TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Nail helps protect our fingers and toes and allows us to do activities we couldn’t do without, such as scratching or picking things up. Nails receive blood and nutrients from the body and it can signal deficiencies or hidden diseases that may be suffered.
Nail discoloration may not seem alarming in most cases. However, sometimes it can be a sign of a chronic disease, especially cancer. Therefore, let’s see what nails can say about health.
Nails can say a lot about health. Nail changes can happen to anyone, depending on the type of disease, deficiency experienced by a person. While yellowed or thickened nails can indicate a fungal infection, brittle nails may be a sign of thyroid disease or anemia.
If you see small cracks in your nails, it may indicate psoriasis or alopecia areata. In addition, white lines under the nails can mean that you are suffering disease kidney or liver. The best way is to see a doctor. Early diagnosis can protect against deadly diseases such as cancer.
Nail discoloration should not be ignored as it can indicate cancer. Subungual melanoma, a type of skin cancer, can be detected by changing the color of the nails. It can appear in the form of dark lines under the nails, leading to discoloration of the nails. This can create a dark area near the nail cuticle, also known as a subungual lesion.
Apart from being a sign of cancer, nail discoloration can also be the result of cancer treatment, a side effect that usually occurs with cancer drugs. Subungual melanoma can show other symptoms. In addition to the formation of black streaks on the fingernails or toenails, there are other signs of subungual melanoma that can appear on the nails, such as:
-Nails are weak and brittle
– Bruises on nails that are difficult to heal
-Bleeding around the nails
-Thinning, cracking of the nail plate
-Blackish or brownish streaks that continue to grow
Care is key. Given that melanoma is life-threatening, if left untreated, it can be fatal. A physical exam and biopsy can help with the diagnosis. Treatment will involve surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy, depending on how far the cancer has progressed.
Also read: 3 Types of Moles that You Must Know, Which One is at Risk for Cancer
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