What the nails say about your health - Nigerian Tribune

• Written by  Blessing Ekum
• Saturday, 28 September 2013 00:00

Of all the parts of the body, one feature that can give a quick clue to one’s personality and some times, profession, is the nails. Think of the obsessive-compulsive nail biter (gnawed nails), the auto-mechanic (grease-stained nails), the gynaecologist (short and trimmed nails), the hygienic and refined (perfectly-manicured nails) and it becomes quite predictable.

 do our nails give a peek into our personality or profession, sometimes, they can be mirrors to the state of one’s health, providing pointers to health issues. A streak of black here, a depression there and some discolorations may be an indicator of disease in the body. Problems in the heart, liver, lungs, and even psychological disorders have been known to be indicated in the nails.
Unfortunately, most people do not take the time to observe while others hardly ever see their real nails as a result of constant use of artificial nails and nail polish.
This denies them the opportunity to notice the changes in colour, shape and texture of the nails. Though not every change implies a debilitating health condition, for instance, hitting the nail on a hard object would definitely affect the colour, it is important to take notice of these little changes. Moreover, nothing replaces a visit to a doctor for a proper diagnosis when you notice a change. The following are some secrets your nails might reveal:

White nails:
Healthy nails are usually pinkish in colour. When the nails go very pale, it could be a sign of some serious illness. The United Kingdom National Health Service state that white nails are likely to be either a fungal nail infection or a sign of decreased blood supply to the nail bed, known as “Terry’s nails.”
Terry’s nails are typically white with reddened or dark tips and can be a sign of a wide range of medical conditions, including liver cirrhosis (scarring and damage to the liver), liver, kidney or heart failure, diabetes, iron-deficiency anaemia, which is a reduced number of red blood cells due to a lack of iron in the body, an overactive thyroid or malnutrition

Yellow nails
A yellow nail is usually indicative of a fungal infection. As the infection worsens, the nail beds retract and the nails may thicken. According to experts, there are rare cases of yellow nails which may indicate a more serious condition such as severe thyroid disease, diabetes or psoriasis.

Rippled nails
A nail surface that is rippled or pitted is usually a sign of danger. The nails should normally be smooth to feel but when there are indentations on the nail bed, they should be observed for a while and if it doesn’t clear, it should be checked out by a doctor as it could be indicative of inflammatory arthritis or psoriasis. In a 2000 study carried out by Primary Care, it was discovered that between 10 and 50 per cent of patients with psoriasis had pitted nails.

Gnawed nails
Though gnawed nails are not indicative of a disease and are sometimes just a bad habit, but sometimes they can indicate a psychological disorder such as obsessive-compulsion or anxiety disorder.

Separated nails
Separated nails, a condition medically known as onycholysis, occur when the fingernails become loose and separate from the nail bed. Though detached nails are usually associated with injury or infection, there are cases where a reaction to a particular drug or product, such as nail hardeners, can be the cause. However, the 2004 edition of the journal, American Family Physician, reported that thyroid disease (hyperthyroidism, in which too much thyroid hormone is produced) and psoriasis have been linked to nail separation.

Split or cracked nails
Besides the after-effect of taking off acrylic nails as well as long-term exposure to water or chemicals such as detergents which could crack the nails, nails that frequently crack or split may be a sign of disease. In fact, dry nails that frequently crack or split have been linked to thyroid disease while those that come with a yellowish hue have been linked to a fungal infection.
With hypothyroidism or underactive thyroid, the thyroid gland doesn’t make enough thyroid hormone leading to a disruption in metabolic functions throughout the body including the delivery of moisture to the nails. Pale, dry skin and hair that may fall out are related signs.

Spoon nails
For those who have spoon nails, the nails look scooped out with a depression large enough to hold a drop of liquid. Known as koilonychia, they are often a sign of iron-deficiency anaemia or a liver condition known as hemochromatosis, (a condition in which the body absorbs too much iron from food) though there have cases that have been caused by trauma and constant occupational exposure of the hands to petroleum-based solvents. Spoon nails have also been associated with heart disease and hypothyroidism.

White lines
For a lot of children in this part of the world, white streaks on the nails are usually attributed to flying cattle egrets popularly known as lekeleke. For these kids, chanting a specially-composed song while the bird flies overhead would result to the bird giving them a “white finger.” While this may be harmless and a source of intrigue and fun for them, medical experts state that when there are stripes that extend horizontally across the nail, it could be indicative of a health concern. Known as Muehrcke’s lines, these horizontal white lines that span the entire nail, and appear on more than one nail might be an indication of kidney disease, liver abnormalities or a lack of protein and other nutrients in the blood.