Are your nails brittle, very pale or covered in purple streaks? You may be suffering from underlying health issues. “Today, let’s talk about how your nails can reflect your internal health,” asks Harvard-trained dermatologist Dr. Daniel Sugai in a TikTok video. Here’s a quick rundown of the various signals your nails might be trying to give you.
Pale nails and anemia
In Dr. Sugai’s video, he shares a recent experience he had with a patient. “So today I did a skin exam on a patient and I looked at her nails. And if you look really closely, yes, there are no lunulae.” The lunula is the half-moon shape at the base of the nail. Typically, in adults, the lunulae are almost white and represent only a small part of the nail.
“So, seeing the whiteness and paleness of his nail plate and the absence of lunulae, I asked him: “Are you anemic?” And she said: “Yes, how do you know? I’m really struggling with my anemia.” »reports Dr. Sugai. So, the absence of lunulae on the nails would be a sign of anemia.
As a reminder, anemia is characterized by an abnormal drop in the hemoglobin level in the blood. The causes of this problem are multiple but iron deficiency is the most common. In France, 1.6% of men are anemic compared to 8.8% of women. In 75% of cases, this is due to a lack of iron.
Besides the absence of lunulae, spoon-shaped nails could also be a sign of anemia. “Spoon-shaped nails that curve inward may be a sign of iron deficiency anemia (iron deficiency). This condition is common after pregnancy and occurs when the iron level in your blood is too low ” explains Dr Bhavini Shah, GP at LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor, to the British press.
If you suspect that you have iron deficiency anaemia, see your GP. They may order blood tests to be carried out. Fortunately, this problem is often easily resolved with iron supplementation and by eating iron-rich foods such as red meat, chickpeas, dried fruit or beans.
Brittle nails and hyperthyroidism
Nails that come off can be a sign of hyperthyroidism. Hyperthyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland produces too many hormones. This disease, which is still too little known and poorly diagnosed, is five to ten times more common in women than in men. It affects five to twenty people out of a thousand, depending on the country.
Besides brittle nails, the symptoms most often noticed in patients are anxiety, sleep disturbances, fatigue or even significant weight loss. “The symptoms to report are vague and are often attributed to other diseases. In women with this disease, it is often more likely to be related to menopause, which means that our understanding of the true number of patients with this disease is probably far from reality. Although primary hyperparathyroidism is common… it is underestimated in the general population and by health professionals,” explains Dr Gareth Nye, lecturer at Chester Medical School (UK) to the British media The Mirror.
Red nails and cardiovascular diseases
“Red or purple lines under your nails are usually caused by an injury. But if you notice them and don’t remember injuring your nail, you may want to make an appointment with a doctor, as they can also be a symptom of heart disease,” warns Dr. Shah. In the case of heart disease, it also happens that the tips of the fingers or sometimes the toes become swollen and rounded. Aside from these symptoms, warning signs of heart disease include: extreme fatigue, swollen ankles, pain in the chest, stomach, legs, arms, jaw and/or back.
In France, cardiovascular diseases are one of the leading causes of death. Every year, 150,000 people die from cardiovascular disease, 120,000 people suffer from a myocardial infarction and 500,000 suffer from heart failure.
Greenish nails and bacteria
On TikTok, Dr. Sermed Mehzer reports the case of a woman who was “apply acrylic nails cheaply”. She then came to see him with nails that were a strange green color. The diagnosis? This patient had the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The latter had proliferated between the nail and the skin. This bacteria can in fact appear following a manicure with application of hardening gel. “Although it is rare, you can infect other parts of your body with your nails and even infect vulnerable people.”warns the doctor.
Yellow nails and fungus, diabetes, jaundice or other
Yellow nails can indicate a fungal infection or a more serious condition such as diabetes, jaundice or psoriasis. As for “yellow nail syndrome”, this is a rare anomaly associated with edema or lung diseases.
So you will have understood, when it comes to nails, the coloring is often symptomatic of a particular problem. Overall, white is associated with anemia, blue with poor blood circulation or oxygenation, green with bacterial infections, black with a sudden shock or melanoma. Also, if your nails become discolored over time, do not hesitate to go and see a doctor. A change in their shape and thickness, swelling, detachment or even persistent pain should also make you wonder.
Source: www.topsante.com
