What causes fingernail problems

Fingernails

The hands are our important body parts that serve us to perform many activities. On every hand, we have five fingers that have on the top the nails. Many people take care of their fingernails, especially woman who even paint them to look prettier. However, sometimes we can notice that our fingernails are affected by some disorder because they do not look as healthy as before. One should know that, when it occurs, it is due to some problem in the body. Therefore, the fingernail problems are usually just a symptom that indicates some body disorder.

Causes of fingernails problems

Sometimes the fingernails can be harmed simply by an ordinary injury. In such cases, they heal very fast. On the other side, there are several fingernail conditions that can affect the nails on the fingers. Some of them are not very serious and can be easily treated. However, there are also fingernail conditions that are very difficult to treat because the underlying cause cannot be established.

Due to aging, vertical ridges can occur on the fingernails, but this condition is not very serious. On the other hand, when horizontal ridges appear, they usually represent the warning sign of anemia, malnutrition, renal or respiratory disease. White spots on the nails, medically called leuconychia, are, in the majority of cases, harmless. Sometimes they appear because of the air bubbles beneath the nail. However, sometimes they can be a symptom of iron deficiency, sickle cell anemia, and Hodgkin's disease.When the nails start to split, peel and become brittle, it usually occurs due to aging. However, when it occurs in the young population, it usually means that the nails need moisturizing. The people who have dry and crumbly nails that tend to separate from the nail bed usually suffer from psoriasis. In this condition, the nails are usually without color.Pterygium Inversum Ungius is a medical term for the nail disorder in which the skin under the free edge of the nail grows forward with the fingernails, while Pterygium is a medical term for the fingernails condition in which the skin behind the cuticle starts to grow over the nail plate.

Since our fingernails are at constant exposure to the surrounding things and objects, it is usual that they can be injured easily. For example, we can bite the nail accidentally, or impair it with various chemical products. Our fingernails can be also affected by the fungi or bacteria when the nails begin to change color and become painful.