NAILS- MIRROR OF INTERNAL DISORDERS

Our nails are a sign of our health. The colour shape, contour of our nails can tell us if our body is in a healthy state.

Healthy nails are usually smooth, consistent in color and free of spots or discoloration. Nail problems that sometimes require treatment include bacterial and fungal infections, ingrown nails, tumors and warts.

In humans, nails grow at an average rate of 3 mm (0.12 in) a month (as they are a form of hair). Fingernails require 3 to 6 months to regrow completely, and toenails require 12 to 18 months. Actual growth rate is dependent upon age, gender, season, exercise level, diet, and hereditary factors. Nails grow faster in the summer than in any other season.

Nail disorders

Changes in nail are generally not diagnostic of a specific systemic or skin disease, all of nail changes of systemic disorders may be seen without systemic disease.

                     Examination of nails helps us sometimes to diagnose a case clinically. Simultaneously we should not forget the value of study of nail changes in Homoeopathic practice                                                                     

Different nail abnormalities	Associated conditions
Platynychia (flat nails)	Iron deficiency anemia
Koilonychia (spoon shaped nails)	Iron deficiency anemia
Leuconychia (white nails)	congenital or acquired Hypoalbuminemea Nephrotic Syndrome Chronic liver disease  Protein loosing enteropathy.
Onycholysis (Separation of nail from bed)	Lichen planus, thyrotoxicosis   Psoriasis.
Missing nail	Nail patella syndrome.
Half & Half nail	Proximal half- white and distal half  pink or red seen in chronic renal failure
Beau’s line (Transverse ridges over the nails)	Indicates stoppage of nail Growth temporarily. Affects all nails and appear after few week of illness. As the nail growth ridges also move to the distal part.
Mee’s line	single or multiple which transverse bands on the nail- inorganic arsenic poisoning
Muehrcke’s line	Narrow, white transverse bands occurring in pairs - associated with hypoalbuminaemia, they may disappear when serum albumin level is normalized
Longitudinal ridges	Seen in lichen plannus and rheumatoid arthritis.
Nail bed infarct	Vasculitis syndromes
Pitted Nails	Psoriasis, Alopecia, eczema, ring worm infestation.
Blue	Seen in cyanosis, antimalarial drugs,  haematoma
Blue green	In pseudomonas infection in chronic paronychia
Brown longitudinal streaks	In fungal infections, staining from cigarettes
Red streaks (Splinter hemorrhages)	Infective endocarditis, trauma.
Yellow	In psoriasis, fungal infections, trauma, jaundice,
* Clubbing	Bulbous enlargements of distal segments of fingers and toes.  Causes; a) Cardiovascular:     Acquired --- infective endocarditis.    Congenital---cyanotic congenital heart          disease. b) Respiratory;         -Brochiectasis         - Lung abscess.         -Bronchogenic carcinoma.  -Tuberculosis with secondary infection.        -Empyema        -Interstitial lung disease           c) Gastrointestinal;         -ulcerative colitis,         -Crohns’disease.         -Malabsorbtion syndrome. d) Hepatic          -cirrhosis of liver. e) Endocrine;        -Myxedema.        - Acromegaly.        -Thyroid  acropachy, f)  Congenital & idiopathic clubbing.

SOME USEFUL WORDS TO KEEP NAILS HEALTHIER

Most of the above troubles can easily be dealt with or prevented if we pay a little attention to our nails. This would keep them healthy, shiny and disease free; some of the common tips include :

• Don't abuse our nails. To prevent nail damage, don't use our fingernails as tools to pick, poke or pry things.
• Don't bite our nails or pick at our cuticles. These habits can damage the nail bed. Even a minor cut alongside our nail can allow bacteria or fungi to enter and cause an infection (paronychia).
• Keep our nails dry and clean. This prevents bacteria, fungi or other organisms from growing under the nail. Clean under the nails regularly and thoroughly dry our hands and feet after bathing. Wear rubber gloves when using soap and water for prolonged periods.
• Keep our nails short, square shaped and slightly rounded on top. Trim brittle nails after a bath or a 15-minute hand soak in bath oil. Then apply a moisturizer.
• Trim nails and file nails regularly. Trim nails straight across and file down thickened areas. Trimming and filing are easier and safer if done just after bathing or soaking the nails.
• Never pull off hangnails - doing so almost always results in ripping living tissue. Instead clip off hangnails, leaving a slight angle outward.
• Wear shoes that fit properly. Shoes that place excessive pressure on our toes or pinch our toes may cause our nails to grow into surrounding tissue.
• Moisturize our nails frequently. Nails need moisture just like our skin does. Rub lotion into our nails when moisturizing our hands. Be sure to apply a moisturizer after removing fingernail polish.
• Take a biotin supplement. Taking 2.5 milligrams of biotin daily may increase the thickness of nails.
• Watch for problems. If you have a nail problem that doesn't seem to go away on its own or is associated with other signs and symptoms, make an appointment with our doctor to get it checked out.

