Signs that your Nails may be Telling You

There are several causes of an abnormal colour, texture and structure of fingernails.

There are several causes of an abnormal colour, texture and structure of fingernails. Though we may fashion the nails with various colours we should not ignore the changes in the colour and texture of our nails as they may be tell tale signs of serious complications. Do not bite or tear at the nails, keep the nails dry and clean. Changes in your nails may be a sign of a systemic disease or malnutrition and you would need to consult withyour physician in such case.

1. Pallor- The level of iron stores in the body is reflective in the mucosa as well as the nail bed. A pale nail bed is an indication that an individual is anemic (iron deficiency anemia) and the reverse is true that a very pink nail bed may reflect adequate iron stores.
2. Increased- nail plate curvature longitudinally and transversely with thickening of the distal phalanx (tip of the finger)- takes the shape of a upside down spoon and is called clubbing. This may be as a result of congenital heart disease; this is a heart disease that one is born with. It may also be due to certain cancers such as lung cancer, Hodgkin’s disease etc. There are also other gastrointestinal diseases that may present with these changes in the nails and these include cirrhosis of the liver and ulcerative colitis.
3. Spoon shaped nails (koilonychias)- This is a reverse curvature of the nail and may be due commonly to thyroid disease and malnutrition.