What is it?

Diabetes Mellitus refers to a disease that affects how your body used sugar. You get a few different types.

Type 1 – your immune system is attacking and destroying the insulin-producing cells in your pancreas. Your pancreas doesn’t make insulin or it doesn’t make enough. What is insulin? It helps the blood sugar enter the cells to use as energy. Without insulin the blood sugar can’t enter the cells and ends up in the bloodstream.

Type 2 – as with type one the body is unable to make enough insulin or the insulin it makes doesn’t work as it should. Leading to high blood sugar levels. But unlike type 1 it is not an autoimmune disease, it is life style related. 

Prediabetes – potentially reversible but is the precursor of diabetes unless it is addressed. Being pre diabetic means your sugar levels in the blood is higher than what it should be but not high enough to be classified as being diabetic. In short – prediabetic is your warming call. Last chance saloon so to speak to make some life style changes.

Gestational – potentially reversible and occurs during pregnancy but could potentially resolve once baby is born.

The bottom line – high levels of sugar in the blood is bad. It caused damage to the vessels that supply blood to your organs. This can lead to heart disease, strokes, kidney disease, vision problems and nerve problems.  This brings us to the next questions.

How does diabetes affect my feet?

High blood sugar levels can damage the sensation in your feet. It can also affect the circulation, leading to less blood supply to your feet. This in turn, leads to longer healing times when you have cuts and sores on your lower limbs and it could cause cramps and pain in your legs and feet. If cuts and sores are left untreated it leads to ulcers, infections and at the very end of the scale – amputation.

The good news – this can all be prevented with regular foot care.

During your first appointment with me, I will be doing a neurovascular assessment, looking at the sensation in your feet using a little instrument called a Monofilament, I will check your pulses and capillary refills times and do a thorough examination of your feet.

For more information about what you can do at home to care for your feet in between your routine foot care appointments, please click here

In the meantime, please email or WhatsApp me to book your foot care appointment.  

The post What is Diabetes Mellitus and what does it have to do with my feet? appeared first on Deseree Myburgh Foot Health Practioner.

According to the national institute of health (NICE) the heel takes over 60% of the body weight, therefore they withstand a tremendous amount of pressure. The weight and pressure we place on our heels causes the skin to expand outwards and if our skin is dry, it becomes less elastic and more prone to cracking and developing fissures.

Heel fissures are splits or cracks in the epidermis, they normally start off as superficial but with increased pressure these splits/fissures can become deeper and spread into the dermis, this can cause bleeding and pain and carries the risk of becoming infected.

Certain medical conditions may be an underlying factor that causes dry skin/cracked heels:

• Being over weight
• Diabetes
• Eczema
• Hypothyroidism
• Infections such as athletes’ foot

Other causes:

• Standing for long periods (worse if it is a hard floor)
• Poor fitting shoes
• Dry/cold weather
• Not drinking enough water – dehydration.
• Biomechanical factors such as flat feet and gait problems

How would a foot health practitioner help?

• The skin can be improved by reducing the Hyperkeratosis (increased thickness of the stratum corneum, the outer layer of the skin) regularly with a scalpel
• The FHP may or may not need to apply a dressing or medical grade skin adhesive to help close deep fissures to aid in healing.
• The FHP may recommend the use of in-shoe devices such as heel cups
• The FHP would recommend the regular application of a suitable product to hydrate the skin to help the skin restoration. An emollient cream is one that keeps the water in the skin, keeping it well moisturised and preventing it from drying out.Most emollient products are plain (containing no active ingredients), however for fissures/dry heels an emollient that contains 10-25% urea, alpha hydroxy acid, or salicylic acid is normally recommended.

