- Blue nails?
Why: may suggest cyanosis, Wilson's disease, ochronosis, hemochromatosis or ingestion of certain medications.
- Red nails?
Why: may suggest polycythaemia and carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Yellow nails?
Why: suggests Yellow nail syndrome.
- White nails?
Why: may suggest hypoalbuminaemia (reduced albumin in blood) which may be due to chronic liver disease, severe malnutrition, nephrotic syndrome, protein losing gut disease.
- Blueness of the tongue or lips?
Why: If associated with finger clubbing determines presence of cyanosis and thus may suggest cyanotic congenital heart disease and pulmonary arteriovenous aneurysms. If associated with blue nails, may indicate hemoglobin abnormalities or cyanosis e.g. chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
- Cough or shortness of breath?
Why: if associated with finger clubbing may suggest a lung condition such as bronchiectasis, chronic interstitial fibrosis, asbestosis, emphysema, lung cancer, lung abscess, cystic fibrosis or tuberculosis.
- Fever?
Why: if associated with finger clubbing may suggest empyema (pus in the cavity enclosing the lungs), lung abscess, tuberculosis, subacute bacterial endocarditis.
- Symptoms of hyperthyroidism?
Why: may cause finger clubbing and lifting of the nail bed e.g. intolerance to heat, tremor, agitation, weight loss, increased appetite.
- Symptoms of fungal nail infection?
Why: e.g. nail becomes thickened, cracked, crumbly and raised by underlying debris in the nail bed.
- Symptoms of Candida nail infection?
Why: e.g. similar to fungal nail infection except nail folds are swollen, red, painful and tender.
- Symptoms of nails affected by psoriasis?
Why: e.g. nail pitting, nail thickening, lifting of the nail from nail bed, yellow-brown spots under the nail plate, may be associated with psoriasis skin rash and painful joints.
- Symptoms of methemoglobinemia?
Why: e.g. blue tongue and lips, blue nails.
- Symptoms of iron deficiency anemia?
Why: e.g. spoon-shaped nails, brittle nails, pallor of skin and conjunctiva, tiredness.
- Symptoms of Yellow nail syndrome?
Why: e.g. diffuse yellow to green color of the fingernails and toenails, nail thickening, slowed growth, excessive curvature from side to side, swelling of the fingertips and ankles. May be associated with bronchiectasis, pleural effusion, Hodgkin's lymphoma, uterine cancer, malignant melanoma or lymphoma.
- Symptoms of nail and finger clubbing?
Why: e.g. a loss of the angle between the nail bed and the finger. A subtle sign may be an increased in sponginess of the proximal nail bed. May be associated with cyanotic congenital heart disease, bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis, Crohn's disease, Ulcerative colitis, Celiac disease, lung cancer, lung abscess, asbestosis, liver cirrhosis and thyrotoxicosis.
