Here are different fingernail shapes and the diseases you’re suffering from if any of the shapes above manifests in you.
- Clubbed Nails
Clubbed nails are those which are puffed around the fingers. Also, the skin around the nail might seem swollen. These can indicate:
- Liver Disease
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- AIDS
- Lung disease, especially if you already have trouble breathing
- Dry, Brittle Nails
Usually, brittle nails are connected with bacterial infections and hormone imbalance. Also:
- Thyroid disease can lead to brittle and dry fingernails.
- Fungus too makes nails dry or even crumbly, which affects 12% of all Americans.
- Ridges
Healthy nails should have smooth surfaces with invisible lines. Ridge lines can be a warning of conditions like:
- Lupus
- Iron Deficiency
- Inflammatory Arthritis
Instead of buffing away the ridges, look for the underlying cause.
- Pitted Nails
If you have small dips in the nails it might mean that you have caused them by banging them or you have a health problem like:
- Zinc deficiency
- Alopecia areata, an autoimmune disorder that causes hair loss
- Connective tissue disorder
- Psiorasis
- Concave (Spoon Nails)
Nails like these curve up and form a dip. They can also indicate a lot of issues, like:
- Hypothyroidism
- Heart Disease
- Hemachromatosis, a liver disorder where your body absorbs too much iron
- Iron deficiency
- Split Nails
These types of nails usually flake away in later. However, a lot of people blame this on the nail polish, when it actually might be:
- Caused by chronic malnutrition
- If they are split and have a pitted nail bed (base) it can indicate psoriasis, which starts in nails 10% of the time.
- They can stem from folic acid, vitamin C and protein deficiencies.
- Thick Nails
Having thick nails is not normal. Nails have to be strong. If not, they can indicate:
- Lung disease
- Circulation problems
- Fungal infection
- Thyroid problems
- Psoriasis
- Discolored Nails
If your fingernails are healthy they will be pink with a touch of white moons near the base. If they are with other colors, it might meant that you have health problems.
- Dark stripes at the top means that you are aging or you have congestive heart failure.
- White nails indicate liver disease like hepatitis.
- Dull nails indicate a vitamin deficiency.
- Blueish nails are a sign of low oxygen levels in the blood.
- Red streaks in the nail bed indicate a heart valve infection.
- Green nails indicate bacterial infection.
These are the 8 ways which will help you find out if you have a health condition just by looking at the nails. Therefore, do not take your nails for granted and watch out for them, they will help you a lot!