Your Nails Say a Lot about Your Health

 It's just not your skin or eyes that reveal much about your health. Take a generous look at your nails because a twinge of white, discolouration, scales and bumps might be a warning sign about many health conditions. Here are a few to tips on how to identify the health problems your nails might be indicating about.

White Nails

What it means: Contrary to what most people believe, white nails do not indicate calcium or zinc deficiency. It is rather a minor nail trauma usually harmless caused to the nail plate when it grows.

What to Do: If all the nails are white in entirety, your will have to undergo liver and kidney function tests. White nails are often indicative of diabetes, cirrhosis or even heart problems.

Yellow Nails

What it means: Yellow nails indicate fungal infection, but if the infection worsens it is a sure sign of respiratory diseases, and in some cases even thyroid disease, psoriasis or diabetes. Sometimes your nails turn yellow because of wearing nail polish for a longer period of time. So, there’s no need to panic unless your nails are perennially yellow.

What to Do: Give your nails a polish-free week. If you are a smoker, you can soak your nails in lime juice for 5 to 10 minutes and see the bleaching magic. If your nails are yellow because of a fungal infection, see a doctor and get oral anti-fungal medication.

Blue Nails

What it means: Nails with blue tinge hint upon improper circulation of oxygen in the RBCs, which might have happened because of cold weather conditions or constriction in the blood vessels. In some cases, it may also indicate the presence of an abnormal for of haemoglobin in the blood stream.

What to Do: If your nails turn blue in cold conditions, try to keep yourself warm. However, if they remain blue perpetually, you should see a doctor to identify an underlying medical condition, perhaps a heart disease.

Pale Nails

What it means: Pale nails may be a sign of conditions such as anemia, congestive heart failure, liver disease, and malnutrition and thyroid diseases.

What to Do: You must eat wholesome diet, restrict sugar intake, and eat yoghurt daily.

Spoon Nails

What it means: You have a condition called spoon nails when your nails begin to grow upwards taking a concave shape, spoon-like.

What to Do: Although it is harmless, it may be a way of informing you that there’s a serious underlying a liver disease or heart disease or even hyperthyroidism.  So, you must get the spoon nails investigated.

Cracked/Split Nails

What it means: Often brittle nails crack or split; the causes could either be prolonged contact in water or strong detergents. And, if your nails are white or yellow and have developed cracks beneath the nail plate it could signify a fungal infection. Other reasons include endocrine disorders, malnutrition, oral medications rich in vitamin A, psoriasis, or TB.

What to Do: Keep your nails moisturized by rubbing some moisturizer around your nails. Start wearing gloves if you use a lot of soaps and chemicals. Trim your nails regularly.

Make sure you take a good look at your nails and see if it needs immediate attention of a health care provider.