💅 What Your Nails Can Reveal About Your Health

Nails: a window to your overall health

Dear health-consious friends,

Your nails aren’t just cosmetic — they can quietly reveal what’s happening inside your body. Changes in color, shape, or texture may point to nutritional deficiencies, infections, or even systemic disease.

Here are the most important nail changes doctors watch for — and what they might mean.

1️⃣ Pale or White Nails

Unusually pale or white nails can be linked to:

• Anemia (most common)

• Low protein levels

• Rarely, heart or liver disease

👉 If you also feel tired, cold, or dizzy, a simple blood test is worth considering.

2️⃣ Yellow Nails

Often caused by fungal infections, but sometimes associated with:

• Chronic lung disease

• Thyroid disorders

• Psoriasis

Thick, brittle, slow-growing nails strongly suggest fungus.

3️⃣ Spoon-Shaped Nails (Koilonychia)

Nails that curve upward like a spoon may signal:

• Iron-deficiency anemia

• Hemochromatosis (iron overload)

• Thyroid disease

This is one of the clearest nail red flags in medicine.

4️⃣ Dark Vertical Lines Under One Nail

A single dark streak can be:

• A benign pigment band

• A mole under the nail

• Subungual melanoma (rare but serious)

⚠️ Rule: If it’s new, changing, uneven, or widening — get it checked urgently.

5️⃣ Beau’s Lines (Horizontal Grooves)

These deep lines form when nail growth temporarily stops, often due to:

• High fever or severe infection

• COVID, flu, pneumonia

• Uncontrolled diabetes

• Chemotherapy

Think of them as timestamps of physical stress.

6️⃣ Clubbing (Rounded, Bulbous Fingertips)

When fingertips enlarge and nails curve around them, doctors consider:

• Lung disease

• Heart disease

• Liver cirrhosis

• Inflammatory bowel disease

Clubbing is not subtle and always worth medical evaluation.

🩺 When You Should See a Doctor

Contact a healthcare professional if you notice:

• Sudden nail changes

• Pain, swelling, or pus

• Nails lifting from the nail bed

• Dark streaks that grow or change

• Persistent brittleness despite good nutrition

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🌱 How to Keep Your Nails Healthy

• Eat enough protein

• Ensure adequate iron, zinc, and biotin

• Wear gloves when cleaning

• Moisturize cuticles regularly

• Don’t rip off gels or acrylics

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Stay healthy,

Dr. Joanna

AskADoc Team