Good to know

• Urea is considered to be both a humectant (a type of ingredient that helps attract and retain moisture) and an emollient (a type of ingredient that helps soften and smooth your skin).
• Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) are used for chemical exfoliation of the skin. They dissolve the bonds that hold dead skin cells on the surface of the skin, so the skin will gently shed, revealing smoother skin underneath.
• Salicylic acid is a keratolytic. It belongs to the same class of drugs as aspirin (salicylates). It works by increasing the amount of moisture in the skin and dissolving the substance that causes the skin cells to stick together. This makes it easier to shed the old, dead skin cells.

It is much easier to prevent the cracks/fissures from forming than to get rid of them once they are there.

Some things you can do:

• Don’t walk barefoot in public places, bare feet exposed our feet to bacterial and fungal organisms that can infect the skin and nails.
• Change your socks every day. There are more sweat glands per inch in our feet than anywhere else in the body. If at all possible, alternate shoes if you can so that your shoes have time to dry.
• Spray your shoes with an antibacterial shoe spray and make sure they are completely dry before putting them on.
• Wash feet and in-between toes with warm water with a mild soap-free body wash every day. Try to limit your baths/ showers to 10 minutes, bathing to long can dry out the skin.
• Dry well, particularly between the toes
• Look for a moisturizing cream that contains 10-25% urea, alpha hydroxy acid, or salicylic acid, and apply it to your heels immediately after bathing while your skin is still damp and whenever your heels feel dry to lock in moisture. (Please avoid applying it in between toes)
• Hydrate by drinking plenty of water and eating water rich foods such as cucumbers and watermelons

References:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7378067/#:~:text=The%20foot%2C%20meant%20as%20a,the%20forefoot%E2%80%9432%12.
2. https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/skin-care-basics/dry/dry-heels
3. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Belinda-Longhurst/publication/316880454_Dry_Heel_Fissures_Treatment_and_Prevention/links/5915b86d0f7e9b70f49da7b4/Dry-Heel-Fissures-Treatment-and-Prevention.pdf

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You get various types of corns, they all present differently but are essentially the same – caused by pressure. Corns have a well-delimited focal area of hyperkeratosis (hardened central core)

For more information of the different types of corns, please have a look at my previous blog by following the link:

https://dessiefhp.com/2023/08/04/lets-talk-about-corns/

However, today I want to look at Subungual Corns.

I remember very vividly being presented with my very first subungual corn. I thought to myself “what is this? What am I dealing with? How will I treat it?”

Luckily my training kicked in after the initial panic subsided and I was able to successfully treat it and alleviating the pain the patient was experiencing.

What is it?

So, we know that a corn is thickened dead skin (unless it is a vascular corn – for more info please click here

Where are they found?

Subungual is just a fancy medical term for underneath and in this case underneath the nail plate. Anywhere under the nail plate. For example:

• in the groove at the side of the nail plate, where the nail interacts with the skin tissue as the foot is moved about
• in the midline third of the nail (almost in the middle of the nail)

So, what happens?

The corn growth detaches the nail plate and causes painful pressure.

How do you treat it?

Corns that occur under the toe nails are very difficult to treat. It is impossible to get to the corn with the nail still in place. Therefore, to get to the corn, the nail (either in part or in full) needs to be removed. Once removed the corn is cut back, Ideal treatment would be clearance of the keratin plug and a dressing if needed. However, this is not always possible, in such cases clinical explanation and paring down should be attempted the patient should be reviewed every 3-4 weeks to make sure the corn is cut back and that the nails grow back in the correct manner. Although corns can be chronic, recurrent issues, most of them gradually spontaneously remit when treated at regular intervals.

But I never had one, why do I have one now? How do they develop?

That is a good question, but more important question to ask is, what has changed to cause extra pressure on the area? Have a changed my shoes? Have a recently had an injury that caused my gait to change?

By way of further explanation:

Anormal mechanical stresses comes in two forms. Intrinsic and extrinsic.

