2 Other causes of koilonychia are high altitude, trauma, and exposure to petroleum products, and it can even be hereditary. 1,3,4 Therefore, spoon-shaped nails should prompt an evaluation for possible iron deficiency and the underlying cause.
Koilonychia, also known as spoon nails, is a nail disease that can be a sign of hypochromic anemia, especially iron-deficiency anemia. It refers to abnormally thin nails (usually of the hand) which have lost their convexity, becoming flat or even concave in shape.
Also, Can spoon nails be reversed?
If a spoon nail is caused by trauma, it should grow out naturally to the free edge and be filed off. However, treatment can include emollients to soften the nail and the skin around the nail.
Additionally, What does it mean when your fingernails are indented?
The indentations can appear when growth at the area under the cuticle is interrupted by injury or severe illness. Conditions associated with Beau’s lines include uncontrolled diabetes and peripheral vascular disease, as well as illnesses associated with a high fever, such as scarlet fever, measles, mumps and pneumonia.
Likewise, What causes dips in your fingernails?
Small dips or holes in your nails can be a result of banging up your hands – or they could be a sign that you need to look more closely at your health. Nail pitting can signal: Psoriasis. Connective tissue disorder.
What causes fingernails to concave?
The most frequent cause of spoon nails is iron deficiency anemia. But spoon nails can also result from: trauma to the nail. chemotherapy or radiation therapy for cancer.
What is the cause of spoon shaped nails?
Spoon nails (koilonychia) are soft nails that look scooped out. The depression usually is large enough to hold a drop of liquid. Often, spoon nails are a sign of iron deficiency anemia or a liver condition known as hemochromatosis, in which your body absorbs too much iron from the food you eat.
What does dents in your fingernails mean?
Nail pitting is when you have tiny dents in your fingernails or toenails. It can be a sign of psoriasis, eczema, or joint inflammation. You might also get them if they run in your family.
What does it mean when your fingernails flatten?
In the condition known as koilonychia, the nails are flattened and have concavities. This condition may be associated with iron deficiency. In onycholysis the nails become loose. They may even detach from the nail bed.
What vitamin deficiency causes dents in fingernails?
Fingernails are made by living skin cells in your fingers. So a skin condition such as eczema may lead to fingernail ridges. Skin dryness can also cause these ridges. If your body is low in protein, calcium, zinc, or vitamin A, a deficiency can sometimes be revealed by ridges in your fingernails.
What deficiencies affect fingernails?
Weak nails are most likely associated with a deficiency in B vitamins, calcium, iron, or fatty acids. Norris explains that it’s best not to take iron as a supplement unless you know you’re deficient. Instead, start taking a multivitamin that includes calcium and B vitamins.
Do Nails flatten with age?
Nail Texture With age, nails may become brittle and prone to breaking.
What causes fingernails to curve down?
Clubbing is when your nails thicken and curve around your fingertips, a process that generally takes years. This can be the result of low oxygen in the blood and is associated with: cardiovascular diseases. inflammatory bowel disease.
Do fingernails flatten with age?
Nail Texture With age, nails may become brittle and prone to breaking.
What does sunken fingernails mean?
Spoon nails usually develop on fingernails, but they can also occur in your toenails. The most common cause of spoon nails is iron deficiency, or anemia. This makes your level of red blood cells lower than normal.
Is nail pitting serious?
In more severe cases, pitting can continue to cause discomfort and the appearance of the nails may cause a person distress. It can also affect the functionality of the hands and feet. In the case of nail psoriasis, pitting is a marker for more severe skin symptoms and joint involvement.
How do you fix concave nails?
How are spoon nails treated? If your spoon nails are associated with a specific condition, your doctor will suggest a treatment plan for that disease. For anemia, the most frequent cause of spoon nails, your doctor will prescribe iron supplements and dietary changes so that you get more iron from foods.
What causes dents in your nails?
The indentations can appear when growth at the area under the cuticle is interrupted by injury or severe illness. Conditions associated with Beau’s lines include uncontrolled diabetes and peripheral vascular disease, as well as illnesses associated with a high fever, such as scarlet fever, measles, mumps and pneumonia.
What is the cause of Koilonychia?
The most common cause of koilonychia is chronic iron deficiency anemia. Iron deficiency can result from several causes including malnutrition, gastrointestinal bleeding, genitourinary bleeding, worms, malignancy, celiac disease and Plummer-Vinson syndrome.
Is Koilonychia reversible?
The spoon shape abnormality observed in severe chronic iron deficiency anemia is usually reversible with replenishment of iron stores through food sources containing high iron content or medical management by taking iron supplements.
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