Fingernails point way to diagnosis

The appearance of your nails can be an indication of what is happening within your body. “Clubbing”, a painless buildup of tissue around the ends of the fingers, is a classic finding in chronic lung disease. Pale nail beds are seen in a person with significant anemia (low red blood cell count) because there is not enough blood circulating to that part of the body. Dark lines beneath the nail may represent melanoma, a skin cancer. White nails are often seen in chronic liver disease. Red nail beds can be a sign of heart disease. A thickened and yellow appearance is easily recognizable as a fungal infection. Beau’s Line is a horizontal groove in your nails, which may be a sign of diabetes, circulatory ailments, malnutrition or severe dieting, or high fevers. A single groove may represent a single traumatic event or injury to the nail. (Refer to WebMD.com for more details.)