Intrinsic – inside

Extrinsic – outside (think exit)

a) Intrinsic stresses would include bony prominences (a thing that projects from something) such as hallux rigidus (stiff big toe), faulty foot mechanics, old fractures, hammertoe deformities, cavovarus foot deformity (a condition in which the foot has an abnormally high arch and the heel slants inward), Hyperextension at the distal interphalangeal joint, loss of the fatty pad exposing the bony prominences to pressures – just to name a few.

b) Extrinsic – include poor foot-wear (e.g., tight shoes, irregularities in the shoes, open shoes) and a high level of physical activity (e.g., in athletes).  

The bones in our feet have many projections, especially around the toes (particularly at the condyles of the heads and bases of the metatarsals and phalanges) See image below to see which area I am talking about. The skin that covers these bony projections undergoes pressure as we walk and wear tight shoes. As the abnormal pressure increase on the skin, the body protects itself by increasing keratolytic activity through a process referred to as physiological hyperkeratosis. To simplify – it means laying down extra skin to protect itself. Skin is keratin and eventually whilst lying down extra skin, the keratin plug presses into the dermis (healthy skin) and causes pain ( the underlying dermis undergoes a significant degeneration of collagen fibers and a proliferation of fibroblasts)

In summary :

Subungual helomas may require regular appointments and an investigation into the cause.

For any questions or appointments please contact me on :

WhatsApp: 07856577897

Email: contactme@dessiefhp.com

Website: https://dessiefhp.com

The post Subungual Corns ( Heloma) appeared first on Deseree Myburgh Foot Health Practioner.

Corn is a tall annual cereal grass (Zea mays) that is widely grown for its large elongated ears of starchy seeds.

No not that type of corn ! Not the kind you eat !

Medical corns – yes corns with a S ( plural ) meaning there or more than one kind !

A corn, also known as a “clavus,” “heloma,” or “focal intractable plantar hyperkeratosis,” is a type of callosity.

Wow that is a mouthful!

What does that mean?

Simply that it is a thickened hardened part of skin.

Now you may think to yourself – this sounds very much like a callous.

You would not be wrong! That is exactly what a callous is.

So, is there a difference between a callous and a corn? And if so, what is the difference?

Corns are uncomfortable, thickened skin lesions that result from repeated mechanical trauma due to pressure forces.

Callouses are the same but mostly caused by friction.

So the difference is pressure versus friction. Corns have a hardened central core, whereas calluses do not.

Why not look at my previous post about calluses – https://dessiefhp.com/2023/08/04/callus/

For now – let’s focus on corns.

Who gets corns?

In short anyone can get a corn. It is often seen in:

• Athletes,
• People who do certain activities,
• People with pressure forces caused by footwear or gait problems
• People with foot deformities
• Older adults that have bony prominences. The repeated pressure of the skin overlying the bony prominences leads to a hyperkeratotic thickness resulting in corn formation. This corn is a protective body reaction that produces an excess of the horny epithelial layer to prevent skin ulceration
• The elderly are subject to loss of the protective fat pad cushioning, called fat pad atrophy

Different types of corns:

1. Hard corns
2. Soft corns
3. Seed Corns
4. Subungual corns
5. Vascular corns

Hard Corns

Hard corns can be seen as a callus with a deep hard centre.

Soft Corns

They are soft, white and rubbery

Seed corns

Seed corns are associated with dry skin (anhidrosis)

Subungual Corns

Are corns under the nail

Vascular Corns

Corns that has a vascular involvement (it has both a blood supply and nerves in them)

Treatment /Management

The treatment aims to reduce the pain and discomfort resulting from corns.

1. Management begins with prevention. Patients should avoid ill-fitting shoes and mechanical trauma to the affected area.
2. Any biomechanical abnormalities and/or deformities should be managed with appropriate conservative treatment. This involves proper footwear, orthotics, and soft cushions (silicon sheet, sheepskin), which reduce friction and improve comfort. 

