Understanding Nail Conditions: How Your Nails Reflect Your Health

Different nail conditions can be caused by different factors, and can also reflect different health problems in the body. Dr. Huang Zhijian, a Hong Kong dermatologist, said in an interview with TOPick that normal nails are generally pink, and the position of the half-moon is white. Usually, there are no other pigments, and the part of the nail away from the front of the nail bed should be white. The surface is smooth.

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Dr. Huang mentioned that different nail problems can be caused by external factors or physical conditions, such as nail trauma and infection; long-term exposure to water or detergent, soap and other irritating substances; skin diseases such as psoriasis or lichen planus, Even eczema near the fingers can cause deformed nails.

In addition, if there are some conditions in the body, such as serious illnesses: kidney disease, liver disease, etc., or endocrine problems such as the thyroid gland, the nails may be deformed. Therefore, Dr. Huang Zhijian pointed out that different conditions of nails can reflect different physical diseases:

black line

If you see a vertical black spot on the nail, it is “melanoma”. Most melanin nails are benign, but if you find that the line of melanin has changed, for example, the color suddenly becomes uneven, or the line becomes thicker, or even if there is color in the nail groove or around the nail If there is a color change in the area, you should be alert in these cases, and there is a chance of the rare cancer melanoma caused by the lesion.

Vitiligo

Vitiligo may most typically be the result of trauma, such as when a nail is bumped and white spots appear. Another condition is that patients with liver disease may develop leukoplakia, which is whitening of the nails in the absence of albumin.

There is also another situation that sometimes occurs, that is, the white part of the nail at the end leaving the nail bed. If the whitening range of this part suddenly becomes larger inward, it is related to the separation of the nail and the nail bed, commonly known as “leaving the nail bed”. “. This situation can be caused by many reasons, such as trauma, or diseases such as gray nails, psoriasis, etc., can cause this problem.

Green nail

If the nails appear green, it may be suffering from onychomycosis, or a bacterial infection at the same time. Usually, if the nails have been soaked in warm water for a long time, such as if they have been to a spa or spa, the risk of green nails will be higher.

After being infected with chloroform, if it is not properly controlled, it may gradually affect the entire nail and become infected. In the worst case, it will affect the infection of bacteria near the paronychia, resulting in paronychia.

groove

The nail groove, in simple terms, is the gap next to the nail, which is usually organized to connect the nail, so the nail is properly protected. However, when the nail groove is located in some places that are disturbed by bacteria and fungi, or long-term contact with water, detergent, soap and other irritating items, or even excessive use of alcohol hand sanitizer, it will damage the nail and nail groove. Where the nails are connected, the paronychia is exposed, and the nails may become inflamed due to some irritants and allergens, which is commonly known as “paronychia”.

swelling

Many problems can cause the entire nail to swell, such as when there is a malignant tumor growing under the nail, or the nail has been infected, such as paronychia, and the position of the nail edge is suddenly swollen and painful, all of which will cause swelling. Dr. Huang pointed out that if swelling occurs at the nail bed, some tissue examinations may also be required to rule out whether there is cell mutation or cancer.

Another situation is that the nail itself is very thickened, which can also make the nail look swollen. The condition of thickened nails can be caused by many problems, such as nail infections, onychomycosis, psoriasis, and lichen planus, which can cause thickened nails.

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Reporter: He Peiyi