Do you nervously bite your fingernails or tear your hangnails apart? Look a little closer – your fingernails might be telling you something about your health. Certain nail conditions are considered to be strong indicators of imbalance and disease, so take a deeper look beneath the nail polish.
Thick, slow-growing, yellow nails. Any condition that causes your nails to grow more slowly may cause yellow nails, so don’t jump to conclusions, but this condition often points to a respiratory disease like chronic bronchitis or emphysema. Of course, if you have a major respiratory problem, you probably have difficulty breathing and don’t need your fingernails to tell you! Definitely see a doctor right away, though, if you’ve been suffering from yellow nails.
Pitted, rippled, or crumbling nails. These problems are usually caused by psoriasis (scaly patches on your skin) or inflammatory arthritis. Reducing inflammation triggers with diet, exercise and stress management is vital. (Avoid sugar and alcohol for starters.)
Clubbed nails. If your fingertips have enlarged and your nails are starting to curve around them, this is an indicator of low oxygen levels in your blood and is sometimes caused by various lung diseases.
Spooned nails. These are nails that are white and look scooped out and are an indicator of anemia – iron deficiency. Very white nail beds also point to anemia. Anemia is common in women, but there are a number of natural tricks for boosting your blood health.
Indentations that run across your nails occur when growth at the cuticle is disrupted by injury or serious illness. Some illnesses that can cause this are malnutrition, high fever, circulatory diseases and uncontrolled diabetes. If it’s not a one-time case of slamming your finger in the car door, see a doctor to determine if there is an underlying issue.
Red nail beds might be pointing to heart disease. Get 90 minutes of cardio exercise weekly, avoid all inflammatory foods (such as red meat and fried food and soda), quit smoking if you do, and watch the stress!
Loose fingernails separating from the nail bed might indicate thyroid disease, drug reactions or something as simple as an allergy to nail hardeners or acrylic nails.
Remember, you can’t diagnose an illness just by looking at your nails, but they can give you some clues. If you’re worried about something, do more research and don’t be afraid to consult with a health care professional.
Source: Mayo Clinic
Image: Victor Bezrukov