4 Types of Fingernail Symptoms That Could Mean Something Else
Senior Care in Culver City CA
Your loved one’s fingernails can give you a lot of clues to his overall health. While this is never a replacement for a visit to his doctor, noticing these little details could let you know that it’s time to schedule an appointment for your loved one. Checking out your loved one’s fingernails regularly is something that can be particularly helpful if your loved one is non-verbal or has other problems communicating with you that something is wrong.
Yellowed Nails
Yellowing nails are just that. Your loved one’s normally-colored nails start looking yellow, and there’s no real reason for it. Smokers often have yellow nails, but that’s from nicotine and smoke stains. Yellow nails that have no other physical cause could be letting you know that your loved one has a respiratory condition or that his hands are swelling. Either concern can be backed up by checking further or making an appointment with his doctor.
Spooned Nails
Spooned nails sound unusual, but this condition occurs when your loved one’s nails start to curl upward at the ends, making the nail itself appear like the bowl of a spoon. This can become so pronounced that liquid can pool in the center of the nail. Spooned nails can indicate anemia or iron deficiency, so it’s important to alert your loved one’s doctor.
Clubbed Nails
Clubbed nails are fairly common and they can indicate a variety of health problems. The clubbing is obvious, because the ends of the fingers seem to grow larger and the fingernails curve around the tips, making the fingers look a bit like clubs. This condition can indicate low oxygen levels, which can be tied to COPD, other lung problems, or even heart disease. Clubbing can also point to liver disease or other cardiovascular problems, like increasingly poor circulation.
Lifting Nails
If your loved one’s fingernails become loose and start separating from the nail bed, this can mean that he has had an injury to his nails or that he has a nail infection. Other problems he might be facing include thyroid problems or reactions to medications. Thorough testing at his doctor’s office can narrow down any potential causes.
It’s frustrating when you aren’t sure whether something is a symptom of a larger problem or not. If you’re in doubt and don’t want to bother your loved one’s doctor, your loved one’s senior care providers have experience with these sorts of concerns, too. There are also other nail symptoms that your loved one could be experiencing, so check with his medical team if you see anything unusual.
If you or an aging loved one needs senior care services in Culver City, CA, call Livewell Private Care at (310) 933-4986. Servicing Los Angeles, CA and the surrounding areas.
Source
http://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/fingernails-are-a-window-to-your-health