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SO HOW MANY OF US CARE ABOUT THE CHANGES IN OUR NAILS?
Thickening of the nail, pitting, hollows and holes, protrusions, spoon-shaped or striated nail can be a sign of some health problems. ”We are already cutting it off as it gets longer, how important it can be,” very serious health problems can also arise from under these changes, which you often don’t care about. Therefore, we must take seriously the changes that occur in our nails and definitely consult a doctor in Turkey.
Turkish Doctor points out that almost all of us have cloud-like white spots on our nails from time to time, dark lines that grow in size and become noticeable, pits, nail cracks and fractures, each of which indicates a health problem.
Dr. especially warned his followers that pitting on the nails can often be caused by psoriasis or eczema, the brown dark line could indicate a rare type of cancer called “Subungual melanoma” and seen on the nails, if it was not caused by any injuries.
One of those who watched the video said, “I also have a dark line on my fingernail, but my doctor said that this is extremely common in people with dark skin color.” he wrote.
Another said: “He forgot to mention that the black line is quite common in Asian and African people and is generally harmless.” he wrote in the comment.
Some also shared their own experiences. “Applying nail polish every day can stain our nails (I think, I don’t want to spread false information),” he said.
Someone else said to the deformed, cracked nail, “I also have the last one because I’m a chronic nail eater.” said.
Dr. has created a very good awareness about this issue in his country with the video he has published. So how much do we know about our nails? How much do we take into account the changes in shape and color of our nails?
Turkey Medicals member and Internal Medicine Specialist Dr. talked about the messages that our nails give us and the symptoms that we should care about.
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HERE ARE 12 ANSWERS TO 12 QUESTIONS ABOUT THE COLOR AND SHAPE CHANGES ON OUR NAILS
Color changes that occur on the nails can be on the nail surface, inside the nail, or under the nail. Although different colors may appear on the nails, the most common situations are mostly white, yellow, green, red, brown and black nails.
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WHAT CAUSES WHITE SPOTS ON THE NAIL, WHICH CAN BE IN THE FORM OF DOTS, IN A LINE OR IN A LARGE ENOUGH AREA TO COMPLETELY COVER IT?
Although the white discoloration of the nails suggests vitamin deficiencies in most patients, the most common cause is trauma. It should be remembered that, with the exception of trauma, some fungal infections, cirrhosis, certain bowel diseases and vitamin deficiencies can also cause white discoloration of the nails.
It is most common in iron deficiency, but it can also occur in calcium deficiency, which rarely develops due to zinc and Vitamin D deficiency.
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ARE THE VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL LINES ON THE NAIL A HARBINGER OF DIFFERENT DISEASES?
Vertical streaks on the nails often develop due to aging. Most often it appears on more than one nail and does not cause any problems. But vertical streaks at a young age and in a small number of nails can be seen in cases where they settle at the root of the nail and form a mass. Horizontal stripes on the nail can be observed in any case where nail production temporarily stops. It often occurs in eczema patients, those suffering from high fever, after manicures and pedicures performed in such a way as to damage the nail root. Horizontal stripes on more than one nail can also be seen in people who have a habit of eating nails.
Not always. One or two streaks may appear in perfectly healthy people, but they most often occur with old age. If there are many of them, and they are present on every nail, to skin dryness, it is necessary to investigate the lack of calcium and zinc.
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WHY DO THE NAILS TURN GREEN?
The most common reason for the appearance of a green nail is nail infections caused by a bacterium called ‘pseudomonas’. It usually appears on the fingernails of people who come into too much contact with water and do not wear gloves.
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WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF YELLOW NAILS?
Yellow discoloration of the nail is most often experienced when the nail plate decomposes from the nail bed due to fungal infections, psoriasis, trauma. Dirty yellow or salmon-colored spots can be seen on the nails of the hands, especially in psoriasis patients. Very rarely, in some lung diseases, all nails may appear yellow. In those who apply a lot of nail polish to their nails and use acetone, nails can also turn yellow over time.
Yellow nails can also be seen in lymph lastages when the lymph vessels returning from the arm are blocked. B vitamins can be seen especially in a deficiency of B3 (Niacin).
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WHAT CAUSES THE SHAPE OF THE SPOON ON THE NAIL?
It can be from birth that the nail plate becomes concave (koilonychia), as well as on the inner surface of the spoon. But the most common situations that we encounter in everyday life are those in which the nail subsequently takes the form of a spoon. This form of nail is most often observed in those who have iron deficiency anemia. More rarely, some infections, hormonal disorders and trauma can cause the formation of spoon nails on the nails.
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WHAT HEALTH PROBLEM DOES THE ‘CHOP NAIL’, IN WHICH THE FINGERS RESEMBLE A SNARE DRUM BAGUETTE, INDICATE?
Lung diseases that cause low oxygen in the body occur in conditions such as a congenital defect in the walls separating the right and left sides of the heart, which is defined as a ‘heart hole’. October addition, it can also occur in chronic alcoholism.
In cases where the angle between the nail plate and the nail fold is more than 180 degrees, there may be talk of a finger disease of the decum. Although it may be of familial origin, it often occurs later and often also appears as a symptom of a chronic lung disease. It has also been reported that it can develop more rarely due to heart disease, liver disease, bowel disease and thyroid disease.
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WHY DO THE NAILS BECOME BLUE/PURPLE OR RED IN COLOR?
The most common cause of red discoloration on the nails is trauma. Bleeding foci located near the nail surface appear bright red, while bleeding foci that appear deeper and under the nail plate appear in the form of purplish spots.
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WHAT DOES THE POINT OF DOT-SIZED PITS ON THE NAILS MEAN?
