Discoloration
A healthy nail bed should be pink with a slight pinkish white moon shape at the base. Streaks of any other stronger shades or colors can indicate health issues, as can nails that are tinged by other colors such as:
•Dark stripes towards the top of the nail are associated with aging and congestive heart failure
•Blueish tinge to the nails can be a sign of depleted oxygen levels in your blood
•Green nails are usually a sign of a bacterial infection
•White nails indicate liver disease, such as hepatitis
•Red streaks on the nail bed could be a warning of an infection of the heart valves
•Dull nails in general mean a deficiency of vitamins
Pitted Nails
Sometimes small dips can just be the result of a bash to the hand in general, but sometimes more attention should be paid as they can be a symptom of:
•Zinc deficiency (usually the pit will form a line across the middle of the nailbed)
•Connective tissue disorder
•Psoriasis
•Alopecia areata, which is an autoimmune disorder that results in hair loss
Brittle/Dry Nails
Healthy nails should be producing natural moisturizers to help maintain themselves. Excessively dry or brittle nails can be a sign of a hormonal balance problem or a bacterial infection as well as:
•Thyroid disease can result in brittle, dry nails that also crack and split very easily
•Fungus can cause nails to become dry or even crumbly and is a common problem
Both these potential problems can be treated and the nails will return to good health once a full growing cycle has passed (hand nails grow at about 1 mm per week so on average the full life cycle of human nail is about six months).
What Your Nails Say About Your Health was originally published on blackdoctor.org
