How to identify disease by toenails. Diseases of the nails on the legs and hands, photo, description, symptoms

In Chinese medicine, diagnostics based on the condition of the nail plates is very popular. Specialists actively use it in combination with the main diagnostic methods. The advantage of this approach is that it allows you to identify many ailments in the early stages, 2-3 years before they appear.

Chinese medicine explains the changes in the structure of the nail plates in a particular disease by the fact that each of the energy channels that go to the fingers is associated with one or another organ. Naturally, information about the changes taking place in them is displayed on the nail plates in the form of characteristic features.

So, a large convex nail indicates pulmonary tuberculosis. But thin, shiny, as if covered with colorless varnish, nails speak of such a severe liver disease as hepatitis.

Chinese clinicians have been tracking all the signs associated with diseases of the internal organs for centuries, and today there are about 30 transcripts of nail pathology, which can indirectly be used to make a diagnosis.

Moreover, the specialist can determine exactly when the failures in the body began. If the color of the nails has changed, then violations occur within the last month. If the structure, shape, relief of the nail plates has changed, then this indicates a serious chronic disease.

There are a lot of genetic prerequisites in nail diagnostics. For example, chronic alcoholics and their children will always have the same nail shape. Children with diabetes in 60% of cases will also have a special shape of the nail. This does not mean that sooner or later some will have to be treated for alcoholism, and others for diabetes. But according to such genetic traits, one can judge whether a person has a congenital predisposition to a disease or an acquired one, and give appropriate recommendations for the prevention of possible ailments.

By the way, nails can tell not only about illness, but also about recovery. When a person copes with the disease, his nails become even and smooth, the contour of the halo takes the form of a small crescent, and the color of the nails of a healthy person is a matte pale pink.

Serious nail diagnostics is within the power of an experienced specialist, however, there are simple self-diagnosis techniques that do not require contacting a specialist - just compare the drawing and description of the shape of the nail plates with your nails.

One of the characteristic and indicative features are the holes at the base of the nails:
- Well-marked nail holes on all fingers are an indicator of high vitality and good blood circulation.
- Very large nail holes indicate strong cardiac activity and a predisposition to rapid heartbeat.
- Very small nail holes or their complete absence indicate heart failure and circulatory disorders.
- If the nail sockets are separated from the rest of the nail by a horizontal line, this is an indicator of diabetes.
- The absence of holes may indicate cardiac neurosis.

Of great diagnostic importance is the shape of the nails. If the nail has lost its initially flat shape, this may indicate a disease of certain organs:
- Short, flat nail - organic heart disease.
- Large convex nail - pulmonary tuberculosis.
- A convex nail with a large crescent is a congenital form of tuberculosis.
- Flat curved nail - bronchial asthma.
- A tubular high nail is a harbinger of a possible oncology.
- Club-shaped nail phalanx - congenital forms of mental disorders, cruelty, aggressiveness.
- Concave nail - hereditary forms of alcoholism.
- Flattened-crushed nail - worm infestation.
- Brittle grooves on the nail - lime deposits.
- Slag (salt) layers on the nail - acute diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
- An elongated nail - diabetes mellitus.
- Nail of the ring finger in the form of a semicircle - pathology of the kidneys.
- Almond-shaped veins (waves) on the nail - rheumatism.
- Bitten nail - neurosis, gastritis, sexual dysfunction in women.
- Stripes and inclusions on the nail - diseases of the spleen and small intestine.
- Strips without inclusions - intestinal diseases.
- Triangular nail - diseases of the spine and spinal cord.
- Perforated nail or flat nail with an elevation on the index finger - problems with the spleen.
- Changing the shape of the nail of the index finger - diseases of the head.
- Changing the shape of the nail of the middle finger - gastrointestinal diseases.
- Changing the shape of the nail of the ring finger - diseases of the kidneys and lungs.
- Changing the shape of the little finger nail - diseases of the genital organs.

