A WINDOW ON HEALTH
The nails can reveal much about a person's overall health. Many diseases and serious conditions can be detected by changes in the nails. This is why doctors often check the nails carefully during a physical examination. The most common health conditions that the nails may be revealing are:
Condition Nail Appearance
Liver Diseases ------White nails
Kidney Diseases -----Half of nail is pink, half is white
Heart Conditions ----Nail bed is red
Lung Diseases ------Yellowing and thickening of the nail, slowed growth rate
Anemia -------------Pale nail beds
Diabetes -----------Yellowish nails, with a slight blush at the base
A dermatologist is a physician who specializes in treating the medical, surgical and cosmetic conditions of the skin, hair and nails. To learn more about nail fungus and nail health, log onto
www.aad.org or call toll free (888) 462-DERM (3376) to find a dermatologist in your area
(from dermatology.about.com)
