What Your Nails Say About You

If eyes are the windows to the soul, then fingernails are the windows to your health. From simply looking at changes in the compressed keratin that sits atop our fingertips, doctors can sometimes identify the first signs of rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, lung disorders, liver and kidney problems, as well as certain vitamin deficiencies. Watch for changes in previously healthy fingernails, and bring up any concerns to your health care provider.

APPEARANCE	POSSIBLE INDICATOR OF:
Pale, white nail beds	Anemia or liver problems
Horizontal ridges (sometimes called Beau’s lines)	Circulatory problems (like Raynaud’s disease), diabetes. Can also be caused by a severe illness, like a high fever or pneumonia
Vertical ridges	Not usually a cause for concern, but could be an iron deficiency
Dry or brittle	Vitamin A or iron deficiency
Hang nails	Lack of protein, folic acid, or vitamin C
White bands	Protein deficiency
Splitting nails	Hydrochloric acid deficiency
Pits or depression in the nails	Psoriasis
Darkening of nails	Insufficient vitamin B12
White spots	Zinc deficiency
Yellow, thick, slow-growing nails	Lung problems
Yellow-tinted nails with blue color at the base	Diabetes
Half white, half pink nails	Kidney problems
Red beds	Heart disease
Rippling of the nail surface	Psoriasis or arthritis
Inversion of the nail	Lung problems
Red lines at base of nail fold	Lupus or connective tissue disease
Dark lines under the nail	Melanoma
Nail coming off nail bed	Thyroid disease, psoriasis, or allergic reaction to nail products

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