If the eyes are called the mirror of the soul, then the nails are the mirror of our health. There are a huge number of both traditional and non-traditional methods and methods for diagnosing the state of human health. Among these methods and diagnostics on the condition of our nails. For example, Chinese healers have been using this method for many centuries in a row. But at the same time, modern medicine today does not recognize the method of determining health by the condition of the nails as an independent one and uses it as an additional method to confirm or recognize any pathologies.

In humans, they are completely renewed in about six months. Therefore, they can tell about the state of human health during this period. According to individual signs of the condition of the nails, one can say about genetic predispositions to any diseases and chronic diseases. For example, if the nails begin to grow more slowly than usual, this may be one of the signs of diseases of the endocrine system, and in young women a sign of pregnancy.

Health and condition of nails and heredity

Experienced diagnosticians, looking at a person’s nails, can even tell about his parents. For example, children of chronic alcoholics have a special shape of nails - concave. People with chronic diabetes also have a distinctive nail shape, and the exact same nail shape will be passed down to their children (elongated nail). But do not worry that the disease itself will be transmitted along with the shape of the nail. But this may be a sign that a person is predisposed to a particular disease and it is necessary to take preventive methods to prevent the onset of the disease.

Changing the shape and color of nails during illness

As a rule, chronic diseases and health problems of the nail are indicated by a change in the structure of the nails, their shape and relief. At the initial stages of the disease, as a rule, only the color of the nails changes. For example, with heart defects, chronic diseases of the lungs and the gastrointestinal tract, they take the form of drumsticks, this is a painless, usually manifested on the legs and arms, thickening on the terminal phalanges of the fingers of the soft tissues, but the bone tissue does not change.

Nail shape can also tell about the presence of very serious diseases in a person.

The condition of the nails, or rather their shape, for example, convex, may indicate that a person has pulmonary tuberculosis. With hepatitis, the nails become shiny and thin. Harbingers of the onset of oncological diseases are high tubular nails. With bronchial asthma, the nails become twisted and flat. If any pathology of the kidneys develops, then on the ring fingers the nails take the form of a semicircle. If there are problems associated with, the nails become triangular.

But as mentioned above, not only the shape of the nails can tell about the health of their owner, the color of the nails is also such an indicator. Everyone knows that pink nails are a sign of good health, but the bluish-purple color of the nails indicates that a person is seriously suffering from pulmonary diseases or has problems with the cardiovascular system. If a person's nails are dark red, this is a sign of circulatory disorders, and with lilac nails, people experience general weakness. Yellowish nails indicate problems with the liver or gallbladder. With prolonged fever, the nails become dark brown. Yellowish-greenish nails are a sign of congenital malformations, severe heart failure, or purulent processes in the body. Milky white nails are a sign of cirrhosis of the liver, and pale nails indicate anemia.

What does the surface of the nails say

Not only the shape and color of nails can tell about the state of human health, their surface is also an important factor. White spots may appear on it, which indicates serious disorders of the nervous system, and if the spots are yellow, then the work of the brain is disrupted. When vertical lines appear on the nails, you need to pay attention to how the food you eat is digested. If the grooves on the nails are horizontal, this indicates that the person has recently suffered some kind of serious illness. Also, according to the state of the surface of the nail, one can judge whether or not there are fungal diseases.

Since, according to Chinese medicine, each of the energy channels that go to the fingers is associated with one or another organ, naturally, information about the changes taking place in the organs is displayed on the nail plates in the form of characteristic signs.

A bit of history

Nail diagnostics has a long history dating back to ancient China and Tibet. Doctors of the past diagnosed diseases by the shape, color and other signs of nails. This simple diagnosis of the body helped to identify diseases at an early stage, regardless of the age of the person.

Serious nail diagnostics can only be done by an experienced specialist, however, there are simple self-diagnosis techniques that anyone can use.

