Your mouth reveals a lot about your health; these symptoms warn you about a dog… SEE THE COMMENTS

 

These horizontal indentations can appear after physical trauma to the nail or as a result of a serious illness or condition, including malnutrition, uncontrolled diabetes, heart attacks, or respiratory diseases.

The appearance of these ridges is often due to temporary disruptions in nail growth caused by periods of severe stress or illness, as the body can temporarily slow or stop nail growth.

If the ridges “appear suddenly,” the NCBI says this indicates a sudden onset of illness. And if they appear on all 20 nails, “this is usually the result of a systemic disease such as mumps, pneumonia, coronary thrombosis, Kawasaki disease, syphilis, and hypoparathyroidism.”

White, parallel, horizontal lines that do not penetrate the nail surface may indicate liver or kidney problems. These lines, known as Muehrcke’s lines, usually disappear temporarily when pressure is applied to the nail and often appear on several nails at once.

A drop in blood protein levels, especially albumin, can also cause these white lines, which are common in people with malnutrition or chronic liver disease.

If Muehrcke lines are visible on several nails, you should consult your doctor, as this could be a sign of protein deficiency or kidney/liver problems.

See continued on the next page.