Nail Tales: What They Say and What to Do

When I was growing up, I was told that when there were little white marks in the nail bed, it meant I had told a lie at some point. I could not figure out how that could possibly work, and I am glad to report that this is a myth. Here are a few things your nails may be saying:

Bitten Nails: This is basically a bad habit. It’s also a habit that is very hard to break. If you are serious about wanting to do so, there are nail products that taste so nasty, chewing on them may be stopped. This may not work for everyone, but it does work for many.

Brittle Nails: This could be a sign of serious illness, poor diet and/or the overuse of nail products. Biotin, a part of the B complex, can help if it is diet related. To rule out illnesses such as a thyroid problem, you may want to see a doctor. As for nail products, try going without them for a month or two to see if there is any difference. It takes quite a while before any noticeable difference occurs.

Nail Ridges: Vertical nail ridges are a normal occurrence, especially as we get older. Horizontal nail ridges, on the other hand, should always be checked out by a doctor. These could be a sign of a serious medical problem.

White Spots: This isn’t caused by a lie, nor is it caused by vitamin or mineral deficiencies. They are caused by minor injuries to the nail bed. These are like bruises, and you may not even remember what happened to cause the injury.

Change of Color in Nail Bed: There are a whole host of nasty things a change in nail bed color can indicate. As examples, blue or purple nails could indicate serious lung problems. Black nails may mean nutritional deficiencies and green could mean allergies to cleaning products.

As you can see, your fingernails do give us a lot of information about our overall health. This is so true, people with or at risk for certain diseases are told not to wear colored nail polish so that the doctors and nurses can watch for potentially life threatening problems. This is especially true when dealing with any sort of lung disorder.

If you do see a change in your nails that disturbs you, by all means consult your doctor. He or she may want to run tests to make sure that what you see is a minor inconvenience and not a deadly problem.


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