1. The normal shape of a healthy nail.
2. Short, flat nail - diseases of the cardiovascular system.
3. Enlarged, convex (like a watch glass) nails - diseases of the heart, lungs, liver or spine.
4. Flat curved nail - bronchial asthma, bronchitis.
5. A tubular high nail is a harbinger of a possible oncological disease. On the fingers - a disease of the upper parts of the body, on the toes - the lower ones. In this case, it is not at all necessary that all nails be of this shape.
6. A concave nail is a sign of a violation of mineral metabolism, skin problems, anemia, thyroid diseases.
7. Flat, split at the end of the nail - helminthic invasion.
8. Bitten nail (there is a variant with a nail completely immersed in the flesh) - neuroses, gastritis.
9. Triangular nail - diseases of the spine.

Modern medicine confirms that the shape, color and type of nails indicate the state of human health.

Diagnosis by nail holes

• Well-marked nail holes on all fingers are an indicator of high vitality and good blood circulation.
• Very small holes or their complete absence - heart failure and circulatory disorders; possible lack of vitamin B 12, dysfunction of the thyroid gland, neurosis.
• Enlarged holes - pathologies of cardiac activity.
• The bluish holes are a sign of liver dysfunction.
• Reddish holes - a symptom of heart failure, autoimmune or endocrine problems, rheumatic diseases.

Stripes and waves on nails

• Transverse furrows - a recent severe infectious disease.
• Longitudinal grooves - predisposition to rheumatism, poor digestion, intestinal problems, irregular menstruation, sexual weakness, depression, nervousness, insomnia.
• Horizontal dents or pits are a change in diet that has adversely affected the body.
• Stripes and blotches on the nail - diseases of the spleen and small intestine.
• Brittle grooves on the nail - lime deposits.
• White cross strokes - lack of zinc or calcium.
• Almond-shaped waves-streaks - rheumatism.

Nails can tell not only about illness, but also about recovery. When a person recovers, his nails become even and smooth, the contour of the halo takes the form of a small crescent, and the color of the nails is matte, pale pink.

Nail color

• Uneven, cyanotic or paler than the color of the skin, the color of the nails - diseases of the cardiovascular, digestive, respiratory systems.
• Yellow spots or complete yellowing of the nail - a violation of fat metabolism, brain function, as well as diseases of the respiratory tract and liver.
• White color - possible damage to the adrenal cortex (Addison's disease).
• Pale pink, transparent nails - anemia.
• White spots on the nails may indicate an excess of sugar in the blood (possibly beginning diabetes), as well as a violation of the central nervous system.

On the nails, you can set the approximate time of occurrence of deviations in the work of a particular organ. In a week, fingernails grow about 1 mm, and the full life cycle of a human nail is about 6 months. Based on this, we can conclude that the deviation, due to which the spots or grooves that appeared near the hole, appeared about 3 months ago.

Deterioration in the appearance of nails

• Growth retardation, fragility and fragility of nails - metabolic disorders, lack of iron, calcium, as well as vitamins A, O, group B, deterioration of the thyroid gland, kidneys, poor blood supply.
• Nails begin to exfoliate or split - a signal of energy depletion of the digestive system, disorders in blood circulation, reproductive and nervous systems.

Of course, nail diagnostics will help to suspect possible disorders in the body, but do not forget that such diagnostics are only preliminary and this is a hint, and for a more accurate diagnosis, confirmation of other indicators is also needed.

Nail plates are a fairly reliable indicator of the state of health of the body. In some cases, they show signs of the disease much earlier than anywhere else. Thus, often the condition and appearance of the nails help to establish the presence of a particular chronic or acute disease and start treatment at an early stage. It is very important to carefully monitor the health of the nails and if there are any deviations, consult a doctor. We will talk about what diseases can be determined by the nails of the hands and / or toes in this material.

The cardiovascular system

Diseases of the cardiovascular system and blood circulation appear on the nails at a time when the patient may not notice other symptoms. Thus, the most characteristic sign will be a change in the color of the nail from pink to bluish. This indicates that insufficient oxygen is supplied to the fingertips. This deviation can be determined quite accurately, since in this case not only the nails become bluish, but also the fingertips.