Hard Corns – once the overlying callous has been removed with a scalpel the centre needs to be cut out (enucleated), this may leave a little hole in the foot but it will in time fill with healthy tissue. Some larger corns or corns in difficult areas could be seen as a chronic corn and this may need regular 6-8 weekly appointments.

Soft Corns – Soft corns are white and rubbery because the skin is damp from sweat or from not drying properly, they are found between toes and are caused by pressure from footwear. The macerated, dead tissue is removed with a scalpel. Aftercare would be to advice a toe separator – a device that holds toes apart allowing the sweat to evaporate and to stop the toes rubbing together. It is also advised to pay special attention to drying toes and web spaces, in additional it is recommend to use Surgical spirit, when it is put on the skin and allowed to evaporate it dries out the skin cells as well as sterilising the area.

Seed Corns – they are associated with dry skin, treatment would be to remove the little corns with a scalpel and to apply an emollient cream that contains urea. Seed corns usually presents as multiple little corns and thus a regular review appointment is required to make sure all the corns were removed and does not reoccur.

Subungual Corns– Corns that occur under the toe nails are very difficult to treat. It is impossible to get to the corn with the nail still in place. Therefore, to get to the corn, the nail (either in part or in full) needs to be removed. Once removed the corn is cut back, Ideal treatment would be clearance of the keratin plug and a dressing if needed. However, this is not always possible, in such cases clinical explanation and paring down should be attempted the patient should be reviewed every 3-4 weeks to make sure the corn is cut back and that the nails grows back in the correct manner.

Neurovascular corns – have nerves and blood vessels in them they can be sensitive painful to treat and they can bleed if removed. Most corns have only dead tissue in them. If they are too painful to be treated by a FHP they would normally refer you to a podiatrists to be removed under local anaesthetic. Fortunately, they are rare.

With expert treatment most corns can be adequately managed. If you are suffering with painful corns , please contact me on :

WhatsApp: 07856577897

Email: contactme@dessiefhp.com

Website: https://dessiefhp.com

The post Let’s Talk About Corns? appeared first on Deseree Myburgh Foot Health Practioner.

What is a Callus?

A callus is thickened skin caused by friction/rubbing.

Why Treat a callus?

Calluses can be painful. This might range from a little discomfort to quite severe pain. The hard callus (mass of hardened tissue) presses (causes pressure) on the soft underlying skin and causes pain. This pain is caused by pressure on the soft underlying tissue which is under callus. The pressure or rubbing that has caused callus pushes on the hardened tissue – and this is transmitted through to the soft tissue and discomfort is felt.

What can be done?

As the pain is caused by the mass of hardened tissue, the two principals of treatment are:

1. Determining the cause of the pressure
2. Removing the mass of hardened tissue

Where can you find a callus? (Location)

1. An Area that receives lots of pressure due to gait, wrong shoes, compromised foot anatomy or certain activities, for example activities that put repeated pressure on the foot, such as running or walking barefoot, can cause calluses to form
2. Over a Corn
3. Over a verrucae/wart

Treatment

Now that we know that a callus is a thickened mass of dead skin and we understand the cause and common locations where they can be found. It is good to know that the layers of dead skin that makes up the callus can be discoloured – usually a yellow in colour.

To treat the callus a foot professional would clean the area and remove the callus completely or in part in very thin slices with a scalpel. This may sound painful but in fact as there are no nerve cells in the thickened, dead layers of skin that make up the callus. these layers are carefully peeled away with a scalpel, it is really only cutting through dead protein – just like cutting nails or hair. It may be a little sensitive afterwards as the new healthy skin is now exposed.

Occasionally, a callus can be extensive and might need more than one treatment episode. The foot professional would rebook you in 6-8 weeks.

 In addition, if the underlying cause has not been adequately treated, the callus will reoccur.

Home Care

You can soak your feet in warm soapy water for 15 minutes, dry feet (and between toes) rub the hard skin with a pumice stone, wash your feet, dry them and apply a foot cream (not between toes!) and put on some woolly socks for an hour to allow the foot lotion to penetrate the skin.

