowish, the main cause is a yeast infection.Very rarely, yellow nails are indicative of thyroid disease, diabetes, psoriasis, or respiratory problems (chronic bronchitis or sinusitis). - Nails dry, cracked, or brittle
Soft and fragile nails are the effects of dry nail plate due to swimming, regular use of acetone, or being in a dry house environment. Brittle nails may also be caused by a deficiency of vitamin A, B, and C.Another cause is exposure to chemicals in the cleaning product (wash clothes or dishwashing without gloves) or aging. To fix this, apply a moisturizing hand cream. Although the texture is hard, the nail is an organ that easily absorbs fluid, just like skin. Use a hand moisturizer product that contains hyaluronic acid, glycerin or Shea butter. Or, the consumption of biotin pills, non-prescription supplements that support healthy nail growth.However, if this problem does not go away, consult your doctor. Sometimes, dry and fragile nails are one of the side effects of hypothyroidism. - Clubbing
Clubbing nails are a condition where the tissue under the nail is thickened and the fingertips are rounded and swollen. The tip of the nail grows inward direction following the shape of the fingertips.Clubbing is suspected as a result of increased blood flow to the fingertips, a derivative and harmless condition. But if you are suddenly aware of this disorder, clubbing can be a sign of lack of oxygen levels in the blood and associated with lung disease, cirrhosis, or cancer. Clubbing can also show signs and symptoms of liver, heart, kidney, or AIDS. If you are aware of this condition on your nails, consult a doctor. - White patches
White patches or spots on the surface of the nail are generally mild traumatic reactions, not because of the widely reported deficiencies of calcium.This is not a worrisome medical condition and will disappear by itself. But if white patches do not go away, maybe a fungal infection causes. - Horizontal white lines (Beau's lines)
Horizontal lines on the surface of the nail may be caused by trauma or disease followed by high fever, such as scarlet fever or pneumonia.This condition occurs due to the response system that delayed the growth of nails because the body prioritizes the recovery process to other problems that may be diidap by your body.These horizontal white lines can also be caused by psoriaris, uncontrolled diabetes, circulatory problems, severe iron deficiency, or reactions to certain drugs (such as chemotherapy). Horizontal but colored lines, called Meel's lines, are signs and symptoms of arsenic poisoning, Hodgkin's disease, malaria, leprosy, or carbon monoxide poisoning. - Vertical lines
Vertical lines are a natural sign of aging. These lines will become more visible as you get older and not include any medical conditions to worry about.In certain cases, the vertical line in the nail may be caused by B12 and magnesium deficiency. - Spoon nails (Koilonychia)
If your fingernails look like a spoon, the nail surface plates protrude inward and the edges grow outward, you may have iron-deficiency anemia, haemochromatosis (excess iron absorption), heart disease, lupus, Raynaud's disease, or hypothyroidism . - Hollow or curved nails
Small holes or uneven grooves on the surface of the nail can be a sign of psoriasis, eczema, Reiter syndrome, alopecia areata, or reactive arthritis. - Nails big toe and grow like a claw
Sometimes, toe nails can grow very quickly until thickened at the ends, and look like claws. Nails like this are difficult to cut with ordinary nail clippers. This condition is called onychogryphosis, common in elderly people or as a reaction to long-term stress on toenails. - The nails are blackened
Nails that look blackened because there is blood on the skin underneath, it is usually a wound aka trauma caused by injury. But if the black color does not come from the skin beneath the nail, but directly on the surface of the nail itself, and followed by painful nail growth, this could be a sign of melanoma, the most deadly skin cancer. Immediately consult your doctor if you encounter this problem Generally, subungual melanoma affects only one nail. In addition, melanoma also causes the black lines to change (for example, blackened or wider) and this pigmentation can also affect the skin of the fingers around the nail. - White nails and tanned
Half white and half brown nails (brown on the tips of fingers) can be a sign of kidney failure. Doctors have not been able to know exactly the relationship between the two, but one theory, kidney failure causes a chemical change in the blood that encourages melanin is released into the nail bed. There is also another possibility that renal failure causes an increase in the number of small blood vessels in the nail.It is estimated that up to 40% of kidney patients have this "half-half" nail condition. The same nail conditions are also shown by people with AIDS and cancer patients who run chemotherapy. - White nails
If your nail surface is white and is not caused by a nail that is detached from its base, it may be caused by a yeast infection or a sign of a lack of blood intake to the fingertips, aka Terry's nails.Terry's nails are a milky white nail condition with reddish or dark ends, as a result of liver cirrhosis, heart failure, liver, or kidney, diabetes, iron-deficiency anemia, chemotherapy reactions, hyperthyroidism, or malnutrition.nail changes indicate a bacterial infection or injury, but a number of other signs may refer to a more serious illness. The rate of nail growth can provide clues about your health condition that you