What causes white spots and lines on fingernails?

What causes white spots and lines on fingernails?

You may notice white spots or dots along your nails if you are deficient in certain minerals or vitamins. The deficiencies most commonly linked to this issue are zinc deficiency and calcium deficiency.

What do longitudinal lines on fingernails mean?

The most common reason for the formation of the vertical or longitudinal ridges in the absence of actual disease is the lack of moisture and improper nutrition. As the nails age their capacity to absorb nutrients diminishes and this naturally affects their growth. The vertical ridges often form in aging nails.

Can iron deficiency cause white spots on nails?

Koilonychia is an abnormal shape of the fingernail. The nail has raised ridges and is thin and curved inward. This disorder is associated with iron deficiency anemia. Leukonychia is white streaks or spots on the nails often due to drugs or disease.

What vitamin deficiency causes vertical lines in fingernails?

Anemia. A condition in which the red blood cells decrease usually due to deficiency of iron, vitamin B12 or folic acid is called anemia. Iron deficiency alone may be responsible for triggering skin problems. Associated effects can include brittle and fragile nails which may develop vertical ridges or lines.

What do fingernails look like with liver disease?

If the nails are mostly white with darker rims, this can indicate liver problems, such as hepatitis. In this image, you can see the fingers are also jaundiced, another sign of liver trouble.

What are Muehrcke’s lines?

Muehrcke lines are multiple transverse white linear bands parallel to the lunula of the fingernail. They represent an apparent leukonychia as they result from an abnormality in the vasculature of the nail bed. This activity reviews the etiology, evaluation, and treatment of patients with this condition.

Do thyroid problems cause nail ridges?

Thyroid impact on nails Thyroid dysfunction can also affect your nails, causing abnormality in nail shape, nail color, or attachment to the nail bed. Pay attention if you experience ongoing hangnails, ridges in your nails, splitting, peeling, or even dry cuticles.

What is the common misconception about white spots in nails?

“It’s a common misconception that the white spots are indicative of calcium deficiency. They could mean a lot of things, including an injury to the nails, a fungal infection and allergy to a particular food item or nail paints. It can even be genetic.

Can fingernails show signs of heart disease?

Fingernails: Possible problems Nail clubbing is sometimes the result of low oxygen in the blood and could be a sign of various types of lung disease. Nail clubbing is also associated with inflammatory bowel disease, cardiovascular disease, liver disease and AIDS.

What do renal failure nails look like?

Kidney disease Beau’s lines: These side-to-side lines can be a symptom of acute kidney disease. Ridged nails: Also called koilonychia, rough nails with ridges can exist in the presence of kidney disease. These nails are also frequently spoon-shaped and concave, and they can point to iron-deficiency anemia.

What are Merck lines on fingernails?

Muehrcke lines are multiple transverse white linear bands parallel to the lunula of the fingernail. They represent an apparent leukonychia as they result from an abnormality in the vasculature of the nail bed.

What do nails look like with thyroid problems?

Curved nails with swollen fingertip A swollen fingertip, curved nail, and thickening skin above a nail are often signs of thyroid disease.

What causes fingernail striations and what are the symptoms?

Fingernail Striations Symptoms. Since fingernail striations are symptoms of the underlying disease, they may be accompanied with other symptoms of the disease. Locally with nail striations there may be skin infection, discoloration of nail or an infection in the nail bed. A thin fluid or pus may drain out from the nail bed.

Why do I have white lines under my fingernails?

The presence of these lines under the nails is signs of metabolic stress that result from chemotherapy used or hypoalbuminemia states like kidney disorders. These are tiny white ridges in fingernails that cut on the nail plate horizontally. Tiny white ridges are not continuous in nail plate but appear as broken lines.

What are striated nails?

Though vertical striations on fingernails are normal, horizontal striations or ridges are significant. They may indicate underlying health condition such as a cardiac disease or hypertension and skin conditions or Raynaud’s disease etc.

What do the vertical lines on your fingernails mean?

Vertical ridges on the fingernails are tiny raised lines or cuts like groove that runs along the nail from top to the bottom of the nail plate. A series of vertical ridges on fingernails are also called longitudinal striations or longitudinal bands.