Often people would ask me if I would advise scraping or cutting off their own calluses at home – my answer would always be a very solid NO. The first reason is, that you could injure yourself by cutting to far into the skin and the second reason would be that once you have cut into healthy skin meaning you could sustain an infection.

If patients are diabetic I would always advice that they get seen by a professional instead of attempting any treatment at home.

For foot health appointments , contact me on :

WhatsApp: 07856577897

Email: contactme@dessiefhp.com

Website: https://dessiefhp.com

The post Callus appeared first on Deseree Myburgh Foot Health Practioner.

Born and bred on the East Coast of Sunny South Africa, I have always been a busy bee. I started my first job at the age of ten. As the youngest of 3 , being much younger meant that I was an “only child” from the age of 10. My first job was at a local garage during summer holidays, sorting out paperwork, making tea, hopping on my bike and buying lunches for the mechanics. When I was 13 my brother in law opened a tuck shop and I worked there serving customers and doing stock takes, during school holidays and some weekends. At the age of 15 a friend got me an interview at a local SPAR as a teller and shelve stocker. Around the same time , my mother started a child minding business at home, what started off looking after one child, soon grew into a 30 child business and I would come home from school, help with the children and then clock up 30 hours in shifts at SPAR between a Friday-Sunday. Shortly after I turned 16 we moved from my childhood home ( yes , I was one of those lucky kids who went to the same school from 6-18 and stayed in the same house for most of my childhood) , my mom’s business closed. I still commuted to my job at SPAR over weekends and maintained my 30 hours work over a weekend ( more over school holidays). This continued throughout my schooling. As I was embarking on my final high school exams, an opportunity came up for an apprentice dental nursing position. I worked my first shift as a dental nurse on the day I wrote my last high school exam. I was fully emerged in my new career as a dental nurse Monday to Friday and kept up my weekend work at SPAR for the next year. Eventually the 7 day working week, were to much. I dropped my weekend work at SPAR and started using the time to focus on my theory in becoming a dental nurse. Shortly after I got my diploma , I used my newly found “free time” to continue my studies at a local hospital , to become an advanced HIV lay counsellor. I moved to the United Kingdom, continued my career as a dental nurse. To conform to British standards, I had to redo my studies as a dental nurse and once I started with the studies , the bug bit and I continued – soon completing my certificate in oral health education and then dental radiography. I was promoted to practice manager and continued my studies in management. Having been in dentistry for 22 years , a change was in order and I embarked on becoming a foot health practitioner. Now the two careers co exist, side by side as they have so many similarities and I am loving each minute of being able , not only to continue as a busy bee , but loving each minute of being able to care and serve others through my profession.

The post Born Busy Bee appeared first on Deseree Myburgh Foot Health Practioner.

Don’t worry lots of people are.

Let me see if I can help.

Loads of people ask what the difference is between a Chiropodist and a Podiatrist, the short answer is, nothing.

Chiropodist/Podiatrist is a dual title held by anyone who has completed a BSc degree in Podiatry in the UK since the 90’s.
Podiatrists/Chiropodists are practitioners specialising in the treatment of foot problems. They have diagnostic power, can treat high-risk and diabetic feet, check for circulatory and neurological problems, manage wounds, remove toenails under local anaesthetic, issue some prescription-only medicines and carry out biomechanical assessments and issue orthotics (insoles) accordingly. The title Chiropodist/Podiatrist is protected by law and it is an offence to use it if unqualified. That is why I ALWAYS make sure that my patients understand I am NOT a Chiropodist/Podiatrist.

The obvious next questions then – What is a Foot Health Practitioner ?

Foot Health Practitioners (FHPs) are trained to care for foot problems such as toenail care, corns and calluses. We can also treat diabetic feet safely and are aware of aseptic technique (clean working) and when to refer-on for more serious foot problems.

