Dr. Carrie Lam, MD: Why are there vertical lines on my
fingernails? Vertical lines on your fingernails which go from
the nail bed to the tip can be caused by a number of issues.
These issues can occur out of the blue, and it's usually
considered harmless, and a natural sign of aging. Your
nails may be made to change this way because as you get older,
you might have keratin deficiency, which is the protein
that your nails are made of. Zinc, calcium or vitamin A
deficiencies also happen and the slowing down of sale production
can actually lead to the buildup of dead cells on the surface of
your nails. Therefore, you get these vertical lines. If you
notice other symptoms like color or texture changes in your
nails, then it may be a sign of other health conditions. You
should also see your doctor immediately if you notice
horizontal lines on your nails, as that may be a sign of more
serious health condition.
Five conditions that cause lines on your fingernails. We talked
about aging. Aging is own isn't the only condition that can
cause vertical lines. It can also be a sign of other health
conditions like trachyonychia, which is common in children with
psoriasis, eczema or other skin conditions, and they can cause
rough nails and changes in your nail color as well as brittle
nails. Iron deficiency anemia, which usually also can cause
some spooning of your nail. Rheumatoid arthritis can cause
some changes, peripheral vascular disease, which can be
very serious circulation issue and Beau's lines, B E A U S
lines, a nail issue that causes horizontal lines and may
indicate that you have diabetes or metabolic disease or thyroid
problems or an acute kidney issue or if you've undergone
chemo in the past. These causes are all very different and will
have different implications for your health. So it's important
that you do not ignore lines on your nails. Instead, go see your
doctor for a checkup. The link between fingernail lines and
adrenal fatigue horizontal lines on your fingernails. Definitely
go see your doctor. They can also be a sign of late stages of
adrenal fatigue. This is an often misunderstood disorder
that can occur when you're under stress for a long period of
time. The ongoing high demand for cortisol that occurs during
stressful periods can cause malfunctions throughout your
body, troubling symptoms and also adrenal gland dysfunction.
Late stages of adrenal fatigue is strongly associated when many
of these issues that can cause fingernail lines like diabetes.
The health issues that can cause fingernail lines will also cause
you a great deal of stress, which can bring on even more
adrenal fatigue. So you have late stage of adrenal fatigue
then the malfunctions in your body may help bring on one of
the issues that causes fingernail ridges. If you are
now in the late stages of adrenal fatigue, you will need
to take steps to take care of your adrenal health in order to
prevent long term health problems.
How to Address vertical lines on your nails? You shouldn't just
Finding the cause of fingernail lines. Even if you're older, you
should still see your doctor if you have horizontal lines on
ignore vertical lines on your nails. Even if you're pretty
your fingernails. There are also times that fingernail changes
sure that they're caused by natural effects of aging, visit
signify something more serious. You should always see your
doctor for sudden nail changes or if you injure your nail and
it's crushed or bleeding. If you have horizontal lines, your
doctor might book you in for a urine test to check your
kidneys, may refer you to a dermatologist and test for skin
conditions or infections. You may also do blood testing to
find your nutritional deficiencies. These steps will
help identify any issues causing your nails issues, and allow
your doctor to guide you in addressing both horizontal and
vertical nail lines.
your doctor by testing and they should be able to identify the
cause and give you a more personalized treatment plan.
Here's some interventions that could help you with your nails.
Topical eczema, ointments and moisturizers if it's caused by
skin condition, supplements for mineral or vitamin deficiencies.
An emery board to help smooth the lines on your nails but be
gentle as they may be brittle, and supporting your adrenal
health by gentle exercise, lowering stress levels, cutting
out processed foods and also making sure you get your thyroid
and other hormones checked. Thanks for listening today. We
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