In this case, the definition of the disease by fingernails can greatly simplify the process of diagnosing and prescribing treatment, and most importantly, it allows you to notice the disease at an early stage. Due to the fact that we can talk about circulatory disorders not only in the fingers, but throughout the body, the problem can be quite serious. That is why timely treatment to the doctor is very important. A disease of this type is most often accompanied by general weakness, dizziness, and sometimes low blood pressure.

It is very important to know how to identify diseases by fingernails, because this can help diagnose very serious diseases. For example, the appearance of a dark spot on the surface of the nail may occur due to a banal mechanical injury, such as pinching or impact. But it can also be a sign of a very dangerous disease - endocarditis. Thus, if you notice such a stain on your nail, but are sure that you did not get injured, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Blood condition

Health status of the nails

Quite often it turns out to carry out the definition of the disease by the nails of the hands, when their condition is associated with any deviation in the composition of the blood. Thus, for example, if the nail bed is very light, almost white or with a slight pinkish tint, then with a high degree of probability we can say that the patient either already suffers from anemia, or it is just beginning to develop. Anemia is a lack of iron in the body, and therefore, a general blood test, which must be taken in this case, is likely to show low hemoglobin. In this case, it is very important to consult a doctor in a timely manner for diagnosis and proper treatment.

Another alarming condition of the nails, which can indicate disorders and diseases of the blood, is an overly saturated color of the nail bed. It can be bright - or dark - pink, almost red, very saturated shade. In this case, there is likely to be a significant excess of red blood cells in the blood. This phenomenon can occur under the influence of many factors, and therefore, it is necessary to pass a general clinical blood test. If there is a deviation in it, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Somatic diseases

Diseases of the internal organs and the color of the nails are very closely related. Color changes may appear as yellowing, darkening, bluish tint, or whiteness of the nail bed. Thus, bluish nails can indicate not only problems with the cardiovascular system, but also problems with the lungs and respiratory system, since the manifestation of this shade is primarily associated with insufficient oxygen saturation.

Another factor in how to determine the disease by the nails is yellowing. This phenomenon deserves close attention, as it can occur for many reasons. Both completely harmless, such as staining with a coloring pigment from nail polish when applied without a base, and much more serious. For example, nails can turn yellow with viral hepatitis and other liver diseases.

The most dangerous disease that is characterized by such a symptom is cirrhosis of the liver, which occurs for one reason or another. That is why you should consult a doctor if the yellowing of the nails appeared quite abruptly. However, with advanced cirrhosis, the plates, on the contrary, turn white in the area of ​​​​the nail bed. This can be observed both over its entire area, and exclusively in the area around the lunula.

Lung problems may be indicated by the disappearance of the lunula on the thumbnail. If the lunula on the index disappeared, then we are talking about problems with the large intestine, pancreas and liver. In addition, this can also serve as a sign of inflammatory processes in the pelvis.

Diet Violation

Very often, nails help to identify not so much diseases of the body as to characterize its general condition. Thus, a violation of the diet, the abuse of bad habits and other factors also find manifestations on the nail plates. In particular, many changes in the condition of the nails are associated with beriberi.

• White strokes and dots on the nails indicate a lack of calcium. However, this phenomenon can also signal violations in the work of the central nervous system;
• If white spots appear on the nail of the index finger, on the contrary, we can talk about excessive deposition of calcium salts;
• Nails become thin and brittle with a lack of vitamin C, iron, vitamin D, omega fatty acids, etc.

If you notice these signs in yourself, then you probably have grossly violated your diet recently, as a result of which the influx of nutrients into the body has decreased. It is necessary to consume a lot of cereals, which will provide nails with B vitamins, butter, rich in vitamin E, is very beneficial for nails. Sour-milk and, to a lesser extent, dairy products also contribute to the influx of calcium into the body, cereals and apples will also be enriched with iron.

