What does a white line down your toenail mean?

White spots or streaks are normal and nothing to worry about. Parallel white lines that extend all the way across the nails, known as Muehrcke's lines, are a sign of low levels of protein in the blood. In contrast to Beau's lines, they're not grooved. They can occur as a result of liver disease or malnutrition.

Are white lines on toenails fungus?

In toenail fungus, the nail becomes thick and yellow and may show white spots and streaks. The condition, also called onychomycosis, becomes more common as you get older.

What deficiency causes white lines on nails?

You may notice white spots or dots along your nails if you're deficient in certain minerals or vitamins. The deficiencies most commonly linked to this issue are zinc deficiency and calcium deficiency.

Why do I have a line on my toe?

Splinter hemorrhages appear as small black or deep-red lines and are caused by injuries to the small blood vessels under the nail beds. They usually heal on their own within a few days. If a person has multiple splinter hemorrhages across several different nails, it could indicate an underlying condition.

What vitamin deficiency causes lines in nails?

Our nails naturally develop slight vertical ridges as we age. However, severe and raised ridges can be a sign of iron deficiency anemia. Nutritional deficiencies, such as a lack of vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin B12 or keratin can result in fingernail ridges. Hormonal changes can also cause ridges to appear.

Subungual Melanoma: What You Need to Know

What does melanoma look like under the toenail?

Subungual melanoma often starts as a brown or black streak under a toenail or fingernail. A person may mistake it for a bruise. The main symptoms of subungual melanoma include: brown or black streaks in the nail without any known injury.

What are Muehrcke's lines?

Muehrcke lines are multiple transverse white linear bands parallel to the lunula of the fingernail. They represent an apparent leukonychia as they result from an abnormality in the vasculature of the nail bed. This activity reviews the etiology, evaluation, and treatment of patients with this condition.

Can vitamin D deficiency causes white spots on nails?

Contrary to popular opinion, white marks on the nails is rarely the sign of a vitamin or mineral deficiency and you don't need to drink more milk. The most common cause of white spots is actually damage to the nail bed.

Why are there lines on my nails?

Ridges in the fingernails are usually signs of aging. Slight vertical ridges commonly develop in older adults. In some cases, ridges may be a sign of health problems like vitamin deficiencies or diabetes. Deep horizontal ridges, called Beau's lines, may indicate a serious condition.

Are Muehrcke's lines serious?

Muehrcke's lines are most commonly associated with metabolic stress and chronic hypoalbuminaemia (usually < 2 g/dL), such as nephrotic syndrome, chronic liver disease, or severe malnutrition. In addition, Muehrcke's lines have also been associated with infections, chemotherapy drugs, and high altitude.

What does a fungus toenail look like?

Nail fungus can cause the nail to become thick or ragged and appear yellow, green, brown or black. An infected nail may separate from the nail bed. Nail fungus is a common condition that begins as a white or yellow spot under the tip of your fingernail or toenail.

How do I know if its toenail fungus?

Infected nails are usually thicker than normal and could be warped or oddly shaped. They can break easily. Nails with fungus might look yellow. Sometimes a white dot shows up on the nail and then gets bigger.

What happens if you leave toenail fungus untreated?

If you have toenail fungus and it goes untreated, you may experience: Pain in your feet and toes due to thickened, distorted toenails. Spread of the fungus to your skin, causing athlete's foot. Infection of the surrounding areas, causing cracked skin, and increasing bacterial spread.

Can thyroid problems cause ridges in nails?

Horizontal ridges can be caused by trauma to the nail and may be deep or discolored. The can also indicate malnutrition, psoriasis or a thyroid problem. Check with your doctor if you see horizontal ridges on your nails; they may indicate a more serious problem. Need to make an appointment with a Piedmont physician?

Can you scrape out toenail fungus?

Prescription Medicines

If your fungus doesn't clear up at home, you should check in with a dermatologist (a skin, hair, and nail specialist) or podiatrist (a foot doctor.) They may gently scrape under your nail to get rid of some of the fungus or send it to the lab for diagnosis.

What do Beau's lines in nails look like?

What do Beau's lines look like? Beau's lines are horizontal indentations, or ridges, that develop across the nails. They usually run straight across the nail. A person may develop one or more Beau's lines on any nail, or across multiple nails.

What does Stage 1 melanoma look like?

Stage IA Melanoma: The melanoma tumor is less than 1.0 millimeter thick (less than the size of a sharpened pencil point) with or without ulceration (broken skin) when viewed under the microscope. Stage IB Melanoma: The melanoma tumor is more than 1.0 millimeter and less than 2.0 millimeters thick without ulceration.

How can you tell the difference between toenail fungus and melanoma?

How do I know if I have toe melanoma?

It's often slow and painless growth makes it tricky to catch early. Learn the signs and when to seek urgent treatment. We suspect melanoma from a pigmented spot that starts at the bottom of the nail next to the cuticle and makes a black streak on the toenail as it grows out toward the tip of the toe.

How do you feel when your vitamin D is low?

Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency can include muscle weakness, pain, fatigue and depression. To get enough D, look to certain foods, supplements, and carefully planned sunlight.

What do nails look like with anemia?

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 kills toenail fungus fast?

What does a bacterial nail infection look like?

The skin appears reddened and swollen, and the infection may discolor the nail or lead to distortion of its shape. In more severe cases, pus may collect and form an abscess at the base or sides of the nail. In such cases the skin feels fluctuant and looks whitish.