On my recent trip to India, two of the specialist doctors I consulted for Gout at SHALBY, Amdavad first and foremost checked my fingernails and with the formation of slight ridges on my finger nails indicated my lack of Iron (which was proved with positive with the blood test) and of course early stages of  Arthritis…..

As far back as 3,000 BC Chinese physicians studied their patients fingernails for telltale signs of illness.

Thousands of years later, American country doctors, tending to their patients in small towns and farm villages, routinely checked patients' eyes, the surface of the tongue, and the appearance of the fingernails.

Some knowledgeable practitioners still check these things, although most that do are doctors that practice holistic medicine.

Why did the ancients and the old-time country doctors take such an interest in their patients' fingernails?

Because the nails often signal the presence of serious internal diseases, many that could become life threatening if overlooked or left untreated.



Have you checked your nails lately?

It may seem like an a strange question, but actually it's not. The condition, strength, and color of your nails are good indicators of what's going on inside you that you can't see.
Holistic physicians analyze the nails and you can too, if you know what to look for when you check them. It's a good idea to check your nails periodically (at least several times a year) to get an early warning about anything that may be dangerous cropping up inside you.

The five most dangerous signs

Nails that exhibit one or more of these properties are warning signs. If your nails have any of these telltale qualities it may be a good idea to see a doctor for a check-up as soon as you can.

Splitting nails appear to be flaking away and the condition is chronic. Although the nails are warning of a malady, it's not something that normally leads to death. Left untreated, however, illnesses signaled by splitting nails can become chronic, even severe. In most cases split nails result from ongoing malnutrition caused by poor diets, the beginning stages of psoriasis, or a significant lack of protein and possibly too little Vitamin C and folic acid in the diet.