Diseases of the nails

However, determining health by nails in this way may not be very effective during periods of seasonal beriberi, for example, in spring. In this case, even with full adherence to the diet, the amount of vitamins in the body is still reduced. Therefore, it is necessary to nourish them from outside. Good results are obtained by rubbing an oil solution of vitamins A and E into the nail plate, for example, from Aevit capsules. You can also use complex multivitamins.

The definition of diseases on the nails should be carried out only at home, and having carefully studied them. In order for the examination to be the most comprehensive and correct, it must be performed in daylight. It is also recommended to put your hand on a sheet of white paper in order to correctly determine the color of the skin and plates and avoid affecting their perception of the shades of the environment.

Who does not want to have beautiful, healthy nails, so that they are strong, soft pink, smooth and slightly shiny. This is especially true for women, since well-groomed female hands are her calling card. And if we talk about health, then the appearance of nails can tell a lot about their owner. It is believed that the nails are a mirror of the internal state of the body. A change in the color, growth and shape of nails can be considered as a signal that some changes are taking place in the body, and they can be different ... There is even a diagnosis of nails.

The nail is a horny plate of keratin protein. And a smooth, smooth, pink, slightly shiny nail indicates that everything is in order with the health of its owner. You also need to know that the nail plate is completely renewed every 3-6 months. Moreover, the nails grow in each person in different ways, for someone very quickly, and for someone slowly. By the way, in women they grow faster than in men. And it was also noticed that the nails on the working hand also grow faster. For example, left-handed on the left hand. But that is not all.

Ancient Tibetan medicine claims that by the condition of the nails one can even learn about an approaching illness. Of course, this requires a good specialist to see so “deeply”. But we ourselves can carefully look at our nails and draw some conclusions for ourselves.

Nail diagnostics

There are a number of objective signs in the appearance of nails that clearly tell about the state of our health:

First sign

If the nails do not grow well, then this often indicates problems with the endocrine system, namely, there is some kind of dysfunction in the thyroid gland. But here it must be borne in mind that in cold weather, nails also grow more slowly. And the growth of nails also decreases with age, the older a person is, the less often he cuts them.

Second sign

You need to carefully consider your health if there are transverse stripes on the nails, such grooves. This is a signal that there is some kind of advanced disease or nutrition is completely unbalanced and the metabolism is seriously disturbed.

Third sign

Longitudinal stripes on the nails also indicate that not everything is in order with the body. In this case, the digestive organs, namely the intestines, do not work properly. People with such nails experience fatigue, they often suffer from insomnia, the cycle is disturbed in women, and sexual weakness occurs in men. Such people are highly prone to depression.

The fourth sign

A person is considered healthy if he has holes on his nails. The hole is a small part of the root of the nail that begins under the cuticle. It has the shape of a crescent and is always slightly lighter than the nail itself. But there are two versions on the topic of holes, I will write both of them, and each one will draw his own conclusion for himself.

First version:

In Tibetan medicine, this issue has been studied in sufficient detail. As a result, it was confirmed that the size of the hole is directly related to human health. Of course, this diagnosis is not considered official, but, nevertheless, you need to know it. Moreover, some doctors tend to trust these studies.

The Tibetans conducted a whole series of examinations and found that the white arcs (holes) on each finger of the hand are responsible for the work of certain organs and systems. And there are a number of patterns here:

• The thumb is responsible for brain function.
• The index finger indicates the condition of the lungs and the work of the colon.
• The middle finger indicates how the vascular system functions, how the blood supply is correct, and how the small intestine works.
• The ring finger speaks of the state of the endocrine system and the functioning of the kidneys.
• The little finger is responsible for the functionality of the entire cardiovascular system.

And if you follow this logic, then the absence of a hole on the fingers indicates that this organ needs to be checked. So says Tibetan medicine.

On this occasion, I have my own opinion and it boils down to the fact that many holes are present mainly only on the thumbs, although it is difficult to call them sick people. In children and adolescents, there are no holes at all, and Tibetan medicine has its own explanation for this - the child's body grows, rebuilds, and this is absolutely normal.

