Medical Disorders And Nails

Beau's lines are indentations that run across your nails. They can appear when growth at the area under your cuticle is interrupted by i...

Beau's lines are indentations that run across your nails. They can appear when growth at the area under your cuticle is interrupted by injury or severe illness, such as a heart attack. Beau's lines may also be a sign of malnutrition

Medical Disorders And Nails

Terry's nails With the condition known as Terry's nails, your nails look opaque, but the tip has a dark band. Sometimes this can be attributed to aging. In other cases, it can be a sign of serious illness, such as: Cancer Congestive heart failure Diabetes Liver disease

Yellow nail syndrome Yellow or green discoloration in your fingernails may result from a respiratory condition, such as chronic bronchitis, or from swelling of your hands (lymphedema). In yellow nail syndrome, nails thicken and new growth slows. Nails affected with this condition may lack a cuticle and may detach from the nail bed in places.

The discoloration occurs because of the slow growth of your nails. Although this condition is often a sign of respiratory disease, it's possible to have yellow or green nails and not have a respiratory condition. Yellow or green nails may also result from any condition that causes the growth of your nails to slow down.

Pitting Small depressions in the nails are common in people with psoriasis — a skin condition that produces scaly patches — or nail injuries. Pitting may cause your nails to crumble. Pitting is also associated with conditions that can damage your nail's cuticle, such as chronic dermatitis of your fingers or alopecia areata.

Clubbing Clubbing occurs when the tips of your fingers enlarge and your nails curve around your fingertips. This condition results from low oxygen levels in your blood and could be a sign of lung disease.

Spoon nails Spoon nails (koilonychia) are soft nails that look scooped out. The depression usually is large enough to hold a drop of liquid. Spoon nails may be a sign of iron deficiency anemia

Thickened toenails: What causes them? Your toenails can thicken for many reasons. These include an injury, skin conditions such as psoriasis, tight or poorly fitting shoes, and fungal infections — as shown in this picture. Among these, a fungal nail infection — onychomycosis (on-i ko-mi-KO-sis) — is the most common cause of thickened toenails.

Nail separates from nail bed With a condition known as onycholysis, your fingernails become loose and can separate from the nail bed. If your nails show signs of detaching, this may be associated with:Injury Thyroid disease Fungal disease Drug reactions Reactions to nail hardeners or acrylic nails Psoriasis