Each body part has an exclusive impression, which tells numerous physiological health changes. Similarly, the nail is the topmost, prominent part of the finger, which gives information about the body’s physiological conditions.
What your toenails say about your health? Close observation of nails may reveal several differences from person to person. Each nail’s appearance gives you hidden, mysterious information about your health. Let’s explore the appearance and color of nails and their related physiological changes here.
What do your nails say about your health 1:
What your toenails say about your health can be explained through the following chart:
| Nails Impressions | Related health conditions |
| Cracked or Split Nails | Most likely linked with thyroid diseases. |
| Puffy Nail Fold | Fungal infection candida albicans or psoriasis bacterial infection |
| Dark Lines Beneath the Nail | Infection, skin cancer, or due to injury |
| Gnawed Nails | Due to anxiety |
| White spots on nails | Early signs of inflammatory changes, eg, arthritis |
| Yellow Nails | Infection, skin cancer, or due to an injury |
| Pale nails | anemia, nutrient deficiency, or due to poor circulation (normal above 60 years) |
| Bluish nails | Lack of oxygen supply, lung problems such as emphysema, heart problems |
| Rippled Nails | Early sign of inflammatory changes, eg, arthritis |
| White Nails | Liver problems such as jaundice |
What causes the nail brittle and weak?
- Age is the prominent factor that causes many changes to occur in aging.
- Medications: chemotherapy may affect the nails; due to taking any medications or cancer treatment.
- Anemia or malnutrition may affect nail appearance or texture.
- Alteration in thyroid hormone may cause a change in nails, e.g., hypothyroidism.
- Any condition where blood vessels are not properly oxygenated and less blood is supplied to extremities may affect the health of nails.
- Excess water usage, acidic soap, or detergent may destroy our hands, feet, or nails.
- A deficiency of zinc, calcium, protein, vitamins, minerals, or other nutrients may cause nails to bite white spots on them.
Tips: Keep nails healthy and attractive:
- Wear gloves when you are dealing with chemicals or any irritating chemicals.
- Take mutivaitamins , biotin or supplement
- Avoid glues or any adhesive chemical for artificial nails.
- Trim your nails regularly and carefully.
- Keep clean and use lotion containing lanolin.
- Avoid using nails as an opener or a tool to handle hard metals.
How to tell if you have an ingrown fingernail?
Dr. Leger suggests minimizing cutting the cuticles during manicures to help protect your nails from infection. Also, wearing gloves when washing dishes and doing other wet work can help protect cuticles.”
Healthy toenails vs unhealthy:
Healthy fingernails vs unhealthy are described below:
| Healthy nails | unhealthy nails |
| Healthy nails have healthy colors with healthy surrounding skin. | Alteration in nail color; Surrounded by dead skin. |
| Have healthy cuticles | Have damaged cuticle; may welcome different infection |
| Have smooth surface | Ridges or strips |
| Don’t break easily | brittle; Break easily |
| Gentle flat curve | Curve more than normal |
How can I tell if my toe is infected?
How can you tell if your toe is infected? By analyzing, If there is redness, trouble moving, color change, warmth and discharge, pain, swelling, and odor from infected toes, it may indicate that the toe is infected and needs treatment and caring.
Toe nail diseases chart nail health chart:
| Healthy Nail Signs: | Smooth surface, Uniform color, usually a pale pink No separation of the nail from the nail bed, No splinter hemorrhages (tiny blood spots under the nail). |
| Fungal Nail Infection Signs: | Thickened, brittle, ragged nail, Deformed nail shape Nail discoloration (starts with a spot under the nail then it spreads) Nail crumbling at the tip or Dark nail bed |
| Psoriasis Nail Signs: Bacterial Nail Infection Signs: | Pitting (small dents) in the nail, Discoloration – yellowish-red/brown Lines or ridges across the nail, Oil spots on the nail bed, Nail crumbling |
| Trauma Signs: | Bruising of nail bed – purple/black, Blood clot under the nail Splinter hemorrhages |
Conclusion:
What your toenails say about your health? It may be analyzed by carefully assisting the nail’s texture and color changes. Toe nails don’t need to use as a diagnostic tool. It could be a better diagnostic tool for performing laboratory assessments to evaluate and diagnose diseases. It is a sign that could be possible, or a skin specialist may analyze the infection by observing the changes in the toes.
- https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/ss/slideshow-nails-and-health ↩︎
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