Second version:

This opinion is already traditional medicine and it says that if there is no hole even on the thumb, then hemoglobin is lowered in the body and there is probably anemia.

From this we can draw the following conclusion: The presence of holes on the thumbs tells us that there is no reason to “rush” to the hospital yet. But if there are no holes on all fingers, then this, of course, is a serious reason to think about it.

Fifth sign

It is worth paying attention to what color the nails are, as this also directly indicates the state of health.

1. Pale pink nails speak of human health
2. Nail with a yellowish tint tells about problems in the lungs
3. The bluish-purple tint of the nails indicates problems with the heart and blood vessels. With such nails, a person has an obvious cardiovascular pathology (see).
4. White blotches (spots) indicate a violation of the nervous system or, according to the second version, a lack of zinc in the body.
5. Milky white, as a rule, indicate destructive processes in the liver, namely the upcoming cirrhosis.
6. Hemorrhage under the nail (dark part of the nail) without injury is considered a harbinger of an imminent stroke or heart attack.

Sixth sign

Brittleness and fragility of nails indicates a lack of minerals. It is important to know that all owners of such “delicate” nails are more prone to bone fractures than people who naturally have strong and durable nails. Also, brittle and brittle nails indicate a dysfunction of the thyroid gland.

Seventh sign

When the nails begin to exfoliate, this indicates that there has been a failure in the energy system of the whole organism. This may apply to the nervous system, and the immune, and endocrine. May not cope with the work and the digestive system. What helps in these cases? A variety of plant foods, an active lifestyle, frequent walks in the fresh air, clean, in the right amount, water (see).

Make it a rule to do all housework with rubber gloves. In order for the hands to feel better in rubber, they can be pre-lubricated with cream or glycerin.

Do not forget to drink vitamin complexes, especially those that are rich in calcium along with vitamin D. It is advisable to drink medical gelatin 5 grams per day. Monthly courses (drank a month, skip a month, etc.).

If you do not want to use medical gelatin, then you need to include foods rich in this substance in your diet, as it is an excellent supplier of collagen. It can be all kinds of fish and meat aspics, jelly. Gelatin also has a vegetable analogue - it is "agar-agar", which is used in various fruit jellies, soufflés, creams, marshmallows and marmalades.

Do not forget to externally strengthen the nails. Currently, the beauty industry offers various creams and liquids for nourishing the nail plates and caring for the cuticle of the nails. We often go to specialized stores and buy various face, body, and hair care products. We must not forget about the nails, they are also “ours” and require both attention and care, like everything else.

Regular massage also helps to strengthen nails. Ideally, you should periodically do a salt bath for your hands. It is enough to pour a teaspoon of sea salt (but not soda!) With pleasantly hot water and hold your hands in it for about ten minutes. Then take out, dry and apply a special cream on the nail plates with cuticles in a circular motion. It is good to do this at night, so that the hands remain at rest for as long as possible.

These procedures and rules give excellent results, as they provide complete nail care.

How to cure nail fungus?

Sometimes nails are affected by fungus. First of all, this applies to toenails, as they are often covered with shoes and are less ventilated. And if the immune system is weakened or not everything is in order with hygiene, then the fungus “raises” its head and the result, as they say, is obvious.

Do not waste money on ointments and varnishes, it does not help! In the best case, 5 out of 100 people will remove their fungus in 6 months by regularly taking care of their nails. Yes, those are the statistics, if you take into account conversations on forums and comments on blogs. To really remove the fungus from the nail, you need to either drink toxic pills (the pharmacy will tell you which ones) or do the following:

Buy at the pharmacy 3% hydrogen peroxide. Then cut off the affected nail as much as possible, steam it well in water and apply a swab well moistened with peroxide. Wrap the nail with this tampon in cellophane, put on a sock on top. This compress should be kept for at least 5-6 hours. If the nail is severely affected, then repeat the procedure after two weeks. The results will not keep you waiting and an unpleasant question, how to cure nail fungus, will be closed.

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