What's With These Ridges In My Fingernails?
Fingernails seem so unimportant. They don't seem to serve as anything more than a sign of affluence or working hard. And yet, fingernails may well hold some key evidence that points to the presence of several health conditions individuals and their doctors should investigate. The fingernails are essentially excess proteins expressed through the fingers, so because the nails are living skin cells, they can tell surprising stories. One of the ways in which an individual's fingernails tell a story is in the presence of ridges on their nail. Some of these ridges could be caused by a skin condition (like eczema) whereas other ridges can be caused by vitamin or protein deficiencies (especially zinc, calcium, and vitamin A) or even simple dryness of the skin.
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Vertical And Horizontal Ridges
Vertical ridges, that is, ones that look like bands or striations on the nail that run from the cuticle to the tip of the nail, can be caused by many reasons. These types of ridges often occur as individuals age, when many parts of the cell regeneration and replacement system slow down. Sometimes the presence of vertical ridges is accompanied by a change of texture, brittleness, or color. The presence of these changes to an individua's nails could point to a medical condition such as trachyonychia. Another condition that can cause vertical ridges and even cause them to become spoon-shaped is anemia. This condition is entirely avoidable by ensuring consumption of adequate iron in the diet.
Horizontal ridges on the fingernails can point to the presence of several conditions including diabetes, thyroid disease, mumps, kidney disease, and syphilis. These deep horizontal ridges are called Beau's lines (though they are definitely not pretty). Another cause of horizontal ridges on the fingernail can be chemotherapy. Fingernails can signal other health conditions that are important to pay attention to as well.
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Acute Kidney Disease
An individual's acute kidney disease can cause them to develop characteristic ridges in their nails called Beau's lines, which as discussed are horizontal grooves that run across the entire fingernail plate. These lines are the result of a temporary interruption in the individual's nail growth. Nail growth starts in the nail matrix located under the cuticle. When the growth stops, a horizontal depression is made in the nail. Individuals affected by acute or sudden kidney disease will experience Beau's lines on all of their fingernails and even their toenails. Individuals who have kidney disease experience an accumulation of nitrogen waste products in the bodies, which can trigger changes in the toe and fingernails. This buildup is also partly responsible for another condition of the nails that causes ridges called koilonychia. Koilonychia is characterized by nails that have ridges and are spoon-shaped that take on a concave appearance. This type of manifestation in the nails is often associated with iron-deficiency anemia, a prevalent complication that occurs individuals affected by kidney disease.
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