The key difference would seem to be our training and more often than not the price.

A good foot health practitioner :

• Will be able to show you their certification/qualification. This would normally include an accredited course and practical training.
• Be very clear about what they can and can not do.
• Refer you to a podiatrist or GP if they feel that the treatment required is not in their scope of practice or need further investigation/opinion.
• Must be indemnified.
• Undertake regular CPD ( continued professional development)
• Sterilise instruments prior to use.
• Check your medical history at regular intervals and keep your data safe and secure.

I am happy to say that I take great pride in being able to say that I adhere to all the above and always strife for excellence in my profession.

Ultimately, it is up to you who you choose to see a foot health professional may be completely suitable for your needs, and may be a little cheaper.
I hope this piece has been helpful in clearing up some common misconceptions.

The post Chiropodist vs Podiatrist vs Foot Health Practitioner appeared first on Deseree Myburgh Foot Health Practioner.

There are several risk factors for developing nail fungus: tight shoes; damaged nails; walking barefoot in moist areas like swimming pools, saunas, and public showers; poor blood circulation in your legs; a weakened immune system; and other skin conditions, such as psoriasis.

Often people seek advice from a pharmacist who would prescribe and dispense an antifungal nail cream – it can take up to 18 months to cure the infection and does not always work as the cream/medicament does not penetrate to source of the problem – the nail bed.

Foot health practitioners can help by removing much of the fungal nail to aid in the cream/medicament penetrating the nail bed. There is also a procedure call fenestration , where a few little holes are made in the infected nail , allowing the product to penetrate the nail bed better.

Fungal nail could take a very long time to resolve and it is important to be very persistent with the treatment.

New products appear on the market regularly , so if one product doesn’t work there is always something else to try.

The most important thing is not to leave it untreated , get it checked out by a professional who will help you manage it.

The post Fungal Nails appeared first on Deseree Myburgh Foot Health Practioner.

Facts

Our feet are brilliantly engineered , 26 bones, 30 joints and more than 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments. It takes a lot to make them work – which also means – there is a lot that can go wrong!

Feet and ankles absorb an impact of +_ 120% of your body weight with each step. (1) – 275% if you are running ! That sure is A LOT of impact!

When we reach middle age , subcutaneous fat in our feet (especially around the heel area) thins, we thus have less protective padding in our feet which could lead to ankle and foot injuries.

 Corns, calluses, nail issues and verrucas can strike at any time.

Toe nails grow at 1mm a month.

Some of the common caused for pain explored

Heel pain

As with the scenario described above , you get out of bed and as soon as your foot strikes the floor you are in pain. what could it possibly be ? A possible cause could be heel pain, it is a very common occurrence and more likely than not caused by plantar fasciitis.( this is NOT the only reason! Just one of many) What on earth is that right ? The plantar fascia is a thick fibrous band which attaches your heel to your toes. It supports the arch and takes the load when you stand, walk and run. So its a vital part of our foot – yet we only start googling it when it hurts

The really good news is that for most people it clears up or is managed very well with simple treatment. What are the treatment options you ask ? The first cause of action I normally advice my patients is rest , ice therapy and painkillers. One could also look at insoles and certain exercises – the key to this is patient compliance. Setting a daily reminder to do the prescribed exercises and listening to your body. We heard above that the feet takes a huge load when we are active, so sometimes a little rest is all your hard working feet need to recover.

Bunions and toe pain

In the good old days high heels and tight foot wear were blamed for bunions and toe pain. Although the wrong footwear can absolutely make the situation worse, new studies suggest that the main cause is genetics. (2) So how do bunions develop? Well, normally the big toe starts moving inwards towards the second toe causing the base of the big toe to become bulbous. This in itself can be painful or the pain could be due to footwear pushing on the oddly shaped protrusion. Although surgery can be carried out ( which I would refer my patients for if that is their preference) there are toe props that can be made to try and alleviate the toes pressing into each other , inserts, foam that can be cut to place over the toe to take the pressure off. If you spot any misalignment of your toes, seek advice. Bunions can cause other toe issues , such as hammer toe etc.

