Fingernails — 7 signs of possible health problems

Fingernails and your health
Your fingernails can provide clues to your overall health. But do you know how to read the signs?

Learn about some nail conditions that might require medical attention. If you have a nail problem that doesn't seem to be going away, or is associated with other signs and symptoms, make an appointment with your doctor to get it checked out.

Yellow nail syndrome
Yellow 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, resulting in discoloration. Nails affected with this condition may lack a cuticle and may detach from the nail bed in places.

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


Nail pitting
Small depressions in the nails are common in people with psoriasis — a skin condition that produces scaly patches. They may also result from 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, an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss.

Nail 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. Clubbing is also associated with inflammatory bowel disease and liver 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.

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:

Congestive heart failure
Diabetes
Liver disease
Malnutrition
Beau's lines
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. Diseases or illnesses associated with Beau's lines include:

Uncontrolled diabetes
Circulatory diseases, such as peripheral artery disease
Illness associated with a high fever, caused by pneumonia, scarlet fever, mumps or measles
Malnutrition

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 or infection
Thyroid disease
Drug reactions
Reactions to nail hardeners or acrylic nails
Psoriasis