Toenail Discolouration: Things Your Nail Colour Says About Your Health

You may not be happy with the appearance of your feet if you are a CrossFit junkie or go for long-distance runs. These activities tend to bruise the nails and make them look less desirable. They are nowhere close to your healthy nails with plump, pink nail bed and a pink nail plate. But your toenails can say a lot about you including whether or not you are consuming enough vitamins and minerals. Some lines in fingernails can signal serious health problems, while others are simply due to impact or injury. Find out what your toenails reveal about your health.

Black Toenails

Consult a doctor immediately if your toenails have turned black.  Black toenails can be a sign of several conditions like vitamin B12 deficiency, kidney problems, or liver disease. However, discolouration or trauma can be the most common cause of black toenails. Accidently striking your toe against something can cause a bruise to form under the toenail, which in turn can turn your nail black.  If this is the case, you must wait for the entire nail to grow out before the discolouration is gone. This can take anything between six to nine months but ensure that you consult a physician.

If your toenail isn't black but you notice black strikes running across it, it can be a sign of linear melanonychia. This is a condition when pigments in the nail known as melanocytes make excess pigment, causing the nail beds to darken. Man Nearly Dies After He Bites His Nails: 8 Horrible Things Nail-Biting Does to Your Health.

Yellow or Brown Toenails

Although yellow or brown toenails most commonly occur due to diabetes complications, it could also be a sign of a respiratory problem. A fungal infection can also cause discolouration of toenails and make it thick and brittle. The fungus harbours in moist environments like sweaty sneakers and shoes. The infection can spread to more than one nail and penetrate to the nail beds, crumbling the edges of the nails.

Moderate to mild infection can be treated with medicated antifungal nail lacquer.  For a more serious infection, prescription oral antifungal medications may be advised. Laser nail treatment is another way to treat the infection. Here, the laser passes light through the toenail to kill the fungus without causing damage to the nail or the surrounding tissues.

Purple Toenails

A subungual hematoma, or bruising under the nail bed can be causing your toenails to become purple. Trauma to the nail such as dropping of a heavy object can cause the small blood vessels to bleed underneath the nail, staining it darker.  When this type of bruising occurs, simply allow the healthy nail to grow back in and gradually replace the darkened nail over time. But if the nail becomes too painful because of blood accumulating under the nail plate, your doctor will remove it.

Purple nails can also be a sign that your nails are receiving less oxygen. To reduce the nail symptoms, you must treat the cause of the circulatory issue, which usually means a trip to your doctor. Treat Your Feet to Perfect Pedicure Regime. 

White Spots on Toenails

Leukonychia, or white spots or lines on the nail, can indicate several conditions. Light trauma on the nails due to runners’ shoes can cause white spots. If the nail is completely white, or there are white lines across the nail bed, it could signal zinc deficiency or iron deficiency. A nail-fortifying vitamin like biotin can improve nail texture and reduce pigmentation.  If you are concerned you're anaemic, watch out for other accompanying symptoms such as fatigue or muscle weakness. Novel Smartphone App Can Detect Anaemia Without Blood Test. 

In most cases, ridges on your nails are a sign of more severe issues. Horizontal and vertical lines running the full length of your nails can often be tied to serious health issues.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 03, 2019 12:12 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).