Terry's nails is a type of nail discoloration. The nails look white or washed-out with a thin, reddish-brown strip near the tip. Usually, Terry's nails affects all your fingernails. But you can have Terry's nails in your toenails or just one fingernail or toenail. Sometimes, Terry's nails is part of typical aging.
Terry's nails can sometimes be attributed to aging. In other cases, Terry's nails can be a sign of a serious underlying condition, such as liver disease, congestive heart failure, kidney failure or diabetes.
Terry's nails are common in people with liver diseases. Unfortunately, there is no specific treatment for Terry's nails. Doctors can treat the underlying condition causing Terry's nails. Therefore, visit your doctor immediately if you notice the first signs of liver disease.
Eighty percent of patients with severe liver disease have Terry's nails, but they are also found in people with kidney failure, in patients with congestive heart failure and are described as a brown arc near the ends of the nails.
The nail beds also show important information about the heart. Normally the nails are a pink color. Blue or purple nails mean not enough oxygen in the blood or not enough blood in circulation. Pale nail beds may mean too few red blood cells in the bloodstream (anemia).
Shortness of breath with activity or when lying down. Fatigue and weakness. Swelling in the legs, ankles and feet. Rapid or irregular heartbeat.
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)
There's no specific treatment for Terry's nails. Usually, treatment focuses on the underlying condition.
Nail Health & Diabetes
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.
Evidence of Terry's Nails can be indicative of “liver disease, thyroid disorders, malnutrition or heart and kidney failure. The changes are thought to be due to an overgrowth of connective tissue,” Dr Eisman explains.
Melanonychia can be caused by inflammatory skin diseases that affect your nails. It can also be caused by inflammation due to friction from shoes and biting your nails. Poor nutrition. Malnutrition can cause melanonychia, especially a lack of protein, vitamin D, or vitamin B12.
Common associations with Terry's nails include cirrhosis, congestive heart failure, chronic kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, and malnutrition.
Barring complications, the liver can repair itself completely and, within a month, the patient will show no signs of damage. However, sometimes the liver gets overwhelmed and can't repair itself completely, especially if it's still under attack from a virus, drug, or alcohol.
If the nails are mostly white with darker rims, this can indicate liver problems, such as hepatitis. In this image, you can see the fingers are also jaundiced, another sign of liver trouble.
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.
White nails
Terry's nails are typically white with reddened or dark tips and can be a sign of a wide range of medical conditions, including: liver cirrhosis (scarring and damage to the liver) – about 80 per cent of people with cirrhosis have Terry's nails. liver, kidney or heart failure.
If your nails are mostly white with a narrow pink band at the tip, you have a condition called Terry's nails. It can result from aging, but it can also herald diabetes or kidney, liver, or heart disease.
What vitamin deficiency causes yellow nails? Vitamin E deficiency may lead to yellow-colored nails.
Warning signs and symptoms of heart failure include shortness of breath, chronic coughing or wheezing, swelling, fatigue, loss of appetite, and others. Heart failure means the heart has failed to pump the way it should in order to circulate oxygen-rich blood throughout the body.