Homoeopathic drugs according to the Nail colour, changes.

·         Discoloration, Nails   - Ant. c, Ars, Graph, Nit.ac, Thuja.

• Black - Ars, Graph, Lept, Nat-m.
• Blood, settles under Nails - Apis.
• Blueness -  Arg.n, Ars, Aur, camph, Carb.v, Chel,Chin, chin.s, Cupr, Dig, Dros, Ferr, Graph, Mez, Nat.m, Nit.a, Nux.v, Ox.ac, Pet, Sil, Sulph,Thuja, Verat.
• Dark - Morp, Ox.ac,
• Gray - Mer.c, Sil,
• Purple - Apis, Ars, Op, samb, sec, stram,
• Red - Ars, Crot.c, Lith,
• Red Then black - Ars.
• White - Cup, Nit.ac.
• Spots - Alum, Ars, Nit.ac, Sep, Sil, sulph,
• Yellow - Ambr, Bry, Carbo.v, Con, Lyco, mer, Nit.ac,   Nux.v. Op, Sep, Sil, Sipg, Sulp.

·         Cracked Nails -  Ant.c, Ars, Nat.m, Sil,

·         Curved finger Nails - Nit.ac.

·         Distorted, Nails - Alum, Fl.ac, Graph, Merc, Sep, Sil, Thuja.

·         In growing, Nails - Caust, Graph, Mag-aust, Nat.M, Nit.ac, Ph.ac, sil, Sulph, Teucr,    Thuja,

·         Splinters, Nails - Alum, Ars, Nit.ac, Ph.ac, Sep, Sil, Sulph, Tub.

·         Spotted, Nails - Alum, Ars, Nit.ac, Ph.ac, Sep, Sil, Sulph, Tub.

·         Ulcers, fingernails - Bov, Hep, Merc, Nat.M, Sil, sulph, thuja,

·         Panaritium nails - All.c, Am.c,Am.m, Anac, Anthr, Apis, Benz.ac, Bufo,    Calc, Caust, Cist, Dios, Fl.ac, Hep, Hyper, iod, iris, lach, lyc, Merc, nat.c, Nat.m, Nat.s, Nit.ac, Phyt,          Rhus.tox, Sang, Sep, sil, Sulph, Tarent.c,

·         Beau’s Lines - NAILS; corrugated; transversely: ars., med.

·         Vertical ridges -        

o   NAILS; roughness fingernails; ridges, longitudinal: fl-ac.

o   NAILS; roughness fingernails; ribbed: thuj.

o   NAILS; corrugated: ars., calc., calc-f., fl-ac., med., ph-ac., sabad., sel., Sil., thuj.

·         Clubbing - Curved fingernails; consumption, in: med., tub.

·         Pitting - Extremities; NAILS; holes in: ars.

·         Spoon nails - Extremities; NAILS; complaints of; depressed: med.

·         Onycholosis - Looseness fingernails: apis., med., pyrog., ust.

·         Nail hypertrophy - NAILS; hypertrophy: calc-f., fl-ac., graph., laur.

·         NAILS; thick: alum., anan., ant-c., ars., but-ac., calc., calc-f., calo., caust., falco-p.,    ferr., fl-ac., Graph., merc., pitu-a., pop-c., sabad., sec., sep., Sil., sulph., ust., x-ray

·         Nail atrophy - NAILS; atrophic: sil.

·         NAILS; grow, do not: ant-c., pitu-a., rad-br., sil.

·         Hands; NAILS, fingers, general; grow, nails, do not: ant-c., calc., sil.

NOTE: Close observation and minute study about the nails is important for clinical diagnosis and also to select a remedy while treating homeopathically

Some Homeopathic remedies which help in Nailing the Nail troubles include:

Antim crud: Brittle nails, tendency to grow out of shape. Skin dry with scaly eruptions. Horny warts on hands and soles.

Graphitis: Finger nails thick, black and rough, matrix inflamed. Toe-nails crippled. Nails brittle, crumbling, deformed, painful, sore. Cracks o fissures in ends of fingers; offensive perspiration of feet.

Fluoric acid: Nails crumble; feeling as of a splinter under the nail. Nails grow rapidly. Profuse, sour, offensive perspiration.

Psorinum: Eruptions around finger nails. Fetid foot sweat. Pustules near finger nails.

Silicea: Affections of finger nails, especially if white spot on nails. Ingrowing toe-nails. Sensation in tips of fingers as is suppurating. Crippled nails.

Sabadilla, Mag. Pol. Aust, Nitric acid, Caust are some other remedies which also have good role in nail complaints.