Horizontal Fingernail Ridges

It is often said that the condition of our hair, nails, skin and eyes is a good indicator of our internal health. That's why any doctor can easily determine if we are facing some health problems by simply looking at our eyes and nails. Speaking of nails, one of the signs that there might be something wrong with your health is development of horizontal ridges. Though this fingernail disorder is not something that should get you worried immediately, it certainly isn't something either that you should ignore. Get to a doctor immediately cause any of the below given health problems and conditions could be behind it.

Causes

The common reason behind the development of ridges on fingernails is intake of an unbalanced diet. A diet which lacks in vitamins and other essential nutrients for the body might cause this condition. Or if you are taking a healthy diet, there is a possibility that your body is not able to properly absorb all the nutrients in your diet i.e. you suffer from malabsorption, which has caused this condition.

Another cause of fingernail ridges is that the nails might be dry and damaged from the surface due to a variety of reasons such as application of cheap quality cosmetics, lack of moisture caused by dry weather or due to less intake of water. If the nails are exposed to toxins such as arsenic, it can sometimes lead to arsenic poisoning and this nail condition as well.

Beau's lines which occur on the nail plate are seen in people who are suffering from some serious diseases like diabetes, cancer and Raynaud's disease. Muehrcke's lines, which are seen as white lines parallel to lunula, occur in the nail bed. These are caused if a person has kidney disease, liver disease or has very low albumic levels.

If the half-moon like white shapes near the base of the nail, also known as lunulae, become blue in color, it could indicate silver poisoning. If they are red, it could mean that a person has psoriasis, liver cirrhosis or carbon monoxide poisoning. Then there are terry's nails, a condition in which the nail plate becomes entirely white, except for a small horizontal part near its tip. This condition is caused when a person suffers from diseases like HIV, liver cirrhosis, kidney disease and diabetes, resulting in ridges on fingernails.

Diagnosis and Treatment

If any kind of changes are observed in the color and shape of the nails, a doctor should be consulted as soon as possible. If the ridges have developed recently and they are horizontal, especially so. Vertical fingernail ridges are somewhat harmless and may be caused due to old age or any external trauma to the nails. However, horizontal ridges could indicate a serious health problem. Also, if along with development of ridges, the nail is changing color to red, blue, green or any other strange color, it signals that there is an existence of some underlying health problem and hence needs immediate medical attention. However, if inadequate diet is the primary reason behind horizontal fingernail ridges, taking a nutritious diet will help in getting rid of them. Drinking lots of water, applying a nail cream, wearing gloves while doing manual labor are some other ways to protect nails from external damage and dryness, thus contributing immensely to nail care.

As mentioned above, horizontal nail ridges can be due to some circulatory problems, autoimmune diseases, respiratory problems, iron deficiencies or thyroid problems. So, it becomes important that nail ridges are diagnosed in time and treatment for the underlying diseases are taken, which will automatically help in getting rid of them.