Dr Richard Russell, a consultant respiratory physician. "Not only is it the best way to put a patient at ease but hands and nails can be one of the best windows into the body's internal workings."
1. Blue fingertips
This can be a sign of poor circulation and is common in a condition called Raynaud's syndrome, in which the small blood vessels in the extremities are over-sensitive to changes in temperature. It's not harmful, but fingers and toes can turn red, blue or white and be accompanied by pain, numbness and tingling. If accompanied by symptoms such as a fever it could be a sign of pneumonia.
2. Sweaty palms
Hot sweaty palms can be due to stress, or be a sign of an overactive thyroid, which tends to speed up your metabolism meaning you burn more calories and generate more heat. Mention it to your GP if it's a frequent problem.
3. Nail ridges
Multiple white horizontal lines or ridges across your nails can be a tell-tale sign that you've recently recovered from a serious infection or illness such as cancer. This is because your nails stop growing when you're very ill.
4. Pale nail beds
Normally, if you gently press your fingernails, they turn white, and then go pink again when you release the pressure. If they stay white for a while after, it means you have iron-deficiency anaemia, and not enough red blood cells are circulating in your body.
5. Trembling hands
Too much caffeine, high anxiety and medications like asthma drugs and antidepressants can trigger temporary trembling. However, if you develop unexplained tremors that occur frequently, you could be suffering from what's known as an 'essential tremor', a neurological disorder that tends to run in families. It can also be an early sign of Parkinson's, which affects the nervous system and brain.
6. Blotchy red palms
This can be down to a condition called palmar erythema, which is a sign of liver disease, particularly of cirrhosis and non-alcoholic fatty liver. Inflammation of the liver gradually begins to impair its function, resulting in an excess of circulating hormones, which in turn cause the blood vessels in the hands and feet to dilate.
7. Clubbed fingers
When fingertips and nails develop a bulbous end — looking like a club — it's often due to a decrease in available oxygen in the body and could signal chronic lung disease, including cystic fibrosis and lung cancer.
8. Dark nail streak
If you see a dark pigment streak in your nail bed, seek your GP's advice immediately, as in a small number of cases it could indicate a melanoma - skin cancer.
9. Swollen fingers
Relatively harmless factors, such as too much salt in your diet, PMS and mild dehydration, can lead to swollen fingers. But swelling and stiffness can also be caused by serious issues, such as an underactive thyroid and rheumatoid arthritis.
10. Discoloured nails
Yellow or green coloured nails can mean you have a fungal infection which, if recurrent, can be an early sign of diabetes. This is because a diabetic's immune system and circulation are impaired, creating an environment that allows bacteria and fungi to flourish.
1. Blue fingertips
This can be a sign of poor circulation and is common in a condition called Raynaud's syndrome, in which the small blood vessels in the extremities are over-sensitive to changes in temperature. It's not harmful, but fingers and toes can turn red, blue or white and be accompanied by pain, numbness and tingling. If accompanied by symptoms such as a fever it could be a sign of pneumonia.
2. Sweaty palms
Hot sweaty palms can be due to stress, or be a sign of an overactive thyroid, which tends to speed up your metabolism meaning you burn more calories and generate more heat. Mention it to your GP if it's a frequent problem.
3. Nail ridges
Multiple white horizontal lines or ridges across your nails can be a tell-tale sign that you've recently recovered from a serious infection or illness such as cancer. This is because your nails stop growing when you're very ill.
4. Pale nail beds
Normally, if you gently press your fingernails, they turn white, and then go pink again when you release the pressure. If they stay white for a while after, it means you have iron-deficiency anaemia, and not enough red blood cells are circulating in your body.
5. Trembling hands
Too much caffeine, high anxiety and medications like asthma drugs and antidepressants can trigger temporary trembling. However, if you develop unexplained tremors that occur frequently, you could be suffering from what's known as an 'essential tremor', a neurological disorder that tends to run in families. It can also be an early sign of Parkinson's, which affects the nervous system and brain.
6. Blotchy red palms
This can be down to a condition called palmar erythema, which is a sign of liver disease, particularly of cirrhosis and non-alcoholic fatty liver. Inflammation of the liver gradually begins to impair its function, resulting in an excess of circulating hormones, which in turn cause the blood vessels in the hands and feet to dilate.
7. Clubbed fingers
When fingertips and nails develop a bulbous end — looking like a club — it's often due to a decrease in available oxygen in the body and could signal chronic lung disease, including cystic fibrosis and lung cancer.
8. Dark nail streak
If you see a dark pigment streak in your nail bed, seek your GP's advice immediately, as in a small number of cases it could indicate a melanoma - skin cancer.
9. Swollen fingers
Relatively harmless factors, such as too much salt in your diet, PMS and mild dehydration, can lead to swollen fingers. But swelling and stiffness can also be caused by serious issues, such as an underactive thyroid and rheumatoid arthritis.
10. Discoloured nails
Yellow or green coloured nails can mean you have a fungal infection which, if recurrent, can be an early sign of diabetes. This is because a diabetic's immune system and circulation are impaired, creating an environment that allows bacteria and fungi to flourish.
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