We may have seen little white spots on fingernails and wondered why the sign appeared?
Some say that the spots are due to calcium deficiency. Sadly, it is a myth.
One thing is certain, the white spots on the nails are not risky. In the medical world, the sign is referred to as Leukonychia punctata, or due to mild trauma in the nails.
Well, the trauma is not merely because it is pinned by the door, but it could be a result too hard to knock or bite the nails.
The white spots form at the very bottom of the nail and move upwards as they begin to grow. But most of us are not aware of what causes the spots.
In addition, other causes of spots are not just trauma, as well as an allergic reaction to nail polish.
What causes white spots on fingernails?
Everything that happens to your body is definitely has a reason, including the emergence of white spots on the nails. There are various factors that cause this, namely:
Nail injuries
White spots on the fingernails usually appear in the form of dots or lines. It is usually caused by an injury to the nail base or called a matrix. The spots appear a little long after the injury, so it’s only natural that you may have forgotten the injuries that are the cause.
Allergic reactions
There are times when white spots can appear on the nails due to allergic reactions to nail polish, nail polish or even nail polish remover. The use of acrylic or gel nails can also damage your nails and can cause such white spots.
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Iron deficiency
Iron is one of the minerals needed by the body. Iron deficiency in a person, it can cause the appearance of white spots on the nails.
Protein deficiency
Not only iron deficiency, protein deficiency in one can also cause white spots on the nails. This is a line-shaped spot known as the Muehrcke line with a horizontal (transverse) position on one or two of your nails and will not move when the nails grow.
Calcium deficiency
White spots on the nails can also be caused due to calcium deficiency. To overcome this, you can consume foods that contain a lot of calcium, such as milk, yogurt, cheese, beef bone marrow, spinach, kale, oranges, avocado, salmon, nuts, and whole grains.
Fungal infections
The nail fungus commonly called onychomycosis can appear on the toenails. The initial infection was characterized by the emergence of small white spots on nails. The infection can grow and spread throughout the nail, causing the toenail to thicken and brittle.
8 Serious Diseases
Although white spots on the nails is a very normal thing to happen, but, the white spots on fingernails apparently can be a sign of a number of deadly diseases that someone suffered.
The appearance of white spots on one’s nails can also indicate that someone is suffering from a deadly disease, from heart attack to renal failure.
Normally, Leukonychia will disappear by itself as time goes by.
However, in certain cases, the appearance of spots in the nails in a long period of time can be a sign of deadly disease.
The reason changes in color, shape, up to the nail spots apparently reflect our current health condition, such as:
- Heart disease.
- Liver.
- Kidney failure.
- Anemia.
- Koilonychia (spoon nails).
A small number of the case of white spots on fingernails also occurs in patients with
- Psoriasis (eczema),
- Pneumonia, and
- Arsenic poisoning.
Even so, you don’t have to panic if you find white spots on your nails.
This is because the spots are only one of many signs that appear in the body when you have a deadly disease.
Read also: How To Cure A Jammed Finger
Consult a physician to ensure that the spots are properly caused by serious illness or not.
