Assessing Fingernails Health

I have to admit that those hand models always have me turning green with envy. This isn’t to say that my hands and nails are dirty and gross but those models have the most perfect digits. However, I have learned to appreciate what I have and I couldn’t be happier with my hands or my nails—I take really good care of them. One thing I must share with you though is that maintaining healthy nails isn’t just about them looking good; fingernail health can also signal other health problems in the body.

If you are keen on your overall health and you care about your fingernails, you need to know what to watch out for. This way you can take action.

Yellow nails syndrome – Yellow nail syndrome is really easy to spot since the nails thicken and growth really slows down. These would result in your nails turning yellow and I must say that it looks really disturbing when it does that. Check your nails and if they are somewhat yellowish, lack cuticles, and detach from the nail bed, you have yellow nails syndrome. This could be a sign that you suffer from chronic bronchitis or another chronic respiratory disease. It may also be due to lymphedema.

Nail pitting – If you take a look at your nails and you notice small pits on them, then you may be suffering from psoriasis which you can deal with easily enough or you may be suffering from something more serious like alopecia areata or Reiter’s Syndrome.

Nail clubbing – Do you notice your nails and your fingers developing a more clubbed appearance? Do the ends of your fingers look more rounded and the nails curve abnormally over it? If that is the case then you are suffering from nail clubbing which could be caused by low oxygen levels in the blood or different types of lung diseases.

You really need to watch out for your health and you also want to take careful note of your nails. I feel that simply by being more attentive about our bodies, we can save ourselves from a lot of health problems.