Fingernail warning sign could be early symptom of heart failure

People are being encouraged to look out for specific warning signs on their nails that could suggest early-stage heart failure or liver disease, including cirrhosis. Your nails can reveal a lot about your overall health, often offering crucial hints about parts of your body that might need further examination.

Alterations in shape, ridges, bumps and discolouration can all indicate underlying conditions. Issues affecting your liver, lungs, and heart can all show up in your nails, so it’s beneficial to keep an eye on them regularly.

In most instances, nail problems are nothing to be concerned about. Common issues include brittle, loose nails that may change in colour or shape.

However, certain warning signs could imply you have early-stage heart failure or liver disease, and necessitate a visit to your GP. If the majority of your nail beds appear pale and washed out, with a thin reddish-brown strip near the tip, this could be a sign of ‘Terry’s nails’.

Terry’s nails – named after the doctor who first identified the symptom – is a type of nail discolouration. In many cases, Terry’s nails suggest a chronic condition, such as liver failure or diabetes. Those affected won’t have the typical half-moon shape (lunula) near their cuticles – instead, nearly the entire nail appears pale, reports the Mirror.

Terry’s nails can also indicate other underlying health conditions, including cirrhosis, congestive heart failure, kidney failure and viral hepatitis. In some instances, it can simply be a sign of ageing, as you may have fewer blood vessels near your nailbeds. If you suspect you might have Terry’s nails, it’s worth consulting your GP for a proper evaluation and treatment.

Terry’s nails can improve once the underlying condition causing the symptoms is treated. Pressing on your nailbeds may temporarily make the discolouration disappear, though this is not a cure for Terry’s nails.

In a 2017 study titled: « Terry’s Nails: A Sign of Systemic Disease », researchers stated: « Although the abnormality can occur with normal aging, Terry’s nails can also be an indication of an underlying medical condition, most notably, cirrhosis, chronic renal failure, and congestive heart failure. »

Other early symptoms of heart failure can include fatigue, shortness of breath, or leg swelling. Meanwhile, in the early stages, cirrhosis usually doesn’t present many symptoms, or sometimes none at all.

But when symptoms do appear, they are often mild and not very clear. Some early signs to watch for are feeling really tired all the time, losing weight without trying, not feeling hungry, feeling sick to your stomach, and having a little pain or discomfort in the belly or liver area.

According to the NHS, nails naturally change over time. It’s perfectly normal for nails to:

• become thicker or break more easily (brittle) as you get older
• become harder, softer or more brittle during pregnancy (they should be healthier within six months of having a baby)
• change colour, become loose and eventually fall off after an injury

Fingernails that are lost due to an injury should regenerate within six months. However, toenails may require up to 18 months to fully grow back.

The majority of nail issues are a result of:

• injuries or biting your nails
• staining your nails, for example, by smoking or applying a lot of nail varnish
• not regularly trimming your nails, or cutting them at an angle
• your hands often being in water or cleaning products
• a fungal nail infection

However, nail problems can sometimes indicate a more serious or chronic condition, such as:

• psoriasis
• iron deficiency anaemia
• an underactive thyroid or overactive thyroid
• diabetes
• heart, lung or liver disease

Certain medications can also cause nail problems. It’s worth examining the side effects of any medication you’re currently on.