What Changes In Your Nails Can Mean To Your Health - Northstar Dermatology (2024)

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What Changes In Your Nails Can Mean To Your Health - Northstar Dermatology? ›

Healthy nails should look pink on the nail bed and white when grown off the nail bed. Any other color could be a sign of a deficiency or disease. For instance, clear, pale nails can be a sign of anemia or poor nutrition. White nails, also known as Terry's nails, are a sign of kidney disease, liver disease, or diabetes.

If your nails turn yellow, thicken, and seem to stop growing, it could be a sign of something going on inside your body. Lung disease and rheumatoid arthritis can cause yellow nails. You may also have a serious nail infection, which requires treatment.

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.

Nail changes in vitamin B₁₂ deficiency present as hyperpigmentation of nails like bluish discoloration of nails, blue-black pigmentation with dark longitudinal streaks, and longitudinal and reticulate darkened streaks. The nail pigmentation associated with B₁₂ deficiency is more frequent in patients with dark skin.

Changes in nail shape and texture

Iron deficiency or overproduction may cause the nail bed's center to look like it had been scooped out, a condition known as spoon nails. Cardiovascular, pulmonary and gastrointestinal problems may also appear in the nails as curves around an enlarged fingertip, known as clubbing.

Hapalonychia (soft nails) has been associated with deficiencies of vitamins A and D among other causes. Longitudinal melanonychia of the nail plate has been reported in vitamin D deficiency.

White streaking. People diagnosed with chronic kidney disease may notice white streaking or pale horizontal bands forming along the nail. This condition is known as Muehrcke's nail or Muehrcke's line, referring to Robert Muehrcke, a physician who first described this condition.

Koilonychia is an abnormal shape of the fingernail. The nail has raised ridges and is thin and curved inward. This disorder is associated with iron deficiency anemia. Leukonychia is white streaks or spots on the nails often due to drugs or disease.

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.

Ridges or ripples

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.

What does zinc deficiency look like in nails? ›

Zinc deficiency can cause Beau's lines and white spots on your nails. Iron deficiency can cause vertical nail ridges and koilonychia (spoon nails). Spoon nails have a depression in the middle, like the center of your nail was scooped out. You may be able to hold a drop of water on your nail.

Cyanosis is the medical term for when your skin, lips or nails turn blue due to a lack of oxygen in your blood. If you have darker skin, cyanosis may be easier to see in your lips, gums, nails and around your eyes. The word cyanosis comes from the word cyan. Cyan is a blue-green color.

When your body lacks calcium, your nails become thinner, weaker, and brittle. You may notice that they break easily and just don't look as healthy as they used to. Although nails and bones are made up of different substances, they're similar enough that poor nail health may be an early marker of bone density problems.

When the extra cholesterol narrows or blocks your arteries, it limits the blood flow to various parts of your body, including your nails. This can leave your nails with dark lines underneath them. These are thin, red to reddish-brown lines under your nails, as per MedlinePlus.

Although COPD does not typically cause clubbing, it may affect the nail beds in other ways. People with COPD may develop low oxygen levels in the body, known as hypoxia. This may cause the nails, skin, and lips to become blue due to decreased oxygen levels. Doctors refer to this bluish color as cyanosis.

Nails with a bluish tint can mean the body isn't getting enough oxygen. This could indicate a lung problem, such as emphysema.

Nutritional deficiencies can cause several changes in the shape and surface of nail plates. A central nail plate ridge can arise from iron deficiency, folic acid deficiency or protein deficiency. A central nail groove can result from iron deficiency.