Noteworthy
nails
Redoryellowpalms
Whateveryourcolouring,
a pinkishtingetopalmsis worth
noting.‘Rednessofthepalmshas
severalcauses,suchasstress,alcohol,
spicyfood,dehydrationandexercise,’
saysDrHolmes.‘Moresignificant
onesincludeinfection,autoimmunity
ornervedamage.’
If yourpalmsareyellowishin
appearance,askyourGPtocheck
yourvitaminB12levels.LIVE WELL
Health
‘Nails can also give clues to other
illnesses and conditions,’ says
Dr Holmes. Here’s what to look for...
l UPSIDE-DOWN SPOON-SHAPED
OR CLUBBED NAIL Caused by less
oxygen in the blood, it can indicate
lung disease, including some
lung cancers.
l WHITE MARKS
A zinc deficiency
or a long-forgotten
minorinjury.
lDISCOLOURATION
If nailsarehalfbrown
andhalfwhite,it could
bea signofkidneyfailure.
If white,it mayindicateliverdisease.
lPALENAILSUsuallydueto
anaemia.If you’reshortofiron,they
maybecomethinandconcave,too.
lHORIZONTALRIDGES
Couldbea signofvitamin
andmineraldeficiencies.
lVERTICALRIDGES
Thisis oftenrelated
togettingolder,but
is sometimesdueto
rheumatoidarthritis
andcertain
circulationproblems.
lTHICKENEDAND
YELLOWTypicallyfungalinfections
cancauseridging,flaking,splittingand
white,yelloworgreydiscolouration.
lBLACKSPOTSUNDERNEATHNAIL
Canresultfromtrauma,butshouldbe
checkedbya GPasthiscouldalsobe
a signofmelanomaskincancer.Isthatshakeserious?
A tremorinthehandsmightmakeyou
feelself-conscious,butis usuallynothing
toworryabout.
‘Sometremorsareharmlessand
unexplained,althoughpeoplecanfeel
embarrassedif it causesproblems,
suchasspillingdrinksorbeingunable
towrite,’saysDrHolmes.If younotice
a tremordeveloping,seeyourGPfor
supportandmedicationandtoruleout
seriousneurologicalconditions,such
asParkinson’sdisease.Did you
know?
Osteoarthritis causes
painful lumps around the
finger joints, but if they’re
red and hot or the knuckles
swell, you may have an
inflammatory form of
arthritis, such as
rheumatoid.Whiteorbluefingers
Fingersgoingnumbandwhite,oreven
blue,whencoldarea signofRaynaud
syndrome,’saysDrHolmes.‘When
triggered,bloodvesselsinthehands
spasmandcausea seriesofcolour
changestotheskin:firstwhite,then
blueand,ascirculationreturns,floridly
red.Thebestwaytomanageit is to
preventyourhandsbecomingcold.’
YourGPmayprescribebloodpressure
drugs,antidepressantsorevenViagra.YourGPmay
beableto
reassureyouPossiblezinc
deficiencyCirculation
problems?ur hands
Is it an
allergy?
Skin allergies to nickel
or chemicals produce
redness, dryness or
blisters. Your pharmacist
can recommend
a hydrocortisone
cream to help.