+10 Things Your Nails Can Tell You About Your Health

It may not seem like it, but a person’s nails can say a lot about their health. It’s true! A closer inspection of these tiny sheets of

keratin can reveal everything from lung disease to allergies. Curious how you can use your fingernails and toenails as windows into your overall well-being? Keep reading to discover what your nails are trying to tell you about your general physical state.

1. You’re having heart problems.

A young Asian man clutching his chest on the stairs signs your cold is serious
If your nails are blue and it’s not because of the bold polish choice you made, then you might want to get your ticker checked out. As dermatologist Katherine R. Garrity, MD, explained for Aurora Health Care, blue nails can indicate heart problems, as well as lung issues, bacterial infections, and Wilson’s disease (a rare genetic disorder that causes copper to accumulate in your vital organs, according to Mayo Clinic). And for things your ticker can tell you about your health, check out 30 Warning Signs Your Heart Is Trying to Send You.

2. You have a skin infection.

Are your nail folds looking a little too puffy and red? If so, you may have an infection that needs treating. “The most common cause of nail fold inflammation is a skin infection from bacteria, viruses, or yeast,” according to Garrity. And for other things to look out for on your outer layer, check out 7 Signs Your Skin Is Trying to Tell You You Have Coronavirus.

3. You’re malnourished.

A healthcare worker giving bad news with a hand on the shoulder of a male patient. Doctor consoling a sad senior man in the waiting room. They are sitting at the hospital.

Pale nails should always be noted. Why? According to Garrity, they can indicate malnutrition, in addition to other serious complications like congestive heart failure and liver disease. If you are over the age of 60, then you should pay especially close attention to your nails, as malnutrition, heart failure, and liver disease are all common issues for older individuals.

4. You have eczema.

Pompholyx eczema is a type of eczema that, according to the National Eczema Society, is categorized by “intensely itchy water blisters mostly affecting the sides of the fingers, the palms of the hands, and the soles of feet.” And, in some cases, it can also cause swelling of the nail folds and skin around the nails.

5. You have an athlete’s foot.

Athlete’s foot actually refers to two conditions: foot fungus and fungal toenail infections. The latter, which is most often picked up when walking barefoot in a communal area like a locker room, is characterized by ragged, yellow toenails.
Dermatologist Pamela Ng, MD, explained to the Mayo Clinic that in patients with immunodeficiencies, these fungal infections can cause “breakdown of the skin and lead to conditions like cellulitis or foot ulcers.”

6You have Raynaud’s.
woman and doctor taking her blood pressure looking at the screen, health questions after 50
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If you notice “indentations that run across the nails”—called Beau’s lines, according to the Mayo Clinic—you could have Raynaud’s phenomenon, a condition in which blood supply to the extremities becomes limited in the face of stress or cold.
Talk to your doctor if you notice these lines on your fingernails, because, though there is no cure for Raynaud’s, there is medication that can help restore blood flow in severe cases. And for some fascinating things about the stuff that keeps your body running, check out 20 Amazing Facts About Your Blood Type.
7You’re pregnant.
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“During pregnancy, the growth rate of nails is increased,” Rich noted in her paper. That’s because, as The Nemours Foundation explains, all those extra hormones coursing through your veins during pregnancy impact the strength and length of your nails.

8You have an allergy.
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While many people believe that a calcium deficiency presents itself as those little white marks on your finger and toenails, that’s not the case, according to Andrew Weil, MD, founder and director of the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona.

On his website, Weil explains that these marks, called leukonychia, are either a sign of an injury to the base of your nail (which could’ve happened up to six weeks prior), or they can also be the result of an allergic reaction to nail polish or nail hardeners. “It can take more than eight months for nails to grow out completely so the spots may be around for a while,” he notes.

9Your thyroid isn’t functioning properly.
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Your dry, brittle nails may not be your favorite thing to look at, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore them. According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), “thick, dry, and brittle [nails] with visible ridges” can be a sign of thyroid disease. So, before you focus on your aesthetic problem, be sure to rule out this serious health issue.
10There’s something wrong with your lungs.
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If you’re worried there’s something wrong with your lungs, your nails could be your first step toward figuring it out. As researchers from York Hospital in Pennsylvania wrote in a paper in American Family Physician, clubbing of the nails—in which the tips of the fingers enlarge and the nails curve downward around the fingertips—” often suggests pulmonary disease.” And for more helpful information delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.