Some dramatic nail changes can suggest or reveal health problems.
Dark vertical streaks can occur from nail biting — or an infection of the heart valves.
Horizontal ridges (different from vertical ridges) occur as a result of major illness or chemotherapy. They can appear after a high fever or as a result of Peripheral Vascular Disease.
Meanwhile, vertical ridges that go from the tip of the nail to the cuticle are usually the result of normal aging or eczema. Hypothyroidism can also cause these.
White, yellow, or brown nails can be a sign of fungal infection. Check with a doctor.
Half-and-half nails are seen in kidney disease. The bottom half of the nail is milky white and the top is brownish pink.
Rick Good spent ten years in the newspaper business, including with The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) and The Greenville News (Greenville, SC). He co-wrote, with Melinda Coleman, Rutledge to Riley: Governors of South Carolina, 1776–Present (Published by The Greenville News), and is the author of Mind Games Trivia #1 (Amazon). He has recently spent 15 years creating original trivia content through Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment and continues that with his new company, SGME Software. He edits The Smart Reader’s money, real estate, and business coverage.
