Nail examination
The visual appearance of the fingernails and toenails may suggest an underlying systemic disease. Examination of nail is important physical examination during the detail history taking of patient. A experienced medical practioner take a good look at your fingernails and you may notice subtle variations in the texture or color – a touch of white here, a rosy tinge there, perhaps some rippling or bumps in the surface. These gives the valuable clues about your health condition.
Your nail suggest warning signs for many other conditions, from hepatitis to heart disease, may also appear in the nails. Changes in the nails can be a sign of a local disease like a fungus infection or a sign of a systemic disease like lupus or anemia. Commonly you can guess if a person has anemia by looking at his or her nails. The symptoms if pale, whitish nail beds may indicate a low red blood cell count consistent with anemia. An iron deficiency can cause the nail bed to be thin and concave and have raised ridges.
The nails offer many little clues to what’s going on inside you. Lupus patients get quirky, angular blood vessels in their nail folds. Psoriasis also starts in the nails up to 10% of the time” and causes splitting and pitting of the nail bed. Heart disease can turn the nail beds red. Obsessive-compulsive disorder can show up in the nails through persistent nail-biting or picking. Even common disorders like thyroid disease can cause abnormities in the nail beds, producing dry, brittle nails that crack and split easily. He lists the following 10 examples of nail changes that could indicate a serious medical condition. you should be concious about the changing occuring in your nails condition.
Information available from examination of the fingernails
- Overall vitality
- Inner emotional state
- Cerebral dominance
- Occupations and hobbies
- Medical history
- Nutritional status
- Cardiovascular function
- Kidney disease
- Liver disease
- Rheumatic conditions
- Dermatological problems
| 10 Possible Signs of Serious Conditions | |
| Nail Appearance | Associated Condition |
| White nails | Liver diseases, such as hepatitis |
| Yellowish, thickened, slow-growing nails | Lung diseases, such as emphysema |
| Yellowish nails with a slight blush at the base | Diabetes |
| Half-white, half-pink nails | Kidney disease |
| Red nail beds | Heart disease |
| Pale or white nail beds | Anemia |
| Pitting or rippling of the nail surface | Psoriasis or inflammatory arthritis |
| “Clubbing,” a painless increase in tissue around the ends of the fingers, or inversion of the nail | Lung diseases |
| Irregular red lines at the base of the nail fold | Lupus or connective tissue disease |
| Dark lines beneath the nail | Melanoma |
