Caleb Foster
White spots on nails, also known as leukonychia, are a common nail change. While they can seem harmless, they may be a sign of a more serious health condition. In this article, we will explore the different causes of white spots on nails, from vitamin deficiencies to severe illnesses, and provide advice on when to seek medical attention.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Medical term | Leukonychia |
| Severity | Common nail change, but can be a sign of a more serious illness |
| Causes | Vitamin deficiencies, liver disease, diabetes, kidney disease, injury to nailbed, hypoalbuminemia, malnutrition, nephrotic syndrome |
| Types | Longitudinal, true leukonychia, apparent leukonychia |
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What You'll Learn
White spots on nails are called leukonychia
In some cases, white spots on the nail are a sign of a serious illness, like liver disease, diabetes or kidney disease. If you have many white spots on your nails, it’s best to see a healthcare provider for evaluation. They can help you identify what might have caused the spots and treat the underlying health condition. White lines may also be due to injury to your nailbed.
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They can be a sign of a serious illness, such as diabetes or liver disease
White spots on nails, or leukonychia, can be a sign of a serious illness, such as diabetes, liver disease or kidney disease. If you have many white spots on your nails, it's best to see a healthcare provider for an evaluation. They can help identify what might have caused the spots and treat any underlying health conditions.
The medical term for white nails is leukonychia, which is the most common type of nail discolouration. It can affect the whole nail or, more commonly, just parts of the nail. There are three major types of leukonychia: true leukonychia, which occurs when the white spots on your nails form at the nail matrix (the beginning edge of the nail, located under the skin of your finger just before the visible part of the nail); apparent leukonychia, which happens when the white spots form on the skin beneath the nail (called the nail bed), rather than on the nail itself; and longitudinal leukonychia, which describes lines that run across the nail towards the fingertip.
True leukonychia appears in the hard part of your nail, called the nail plate. Apparent leukonychia can be distinguished from true leukonychia because the spots fade when pressure is applied to the nail, and they do not move across the nail as the nail grows.
White spots on the nails can also be caused by injury to the nailbed. Muehrcke lines are paired lines that fade when you press on them, while Mees' lines are single lines that won't fade with pressure. Mees' lines move up over time as your nail grows, while Muehrcke lines stay in the same place on the nail. Mees' lines can also be caused by hypoalbuminemia (when the blood doesn't contain enough albumin, a protein made by the liver), liver disease, malnutrition or nephrotic syndrome.
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They can be caused by injury to the nailbed
White spots on nails, known as leukonychia, can be caused by injury to the nailbed. This is known as apparent leukonychia, which occurs when the white spots form on the skin beneath the nail (the nail bed) rather than on the nail itself. These spots will fade when pressure is applied to the nail and they will not move across the nail as it grows.
Injury to the nailbed can cause white lines, known as Mees' lines, to appear on the nail. These lines will not fade with pressure and will move up over time as the nail grows. Mees' lines can be confused with Muehrcke lines, which are paired lines that stay in the same place on the nail and fade when pressure is applied.
White spots on the nails can also be a sign of a more serious health condition, such as liver disease, diabetes, or kidney disease. If you notice multiple white spots on your nails, it is recommended that you see a healthcare professional for an evaluation.
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They can be caused by vitamin deficiencies
White spots on nails, also known as leukonychia, can be caused by vitamin deficiencies. While there are many myths about why white spots develop, vitamin deficiencies are one of the more plausible explanations.
Leukonychia is the most common type of nail discolouration. It can affect the whole nail, but it more commonly only affects parts of the nail. There are three major types of leukonychia: true leukonychia, apparent leukonychia, and longitudinal leukonychia. True leukonychia occurs when white spots form at the nail matrix, which is the beginning edge of the nail located under the skin of the finger just before the visible part of the nail. These spots appear in the hard part of the nail, called the nail plate. Apparent leukonychia happens when the white spots form on the skin beneath the nail (the nail bed) rather than on the nail itself. This type can be distinguished from true leukonychia because the spots fade when pressure is applied to the nail, and they do not move across the nail as the nail grows. Longitudinal leukonychia describes lines that run across the nail toward the fingertip.
White spots on the nails can also be a sign of a more serious health condition, such as liver disease, diabetes, or kidney disease. If you have many white spots on your nails, it is recommended that you see a healthcare provider for evaluation. They can help identify what might have caused the spots and treat any underlying health conditions.
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They are very common and there are many myths about why they develop
White spots on nails are very common and there are many myths about why they develop. The medical term for white nails is leukonychia, which is the most common type of nail discolouration. White spots on nails can be harmless, but they can also be a sign of a severe or worsening health condition, such as liver disease, diabetes, or kidney disease. There are three major types of leukonychia: true leukonychia, which occurs when the white spots form at the nail matrix; apparent leukonychia, which happens when the white spots form on the skin beneath the nail; and Mees' lines, which are single lines that won't fade with pressure and move up over time as the nail grows. Mees' lines can be caused by injury to the nail bed, malnutrition, or liver disease.
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Frequently asked questions
White spots on nails are known as leukonychia. They are very common and are usually harmless, but they can sometimes be a sign of a more serious health condition, such as liver disease or diabetes.
If you have many white spots on your nails, it is best to see a healthcare professional for an evaluation. They can help you identify what might have caused the spots and treat any underlying health conditions.
There are three major types of leukonychia: true leukonychia, which occurs when white spots form at the nail matrix; apparent leukonychia, which happens when the spots form on the skin beneath the nail; and Mees' lines, which are caused by injury to the nail bed.