The dot-shaped tiny dimples observed on the nail plate are often observed in psoriasis and alop decia areata (popularly known as ringworm disease). In psoriasis, uneven spots and dimples on the nail may be accompanied by yellowish spots, small red-black streaks (foci of bleeding), thickening of the nail and hardening of the nail. Psoriasis patients with these symptoms on the nail have an increased risk of developing psoriatic arthritis (joint rheumatism that develops due to psoriasis). In ringworm disease, the blue dots show more regular placement of the dimples, and other symptoms observed in psoriasis are often absent. The fact that there are more than one nails and there are too many of them is directly proportional to the severity of ringworm disease.
The presence of more than 10 of these pits on the nail is often the result of psoriasis and inflammation of the finger joint that develops due to this disease.
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IS THE BLACK LINE UNDER THE NAIL A SIGN OF A SERIOUS ILLNESS? CAN IT INDICATE A TYPE OF SKIN CANCER CALLED MELANOMA?
Brown and black spots on the nails are very important in that they can sometimes be a harbinger of serious problems. Some moles that settle at the root of the nail or under it can cause a brown discoloration of the nails. These moles, which are often benign, can remain constant, but sometimes grow very slowly. But a type of skin cancer called melanoma can also begin in this way on the nails. Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that can grow rapidly, has the potential to metastasize to distant organs in the body. It is very important to make an early diagnosis in terms of its vital importance. Therefore, the brown-black color changes noticed on both the hand and toenails should definitely be evaluated by a dermatologist.
Most often, important tips can be obtained as a result of an examination with a device called a dermoscopy. If there are symptoms that may cause suspicion of melanoma as a result of a dermoscopy examination, it is necessary to clarify the diagnosis by conducting a pathological examination before it is too late. In the differential diagnosis of brown-black color changes in the nails, the use of certain medications, trauma and some hormonal disorders are involved.
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WHAT CAUSES CRACKING AND DETACHMENT ON THE NAILS?
Cracking and stratification of the nails are often observed when the nails are unhealthy and weak. In most patients, the picture is accompanied by vitamin deficiencies, anemia and thyroid diseases. Too much contact with water, too much use of softening creams, situations where the nail tips are constantly traumatized, such as playing the guitar, too much nail polish and acetone use can thin the nail plate, causing easy fractures and separations.
It often happens due to traumas. In addition, alcoholism and related nutritional disorders can also occur with element deficiencies.
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ARE EXCESSIVELY THICK AND HARD NAILS UNHEALTHY NAILS?
Most of the cases where the toenails and toenails are thick and hard are caused by fungal infections. However, nail thickening, also known as ‘ram’s horn nail’, which especially develops due to trauma to the big toe, can often be confused with fungal infections and cause incorrect treatments. Some psoriasis patients with severe skin involvement may also experience excessive thickening and hardening, especially on the nails of the hands.
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WHAT CAUSES SWELLING OF THE FLESH AND SKIN OF THE FINGERS LOCATED AROUND THE NAILS?
The skin around the nail is infected by bacteria and fungi called paronychia (popularly known as decongestant disease). The picture formed by bacteria develops acutely. At the same time around the nail, which is quite painful, there is redness, swelling and purulent discharge. Most often, with correctly performed antibiotic treatments, the picture regresses.
The picture of paronychia, which develops due to fungi, usually has a slow course. It often occurs as a result of damage to the protective layer in the nail fold of people who are in intense water contact. The formation of a gap in the nail fold is accompanied by a painless, but edematous nail fold and deformities of the nails. Avoiding water contact whenever possible is the key point in the treatment.
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Turkey's world-renowned organ transplant specialist. Dr. Demirbaş has 104 international publications and 102 national publications.
Physician's Resume:
Born on August 7, 1963 in Çorum, Prof. Dr. Alper Demirbaş has been continuing his work as the President of MedicalPark Antalya Hospital Organ Transplantation Center since 2008.
Prof. who performed the first tissue incompatible kidney transplant in Turkey, the first blood type incompatible kidney transplant, the first kidney-pancreas transplant program and the first cadaveric donor and live donor liver transplant in Antalya. Dr. As of August 2016, Alper Demirbaş has performed 4900 kidney transplants, 500 liver transplants and 95 pancreas transplants.
In addition to being the chairman of 6 national congresses, he has also been an invited speaker at 12 international and 65 national scientific congresses. Dr. Alper Demirbaş was married and the father of 1 girl and 1 boy.
Awards:
Eczacibasi Medical Award of 2002, Akdeniz University Service Award of 2005, Izder Medical Man of the Year Award of 2006, BÖHAK Medical Man of the Year Award of 2007, Sabah Mediterranean Newspaper Scientist of the Year Award of 2007, ANTIKAD Scientist of the Year Award of 2009, Social Ethics Association Award of 2010, Işık University Medical Man of the Year Award of 2015, VTV Antalya's Brand Value Award of 2015.
Certificates:
Doctor of Medicine Degree Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine Ankara, General Surgeon Ministry of Health Turkey EKFMG (0-477-343-8), University of Miami School of Medicine Member of Multiple Organ Transplant, ASTS Multiorgan Transplant Scholarship. Lecturer at Kyoto University. Lecturer at University of Essen, Research assistant at the University of Cambridge .
Professional Members:
American Society of Transplant Surgeons, American Transplantation Society Nominated, Middle East and Southern Africa Council Transplantation Society 2007, International Liver Transplantation Association, Turkish Transplantation Association, Turkish Society of Surgery, Turkish Hepatobiliary Surgery Association.
Disclaimer:
Our website contents consist of articles approved by our Web and Medical Editorial Board with the contributions of our physicians. Our contents are prepared only for informational purposes for public benefit. Be sure to consult your doctor for diagnosis and treatment.
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