Nail clubbing is when your nails appear wider, spongelike or swollen, like an upside-down spoon. Clubbed nails are often a sign of a health condition that needs treatment, such as lung cancer. Treating the underlying condition may help nails return to normal. Appointments 216.444.5725.
Onychogryphosis is a condition where the nail becomes overgrown and thick, often affecting the big toe. It can cause one portion of the nail to grow longer than the other part.
Did you know your nails can reveal clues to your overall health? A touch of white here, a rosy tinge there, or some rippling or bumps may be a sign of disease in the body. Problems in the liver, lungs, and heart can show up in your nails.
Ridges in your nails may be age-related. Horizontal ridges, also known as Beau's lines, that run across the nail indicate that your nail growth slowed or stopped and that it could be related to a health condition. Common causes include high fever, vitamin deficiency, injury, diabetes and peripheral vascular disease.
Terry's nails is a type of nail discoloration. The nailbeds look “washed out,” except for a thin reddish-brown strip near the tip. Often, Terry's nails is a symptom of a chronic condition, such as liver failure or diabetes. Sometimes, it is a sign of aging.
Nail clubbing is when a nail curves under at the tip of the finger. It could indicate heart disease, inflammatory bowel disease, lung disease, liver disease, thyroid disease, or HIV/AIDS.
"Stress makes it harder for our bodies to absorb the nutrients, so nail ridging, pitting, and shredding are all side effects that weaken the nail." It's also more than likely that you've reverted to nervous tics like biting or rubbing your nails, which Badouri says "causes more damage to the nail bed".
Nail changes.
People who have advanced kidney disease can develop: A white color on the upper part of one or more nails and a normal to reddish brown color below, as shown here (half-and-half nails) Pale nails. White bands running across one or more nails (Muehrcke's nails)
A white nail could signal cirrhosis, chronic renal failure or congestive heart failure. Lunula that have a blueish tint could suggest Wilson's disease, a rare inherited genetic disorder in which copper accumulates in the liver, brain and other organs. Red lunula may indicate heart failure, research shows.
In some people with diabetes, the nails take on a yellowish hue and become brittle. This is often associated with the breakdown of sugar and its effect on the collagen in nails. In certain cases, this yellowing of nails can be a sign of a nail infection.
Spoon nails (koilonychia) are soft nails that look scooped out. The depression usually is large enough to hold a drop of liquid. Often, spoon nails are a sign of iron deficiency anemia or a liver condition known as hemochromatosis, in which your body absorbs too much iron from the food you eat.
Various nail changes have been described in patients of liver cirrhosis including Terry's nails, leukonychia, dystrophic nails, onychorrhexis, as well as onycholysis and clubbing.
You could strain your fingers when you type with longer fingernails. Typing texts in your phone also takes longer. Artificial nails are prone to infection if worn too long. Using your hands to eat food when you have long nails can allow bacteria and other infectious agents to enter your system.
Subungual hyperkeratosis and brownish discoloration of the nail were the most common findings in patients with IBD.
The tips of the fingers enlarge and the nails become extremely curved from front to back. Clubbed fingers is a symptom of disease, often of the heart or lungs which cause chronically low blood levels of oxygen.
The skin and nails of patients with diabetes tend to take on a yellow hue, probably due to metabolism of glucose which has become linked to protein. This hue is most evident in the nails, especially distally, but occasionally evident in the skin.
Brittle, peeling nails also are a common side effect of stress. “Sometimes patients with nail problems are not aware that their habits or tics from being stressed out or nervous are at the root of their problem,” said Dr. Mayoral.
Effects of Stress on Nails
Nails require protein, silica, magnesium, zinc, iron, biotin, and other vitamins and minerals to grow strong and healthy. Because stress makes it difficult for your body to absorb the nutrients it needs, nail pitting, shredding and ridging frequently flare under stress.
It can show in your skin, hair, and nails.
Chest pain, chest tightness, chest pressure and chest discomfort (angina) Shortness of breath. Pain in the neck, jaw, throat, upper belly area or back. Pain, numbness, weakness or coldness in the legs or arms if the blood vessels in those body areas are narrowed.