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Nails, like other parts of the body, are subject to various diseases, and their color and the structure of the plate say a lot about our health. The changes that appear on them may indicate chronic lung disease, circulatory failure, chronic bronchitis and sinusitis, and even AIDS. It is worth taking a closer look at them.
What can the changes on the nails show?
Nails are a complex structure of plate, placenta and matrix. The part of the nail that extends over the tip is called the free end and the nail matrix is thin and mostly covered with skin. Visible is only, especially on the thumb, a small lunar front part of the root, resembling a whitish cloud. On both edges, the nail plate is covered by a skin fold, and an epidermal helix, i.e. the peel covers the plate from the shaft side and protects it from injuries.
On average, fingernails grow 2 mm per month, fingernails – several times slower. It is therefore necessary to wait at least six months for the complete replacement of the nail plate. The thickness and shape of the tiles show considerable individual differences.
The most common clinical symptoms of nail structures are atrophic or hyperplastic changes, pathological nail coloration and changes in the shape of the nail surface. They can be an expression of pathological processes taking place only in the nail organ as well as various skin diseases and some systemic diseases. Here are some tips on how to detect serious diseases by examining your nails.
Brittle nails
Rough, brittle, furrowed nails, often excessively calloused, with a changed color, may be the cause of fungal infection. Mechanical pressure (e.g. from shoes) and moisture can do this. There is also an individual susceptibility to diseases, especially in people with immunodeficiency and hormonal disorders (e.g. in the course of Cushing’s syndrome, hypothyroidism).
The first lesions usually appear on the free edge of the nail plate or on the side of the shafts. The plates change yellow-brown or greenish color, become brittle, thickened, delaminated and partially crumbled.
Toe lesions can be caused by molds. In this case, the nail plates are thickened, significantly distorted, yellow-greenish, with profuse subungual hyperkeratosis (keratosis). The infection mainly affects the elderly, with trophic nail disorders.
Clinical diagnosis of onychomycosis is very difficult and is based on the morphological changes in the plate, the presence of mycosis of the skin of the feet and hands. Mycological examination is decisive. Fungal lesions can be a source of infection for the environment and a constant source of infection in patients. Even after symptoms have completely disappeared, there is a tendency to relapse.
For brittle nails, we recommend the advanced Oncoria One serum, available on Medonet Market at an attractive price.
Matte nails
Grayish-yellowish-brown, delaminated, dull nail plates and swollen, strongly red and painful nail shafts, from which purulent content comes out when pressure is applied.This may indicate yeast infections (candidiasis) of the shafts and nail plates, which often occur in the case of reduced immunity, excessive sweating or soaking.
Yeast infections can be of an occupational nature: in laundresses, dishwashers, employees of the confectionery and fruit processing industry. Other predisposing factors include diabetes mellitus, gastrointestinal disorders, pregnancy, obesity, avitaminosis, steroid therapy and antibiotic therapy (especially broad-spectrum antibiotics), general debilitation, immunosuppressive therapy and microtrauma.
Nail discoloration
Thimble-like depressions in the plate, a yellowish discoloration, resembling a drop of oil showing through the nail plate, under the nail plate. It is often accompanied by pitting, subungual keratosis, thickening, dullness and brittleness is a typical symptom of nail psoriasis, a non-infectious, genetically determined disease related to the improper functioning of the immune system.
Nail psoriasis may coexist with skin lesions or be the only symptom of the disease characterized by the appearance of transverse or longitudinal lines, dots or spots on the nail plate.
Nails become dull and brittle, the nail plate thickens, delaminates and distorts. Brown-yellow discoloration may appear on it, which, apart from the characteristic furrows, are the result of an abnormal keratinization process. The course of the disease is chronic and may affect one or more fingernails or toenails.
A person suffering from psoriasis should be under the constant supervision of a dermatologist. Treatment is based on the use of steroid preparations of moderate, and periodically strong, effect, which may be combined with tar.
Furrows on the nails
Longitudinal grooves, creasing of the plates or their disappearance may indicate lichen planus, and changes in the structure of the nail may precede or coexist with skin symptoms. The disease also affects the mucous membranes, and the changes that appear are papular. An additional, troublesome symptom is itching.
Lichen planus is often associated with autoimmune diseases such as chronic active hepatitis as well as HBV and HCV infection. Various drugs may also be responsible for the onset of the disease: gold salts, antimalarials and neuroleptics.
A painful bump under the nail
This may indicate an infection with HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) – the human papillomavirus. Changes occur along the lateral shaft, often painful discoloration of the plate develops, followed by a tender lump under the nail. HPV infection can lead to the development of cervical cancer, as well as vaginal, vulva, and rectal cancer.
Another consequence of HPV infection is recurrent respiratory papillomatosis, manifested by hoarseness and difficulty breathing. Certain types of HPV can cause mouth or throat cancer in adults.
Changes in the color of the nail plate
They can be both a symptom of an ongoing infection in the nail organs and a harbinger of systemic diseases or severe poisoning. A dark streak on the nail or an irregular discoloration of the entire plate may indicate melanoma, Addison’s disease (a syndrome of symptoms caused by a chronic deficiency of hormones produced by the adrenal cortex) or Wilson’s disease (a genetic disorder of copper metabolism in the body).
Black and brown nails may also indicate an infection with a mold fungus. Green discoloration of the nails is often a symptom of blue pus infection, while the blue discoloration can be associated with silvery or cyanosis in the course of severe circulatory and respiratory disorders. The nails also darken with certain medications: gold salts and some antimalarial medications.
The changes in the color of the nails are also influenced by such factors as: excessive humidity, frequent contact with water, trauma, some frequently used cosmetics, e.g. nail polish and nail polish remover.
Yellow nails
They may be the result of nail discoloration caused by their thickening, bruises as a result of microtrauma, fungal infection, as well as residues of varnish penetrating the nail plate. They can also be a sign of yellow nail syndrome. It is a congenital disease or may accompany autoimmune diseases such as thyroiditis, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis.
Yellow nails may also indicate tuberculosis or AIDS, as well as an ongoing neoplastic process (breast cancer, lung cancer, Hodgkin’s lymphoma). Sometimes they are also a reaction to the use of certain drugs, such as: tetracycline antibiotics and penclamine.
White spots on the nails
Linear, streaked, dotted or irregular white lesions on the nail plate may indicate vitiligo of the nails, i.e. a disorder in the production of the normal nail plate. It may be congenital or acquired; in the latter form, mechanical injuries and prolonged contact with solutions of various salts may play a certain role. The changes disappear spontaneously as the plate peels off. In order for them not to re-emerge, their original cause must be eliminated.
Other common traumatic changes to the nails include ingrown nail plates, which (like vitiligo) occur as a result of repeated injuries, wearing tight shoes or poorly cut nails.
Changes in the nail plates may also be an expression of a deficiency of iron, minerals and vitamins. If the physician does not find an ongoing disease process, a diet rich in vitamins A and B, minerals, protein and gelatin may provide beneficial results.