Perhaps you have heard from a friend or read on the internet that the color of your nails can reveal so much about what’s taking place inside your body. Definitely, there is something wrong if your nails appear yellow even though you haven’t coated them with yellow-colored nail polish.
But before you panic, keep on reading this article. Below you will come across some of the most common reasons why your nails look yellow. Sometimes it’s due to an everyday habit such as painting your nails or using household cleaning products with harsh ingredients in them.
However, at times it may be due to an undiagnosed medical condition such as something that is related to the thyroid gland or lungs. Paying your doctor a visit allows you to know whether or not your yellow nails is caused by a health-related issue that needs to be treated right away.
Let’s now take a quick look as some of the things that can be blamed for your yellow nails. Don’t forget to share this article on your various social media sites afterwards in order to give your family members and friends a good idea on why their nails are yellow.
Constant Use of Nail Polish
It’s fun to regularly change the color of your nails according to your personality, mood or attire. However, it’s not really a good idea to constantly have your nails painted. That’s because some of the chemicals in nail polish, most especially dark-colored ones, can actually leave behind a yellow stain.
Worry not because yellow nails due to nail polish stain is nothing serious. What you need to do is give your nails some much-needed break, and such can be attained by refraining from painting them for a while. Unfortunately, you have no choice but to wait for your nails to grow out completely to get rid of the stain.
A Fungal Nail Infection
Health authorities say that fungi are naturally present on the body. They are not known to cause any problem unless they end up multiplying uncontrollably. Fungi can also be found on the nails, and their unnecessary proliferation can lead to a fungal nail infection.
If you have a fungal nail infection, it’s most unlikely for your nails to feature yellow-colored spots or streaks. Sometimes the entire nail can turn yellow. Other common signs and symptoms of a fungal nail infection include nail thickening, lifting from the nail bed and having a foul odor.
Nutritional Deficiencies
Doctors say that the color of the nails may sometimes reveal the fact that an individual is suffering from a certain vitamin or mineral deficiency. For instance, nails that are yellow in color may indicate deficiency in vitamin B12. At times it is brought about by a diet that’s lacking in zinc.
Having well-balanced meals helps fend off nutritional deficiencies that can affect not only your nails but also your overall health in a number of ways. Sometimes supplement intake is warranted. There are cases in which a nutritional deficiency is due to a digestive problem that needs to be diagnosed.
Certain Medical Conditions
There are a number of health-related concerns that are known to make the nails appear yellow. One of them is diabetes. It’s for the fact that the said disease can cause poor blood circulation to the extremities, thus depriving the nails of the oxygen and nutrients they need to stay healthy.
According to experts, it’s possible for the yellowing of the nails to be due to a problem with the thyroid, which is a gland that is situated in your neck. Certain health issues that have something to do with the blood, heart and lungs are also known to turn the nails yellow.
