New Delhi
Your nails may reveal more about your health than you think. Anaesthesiologist and interventional pain medicine specialist Dr. Kunal Sood recently highlighted how subtle changes in nails and fingers can indicate deeper health issues, including chronic conditions that benefit from early detection. Sharing his insights on Instagram, Dr. Sood detailed five key changes worth noticing.
Clubbing
Clubbing makes fingertips round and nails curve downward. Dr. Sood explains, “This happens when megakaryocytes bypass the lungs and release growth factors like VEGF and PDGF at the fingertips. It’s often linked to chronic lung diseases, such as lung cancer, bronchiectasis, pulmonary fibrosis, or cystic fibrosis and heart conditions that cause long-term low oxygen, like cyanotic congenital heart disease or endocarditis.”
Koilonychia (Spoon-Shaped Nails)
Thin, concave nails, or koilonychia, usually indicate iron deficiency. “Impaired keratin formation from low iron can create these spoon-shaped nails,” says Dr. Sood. Causes may include blood loss, heavy menstrual periods, poor dietary intake, malabsorption, or increased iron requirements during pregnancy. These changes can appear months before other symptoms.
Splinter Haemorrhages
Red streaks beneath the nails, known as splinter haemorrhages, can signal underlying health concerns. “While minor trauma can cause them, multiple streaks or those near the nail base may indicate systemic issues like vasculitis, lupus, connective tissue disease, or infective endocarditis,” Dr. Sood notes.
Swollen Finger Joints
Swelling around the fingers can point to both degenerative and inflammatory arthritis. According to Dr. Sood, “It may indicate osteoarthritis from cartilage loss or inflammatory forms like rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis. Trauma, gout, or metabolic conditions can mimic these symptoms, so clinical evaluation and imaging are important.”
Nail Pitting
Small depressions on the nail surface, or pitting, are a common early sign of psoriasis. “About one-third of psoriasis patients show pitting, which may worsen with disease progression,” explains Dr. Sood. It often appears alongside nail thickening, discolouration, or onycholysis and is common in psoriatic arthritis.
When to Seek Medical Advice
Minor nail changes are common and usually harmless. Dr. Palleti Siva Karthik Reddy, consultant physician, explains, “Nails naturally vary in texture and colour. Concern arises when changes are persistent, progressive, or occur without any obvious trigger like injury or frequent salon treatments. Harmless variations usually resolve in a few weeks without affecting the nail bed or surrounding skin.”
Red flags that warrant a medical check include unusually thick or thin nails, persistent discolouration, new ridges, significant curvature changes, or swelling and tenderness around the fingertips. If these changes are accompanied by fatigue, shortness of breath, joint pain, or skin rashes, an underlying systemic condition may be present.
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Why Early Detection Matters
Gradual structural changes in multiple nails should prompt a medical evaluation. Dr. Reddy emphasizes, “Nails often act as an early warning system. Detecting these signs early allows for timely investigations and interventions before major complications develop.” Paying attention to your nails could give you a crucial head start in identifying health issues that might otherwise remain hidden.
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