Caleb Foster
Club nails, also known as clubbed nails, are a deformation of the nails that can be a sign of an underlying health condition. The nails become wider, spongelike or swollen, and curve downward like an upside-down spoon. Club nails are often associated with lung cancer, heart defects, or digestive conditions such as cystic fibrosis or celiac disease. They can be caused by long-term low levels of oxygen in the blood, known as hypoxemia. While club nails can indicate a serious health issue, they are not always cause for alarm, especially if nail clubbing runs in your family.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Wider, spongelike, swollen, curved downward like a spoon |
| Texture | Soft |
| Position | No longer sit even with the cuticle |
| Accompanied by | Swelling or bulging of the tips of the fingers or toes |
| Causes | Long-term low levels of oxygen in the blood (hypoxemia), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer, heart defects, digestive conditions, cystic fibrosis, congenital cyanotic heart disease, celiac disease, hypertrophic pulmonary osteoarthropathy (HPOA) |
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What You'll Learn
What does club nails mean?
Club nails, or clubbed nails, are nails that have become wider, spongelike or swollen, like an upside-down spoon. They may feel soft when pressed and no longer sit even with the cuticle. Club nails are often a sign of an underlying health condition that needs treatment, such as lung cancer, heart defects, cystic fibrosis or celiac disease. Clubbing is usually caused by long-term low levels of oxygen in the blood, known as hypoxemia. However, clubbed nails are not always cause for alarm, especially if nail clubbing runs in your family.
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What does nail clubbing look like?
Nail clubbing is when your nails appear wider, spongelike or swollen, like an upside-down spoon. They may feel soft when pressed and no longer sit even with the cuticle. This often occurs along with swelling or bulging of the tips of the fingers or toes. The nails become extremely curved from front to back.
Clubbed nails are often a sign of a health condition that needs treatment, such as lung cancer, heart defects, or digestive conditions including cystic fibrosis or celiac disease. Clubbing usually happens because of long-term low levels of oxygen in the blood, known as hypoxemia. However, clubbed nails are not always cause for alarm, especially if nail clubbing runs in your family.
Treating the underlying condition may help nails return to normal.
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What are the causes of club nails?
Club nails, or clubbed nails, are nails that appear wider, spongelike or swollen, like an upside-down spoon. They may feel soft when pressed and no longer sit even with the cuticle. This often occurs along with swelling or bulging of the tips of the fingers or toes. Club nails are often a sign of an underlying health condition that needs treatment, such as lung cancer, heart defects, or digestive conditions including cystic fibrosis or celiac disease. Club nails are caused by long-term low levels of oxygen in the blood, known as hypoxemia. However, they are not always cause for alarm, especially if nail clubbing runs in your family.
Club nails are caused by changes in the areas under and around the toenails and fingernails. This can be due to chronic low blood-oxygen levels, which can be seen with cystic fibrosis, congenital cyanotic heart disease, and several other diseases. The tips of the fingers enlarge and the nails become extremely curved from front to back. Club nails are a symptom of disease, often of the heart or lungs, which cause chronically low blood levels of oxygen. Diseases that cause malabsorption, such as cystic fibrosis or celiac disease, can also cause club nails.
A special form of club nails is hypertrophic pulmonary osteoarthropathy (HPOA), known in continental Europe as Pierre Marie-Bamberger syndrome. This is the combination of clubbing and thickening of periosteum (connective tissue lining of the bones) and synovium (lining of joints) and is often initially diagnosed as arthritis. It is commonly associated with lung cancer. Primary hypertrophic osteoarthropathy is HPOA without signs of pulmonary disease.
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What are the treatments for club nails?
Club nails are nails that appear wider, spongelike or swollen, like an upside-down spoon. They are often a sign of an underlying health condition that needs treatment, such as lung cancer, heart defects, or digestive conditions including cystic fibrosis or celiac disease.
Club nails are caused by long-term low levels of oxygen in the blood, known as hypoxemia. This can be caused by a number of conditions, including:
- Cystic fibrosis
- Congenital cyanotic heart disease
- Cardiovascular disease
- Liver disease
- Lung disease
- Celiac disease
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Because club nails are usually a sign of an underlying health condition, treatments are focused on the underlying cause. For example, your treatment plan may include:
- Chemotherapy, surgery, radiation therapy or medications for lung cancer
- A gluten-free diet for celiac disease
- Heart surgery for congenital heart conditions
- Medications or surgery for hyperthyroidism
After treating the cause of club nails, your nails may gradually return to normal. However, club nails aren’t always reversible. There’s no known way to prevent club nails, but you can prevent some of the conditions that lead to club nails by seeing a healthcare provider regularly for a physical examination and preventive healthcare.
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What are the underlying health conditions associated with club nails?
Club nails, also known as clubbed nails, are nails that have become wider, spongelike or swollen, like an upside-down spoon. They may feel soft when pressed and no longer sit even with the cuticle. This often occurs along with swelling or bulging of the tips of the fingers or toes. Club nails are often a sign of an underlying health condition that needs treatment.
Club nails are associated with several underlying health conditions, including:
- Lung cancer
- Heart defects
- Digestive conditions, such as cystic fibrosis or celiac disease
- Chronic low blood-oxygen levels, also known as hypoxemia
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Bronchogenic carcinoma
- Congenital cyanotic heart disease
- Hypertrophic pulmonary osteoarthropathy (HPOA), also known as Pierre Marie-Bamberger syndrome
Treating the underlying condition may help nails return to normal. However, it is important to note that clubbed nails are not always cause for alarm, especially if nail clubbing runs in your family.
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Frequently asked questions
Clubbing of the nails, or nail clubbing, is a deformation of the nails and the areas around them.
Clubbed nails are wider, spongelike or swollen, and curved downward, like an upside-down spoon. They may feel soft when pressed and no longer sit even with the cuticle.
Clubbing of the nails is usually caused by an underlying health condition, such as lung cancer, heart defects, or digestive conditions including cystic fibrosis or celiac disease. It is often the result of long-term low levels of oxygen in the blood, known as hypoxemia.
If you have clubbed nails, you should see a doctor as they can be a sign of a health condition that needs treatment.
