It is no surprise that one’s eyes can tell you everything that is going on in a person’s head. It is said that through the eyes you can see the other person’s soul; however, did you know that you can tell about one’s health by simply taking a look at their nails?
Nails can tell you every single thing about a person’s health, even whether or not is he or she is suffering from any sort of disease.
Healthy nails aren’t just a requirement for a good manicure but you also require healthy nails in order to show that you’re actually healthy from the inside.
What do your nails tell about your health?
Yellow Nails
Have you got yellow nails? Well, this could be due to old age. However, if you’re not that old then it could also be due to nail paints as well. Now if you wear nail paints regularly, you might notice that your nails are turning yellow.
In order to get rid of this yellow hue, you need to give your nails some rest. Keep the nail paints or polish away for a couple of days and let the nails breathe.
Another reason why nails can turn yellow is due to smoking. Smoking can stain the nails and can make them yellow. Another most common cause of these yellow nails is a fungal infection.
If the infection worsens, the nail bed starts to retract, and the nails may also thicken and crumble. However, in some rare cases, people have yellow nails due to some sort of diseases such as a thyroid or lung disease, diabetes or even psoriasis.
Brittle Nails
If your nails are dry, cracked or brittle then there are a few reasons as to why they turn that way. Brittle nails could be due to dryness, and this could be due to swimming or excessive use of nail polish remover, dishwashing without using gloves, etc. Taking care of your nails and avoiding such activities for a while and help your nails regain health.
But, if this is an ongoing issue then it could be due to hypothyroidism. This is a condition in which the thyroid starts working too slowly and research shows that brittle nails are a symptom of such a condition.
Clubbed Nails
Most people suffer from clubbing yet none of them realize what it is. Clubbing nails are basically when the ends of your fingers swell up and your nail becomes curved or rounded. This sometimes is a symptom of liver or kidney disease and it is always better to get it checked out.
Blue Nails
Bluish tinted nails are due to the fact that your body isn’t receiving enough oxygen. Bluish nails often indicate lung problems, mainly emphysema, while there are some heart diseases as well that are associated with such tinted nails.
White Spotted Nails
Have you ever seen any white spots on your nail? Do you, just like almost everyone, believe that these white spots are due to calcium deficiency? Well, surprisingly they’re not!
These spots have nothing to do calcium these spots as they are a result of nail trauma. If you have whacked your finger against a table or something else then you are bound to see these white spots.
Ridged Nails
Many people have transverse or horizontal ridges on their nails. These ridges can be a result of either a direct nail trauma, a far more serious illness or it could be due to a drug reaction. If these ridges are due to a serious illness then you are bound to notice it on more than one nail.
Why do these ridges appear? Well, since your body is fighting against a serious illness it has better things to do than to grow your nails.
Hence the body stops the natural nail growth and saves energy for fighting off the disease instead. However, it could also be a result of a drug reaction especially if you have just had chemotherapy.
What do vertical ridges say about your health? Well these ridges are similar to wrinkles they are a normal sign of aging. So, there’s nothing for you to worry about.
Some other nail changes you should look out for:
Do you bite your nails? This is a very common habit amongst most people. However, if it gets out of hand then you might want to visit your doctor.
If you are constantly biting your nails and picking at the skin that surrounds the nail then it could be due to obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Usually, psychiatric recommended medicines help in treating OCD and can help one in getting rid of this habit.
If the skin around your nail appears to be red and puffy, it could be due to inflammation of the nail fold. This could be due to lupus or some other connective tissue disorder. There is also a chance that this inflammation is due to an infection.
Are your nails very thin and have they turned into a concave shape? Well, this sort of nail condition is known as Spoon.
Spoon nails are a sign of iron deficiency. If your anemic then you’ll be having spooned nails for sure. Extremely pale nails are also a sign of iron deficiency; however, you can treat this deficiency by taking iron supplements.
Nails having pits and dents are early signs of psoriasis or even inflammatory arthritis. If you have a pit on your nails you will notice that the skin under the nail has turned reddish-brown. Do visit your doctor immediately if such a condition occurs.
If you ever notice some sort of black discoloration on your nails or some blue streaks, or if you have some sort of painful growth on your nail visit your doctor immediately.
This could be due to Melanoma, and this is the most dangerous type of skin cancer that exists. Visit your doctor immediately!
While nails do let you on the secrets of one’s health, sometimes the nail changes that you witness are simply harmless.
Not everyone with pale nails is iron deficient. But if you are concerned about these changes then you can visit your dermatologist and find out what your fingernails say about your health.
