Doctor explains what changes to your fingernails could reveal about your health
Niamh Shackleton
Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock
Your fingernails could be key indicators of changes to your health and a doctor has revealed what kind of things you should look out for.
If you've ever had surgery, you'll know that as a patient you have to remove any nail polish from your fingers and toes.
This isn't because your surgeon has a personal vendetta against those who paint their nails, however. It's for a number of different reasons, one being that it enables medical professionals to monitor your health.
Changes to your nails can indicate different things: sometimes it's harmless, but other times it could be key to you being diagnosed with something more serious.
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With this in mind, Dr Giuseppe Aragona, GP and medical adviser for Prescription Doctor, has broken down what different changes to your nails mean and when you should be worried.
Speaking to Metro Online, Dr Aragona said that if your fingernails turn yellow it could signal that you have a fungal infection, in particular if they've become 'thickened and slow-growing'.
He did note, however, that 'in rarer cases they can be linked to conditions such as chronic respiratory disease or lymphatic disorders, particularly if accompanied by swelling elsewhere'.
If you notice a shadow on your fingernail in the shape of a line, it's probably worth getting checked out by a doctor.
"Dark lines or streaks running along the nail should always be taken seriously, particularly if they are new, changing, or irregular," Dr Aragona warned.
"While they can occur in people with darker skin as a benign feature, they may in some cases represent a melanoma under the nail and would warrant prompt assessment," he added.
If it's not melanoma, it might simply be a result of physical trauma, medication, or even just genetics. It's advised that you still get it looked at, though.
You may have heard that developing white spots on your fingernails comes down to a calcium deficiency, but Dr Aragona insists that this isn't the case.
It's 'very common' and is usually caused by minor injury to the nail rather than something more serious.
Koilonychia is the official term for someone with nails like this. Cleveland Clinic says of the condition: "Koilonychia is indented nails. Instead of growing straight, your nails look concave, like spoons. In many people, koilonychia is a sign of iron deficiency."
It adds: "Usually, you can get rid of spoon nails by treating the underlying cause."
As well as a possible sign of iron deficiency, it could indicate anaemia too. This is something doctors would consider 'alongside symptoms such as fatigue or breathlessness', said Dr Aragona.