Nail assessments are used in several health care practices, including Ayurveda, Chinese, integrative, and orthodox medicine.
A smooth, pinkish nail with a white crescent (the lunula) at the base generally indicates good health.
TCM & ELEMENTS / MERIDIANS
The general Traditional Chinese medicine point of view concludes that nails can signify an imbalance in different ‘elements’ and organs in the body. The two main elements the nails represent are wood (liver and gall bladder) and water(bladder and kidney). This can indicate that any nail manifestations reflect the wood element, meaning that the body lacks adequate nourishment.
For example, Vertical ridges on the nails signify excessive acid levels.
Horizontal grooves in the nails are caused by major/sudden lifestyle changes or when one is ill and given strong medication.
White spots on the nails that gather together are from excessive sugar intake.
The general condition of the nails: Brittle, split, soft, or peeling nails indicate an imbalance in the sodium and potassium balance (kidney and bladder meridians).
Each finger and toe represents a specific meridian; we must note that to assess the source of the malnourishment or imbalance.
Here are a couple of nail conditions, their explanations and solutions:
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LUNULA ON NAILS
Lunula on the nails are a sign of good health. The absence of these Lunula/moons could be a sign of:
- Low immune system
- Weak digestive ‘fire’
- Poor circulation
- (Low yang energy)
Solutions:
- Avoid cold beverages. Best to drink warming herbal teas like ginger
- Eat a piece of ginger and some lemon juice before each meal to increase digestive fire.
- Spices which aid digestion include
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WHITE SPOTS
Mineral deficiency – usually magnesium and zinc. This can be from pollution, diet, heavy metal toxins, stress, poor digestion, low stomach acid, inflammation, consumption of allergen promoting foods and Parasites in the intestines
Solutions:
- Eat more zinc-rich foods. Supplementation may be needed
- Adjust lifestyle to deal with stress and pollutants
- Repair the gut
- Natural parasite cleanse, such as wormwood tea.
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PALE NAILS
Pale and brittle nails are usually a sign of anemia. Anaemia can be caused by an iron, folate, or vitamin B12 deficiency. It can also be due to ulcers, parasitic or viral infection, certain medications, chronic illness, or malabsorption.
Solutions:
- Wheatgrass juice – because the chlorophyll closely resembles haemoglobin.
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VERTICAL LINES
Vertical lines/ridges are usually a sign of malabsorption of nutrients.
It also indicates that minerals are not getting to the nails, which can be caused by poor circulation, thyroid problems, candida, parasitic or viral infections, or heavy metals.
Solutions:
- Cut out main allergenic foods: gluten, dairy and sugar
- Identify the root cause of malabsorption, which can be from a current illness, gut microbiome imbalance,or heavy metal toxicity
- Ginger tea/ginger to help the stomach
- Liquorice tea (unless you have hypertension)
- Healthy healing fats
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HORIZONTAL LINES / GROOVES
Generally, deep horizontal lines are a sign of serious illness, infection, or depletion during the nail's growth period.
It usually appears after heart attacks, viral infections and severe fevers.
You may have a chronic condition if the horizontal lines are a constant issue.
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NAIL BED INFLAMMATION
Signs of nail bed inflammation include puffy redness on the skin at the base of the nail bed.
This is a sign of a parasite or viral infection. Usually, these infections develop because the immune system is already compromised by a chronic viral infection.
Solutions:
- Cleanse your system and gut
- Herbal anti-viral supplements such as wormwood, cat’s claw, lemon balm, liquorice root, and colloidal silver
- Zinc
- Cut out processed foods, dairy, excess animal fat, gluten and sugar
INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE
Integrative and orthodox medicine have similarities in their thinking about causes for nail conditions. A standard assessment in integrative medicine includes assessment of:
* Shape – clubbing or curling nails
* Colour – yellow, blue, pale
* Lunula – missing = lack of protein or absorption thereof
* Strength – weak nails are also a lack of protein
* Texture – vertical ridging –zinc deficiency
* Temperature & circulation
More serious conditions
If you haven't already, seek medical attention. The root cause must be addressed before the nail symptoms go away.
Beau’s line (horizontal depression/dent) – a sign of malnourishment, and can also indicate signs of other conditions :
- Diseases that cause high fevers, such as measles, mumps and scarlet fever
- Peripheral vascular disease
- Pneumonia
- Uncontrolled diabetes
- Zinc deficiency
Clubbing nails (thickening and curving around the fingertips) – a sign of low oxygen in the blood, and can also indicate signs of:
- Cardiovascular disease
- IBS (inflammatory bowel disease)
- Liver disease
- Pulmonary disease
- AID’s
Spooning nails (Koilonychia)
- Iron deficiency anaemia
- Heart disease
- Hemochromatosis (a liver disorder that causes too much iron to be absorbed from food)
- Lupus erythematosus (an autoimmune disease that causes pain and inflammation)
- Hypothyroidism
- Raynaud’s disease (limits blood circulation)
Spooning nails
Mee’s Lines (transverse white lines across the nails)
- This is a sign of arsenic poisoning
Onycholysis (when the nail plate separates from the nail bed, causing a white/yellow discolouration) can result from infection, trauma, or products used on the nails.
- Psoriasis
- Thyroid disease
Pitting nails (small depressions in the nails)
- Systemic disease
- Psoriasis
Terry’s nails (tip of each nail has a dark band). Often due to aging, but can also be a sign of:
- Congestive heart failure
- Diabetes
- Liver disease
Yellow nail syndrome (nails get thicker and grow slower and may pull away from the nail bed)
- Internal malignancies
- Lymphedema
- Pleural effusions (fluid build up between the lungs and chest cavity)
- Respiratory illness
- Rheumatoid arthritis
Dark spots on the nails – bleeding and poor coagulation
Blurry or dark lunulas – you should seek medical attention.
In summary, most of these nail conditions have common factors – mineral deficiencies (especially zinc), infections and poor circulation or blood deficiency. In orthodox medicine and nutrition, zinc is known to be essential for skin and nails. However, it is also vital for the immune system, and poor-quality nails are a symptom of poor immunity. Most medical sciences are starting to convey that gut health issues (gut dysbiosis) seem to be a starting factor for all disease, so perhaps if we repair the gut, we can heal most of our illnesses.
Sources:
- Fitzgerald, K, MD. N Sight: Nails: Demo Exam (17 February 2016). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iH527j4vb0U
- Healthline : Nail abnormalities. (30 March 2018) https://www.healthline.com/health/nail-abnormalities-2#nail-care.
- Organic Olivia. (21 April 2018). What your fingernails are trying to tell you about your health. https://www.organicolivia.com/2016/01/what-your-fingernails-are-trying-to-tell-you-about-your-health/
- Tully AS, MD et al. (15 April 2012). American Family Physician: Evolution of nail conditions. https://www.aafp.org/afp/2012/0415/p779.html
- Qian, Z, Shanghai Daily: Nail Clues to your health. (26 April 2011) https://archive.shine.cn/feature/health-and-environment/Nail-clues-to-your-health/shdaily.shtml