Your nails can reveal a lot about your health. Here’s what they might trying to tell you

Your physical appearance can say a lot about your internal health. Yes, it’s true! The condition of your hair, skin, and nails are clear indicators of what’s going on inside your body! If you find your nails looking pale or shabby, a missed manicure session could be the reason. But, it could also be an indicator of an underlying health problem! 

Certain signs such as splitting, spots, cracks, ridges, peeling, color changes, and other marks may indicate an issue. Oh, and these irregularities need to be addressed immediately, because it can be too late, if you wait it out.  But how does one know if there is a real problem?

Here’s an overview of the most common nail abnormalities that indicate your overall health: 

A change in colour of your nails

1. Pale nails

Pale nails, believe it or not, are relatively common but guess what? They can indicate malnutrition, liver disease, and anemia. Sometimes, the pale colour is also caused by a blood deficiency.

2. Yellow nails

If your nails look yellower than usual, and are thick and curved, it’s a sign of a fungal infection. Sometimes, yellow nails also indicate ailments like lung disease, thyroid, and diabetes.

3. Absence of half-moon

Healthy nails are generally pink, and usually have a white rounded curve like the half-moon at the base of each nail. The absence of the half-moon could indicate signs of depression, anemia, malnutrition, anxiety, dizziness, as well as weight loss and weight gain.

4. White spots

Random white spots on nails are common and usually harmless. In fact, in rare cases, your entire nail may become white; this condition is known as total leukonychia. It indicates a zinc deficiency; some other causes include allergic reactions and fungal infections.

5. Bluish nails

Blue nails simply tell you that your body isn’t getting enough oxygen. This can be because of lung and heart ailments. 

6. Dark streaks or painful growth

Black, dark brown, and reddish lines on your nails could be a sign of something serious. It could be caused by melanoma, a serious type of skin cancer. 

A change in texture of nails:

1. Vertical or Horizontal ridges

Vertical or horizontal lines as well as ridges on the nails are extremely common, and in most cases, indicate aging. In certain cases, it could also point towards an iron deficiency or anemia. Other symptoms include anxiety, weight loss, and excessive urination.

2. Split nails

Split, cracked and peeling nails are strongly linked to thyroid disease, but could also indicate a fungal infection. This condition could also have causes like overuse of drugs, severe trauma, and a range of nutrient deficiencies.

3. Clubbing of nails

Nail clubbing is a condition, in which the ends of your nails become swollen, and curved. Clubbing of nails is seen in people with lung disorders and kidney diseases, and is also associated with inflammatory bowel disease, cardiovascular disease, liver disease, and AIDS.

4. Brittle nails

Brittle and thin nails are often caused by nutritional deficiencies, particularly in protein and biotin. They could also occur due to dryness on the nail plate. If your nail breaks easily, it could be because of an issue in your thyroid gland. 

So ladies, don’t ignore the signs, and visit a doctor immediately!