Fungal nails, athletes foot, corns, verruca’s

There are so many things that can go wrong with feet. Most , luckily are treatable. The bottom line – seek help from a qualified foot health practitioner ( like myself )

Corns and calluses can be pared down to relief pain. Verruca’s can be treated , it is a lengthy process as one has to initiate an immune response in the body but it is absolutely treatable. Fungal nail – takes a long time to clear up but there are so many options for treatment. Scraping and cutting away infected parts, fungal nail ointments and lacquers ( although this needs to penetrate the nail bed to work – hence the cutting and scraping away of infected nail) , fenestration ( making small holes in the nail so the medicaments can penetrate the nail bed) , anti fungal tablets. Medicines and foot care advice will help treat athletes foot and other contagious skin conditions.

Call me today to book an appointment , so I can help you put your best foot forward !

References:

1. https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(12)61642-5/pdf
2. https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=XUtLDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA323&dq=genetics+and+bunions&ots=YgWsEQla8U&sig=6w2EYjccFGo14o2fWV3zVUDZJ3I&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=genetics%20and%20bunions&f=false

The post Putting The Best Foot Forward appeared first on Deseree Myburgh Foot Health Practioner.

The point of this article is not to scare you but to make you aware of how much
goes on in the foot health practitioner’s mind when they see you for the first
time and how important the discussion around your medication and medical
history is.

Below some of the most common nail abnormalities that are seen:

1. Nail clubbing. It could be a sign of an underlying lung and heart
   problems.
2. Onychomycosis – or fungal nail – this could be very difficult to
   treat and could take several months to years for it to fully resolve.
3. Pseudomonas aeruginosa – easily mistaken for fungal nail. It is a
   bacterial infection looking a bit green.
4. Anolunula. Lunula is the white, half-moon shaped area seen in
   proximal ends of some nails. Anolunula means the absence of the lunula. Absence
   of the lunula in the thumb could potentially mean malnutrition or iron
   deficiency. A pale blue lunula could mean diabetes. A red colour could
   potentially be an underlying cardiovascular disease.
5. Yellow nails syndrome Could be an indication of lymphoedema, or
   lung disease, it could also be indicative of diabetes amongst many other
   things.
6. Koilonychia or spoon shaped nails could be an indication of iron
   deficiency, diabetes or protein deficiency, it could also indicate Raynaud’s
   disease or exposure to certain chemicals.
7. Lindsay Nails (half and half nails) The part closest to the finger
   is white and the rest is red/pink/brown. This could be indicative of various
   things such as Crohn’s disease, Kawasaki disease and various other.
8. Terry Nails Looks almost and can easily be confused with Lindsay
   nails. It has a similar appearance with 80% of the part closest to the finger
   is whiter and the rest is a normal pink. Potential underlying causes could be
   hepatic disease, diabetes, hyperthyroidism likewise it could just be normal
   aging
9. Lines of the nails. Vertical lines could be an indication of
   certain medications, melanoma, Addison disease or trauma. Mees lines – these
   are white transverse line (horizontal lines) any acute illness such as heavy
   metal toxicity, arsenic poisoning, chemotherapy, carbon monoxide poisoning,
   Hodgkin’s disease, malaria or leprosy. Horizontal lines – also known as Beau’s
   lines could be a sign of chemotherapy, nails trauma or even zinc deficiency.
10. Onychorrhexis. There are vertical ridges (not lines) on the nail.
    This could be due to old age but it could also be a sign of rheumatoid
    arthritis, lichen planus or even cardiovascular disease.
11. Splinter haemorrhage. Looks like little back dots or lines. This
    could be due to simple trauma or it could be a sign of fungal nail. It could
    also be bacterial endocarditis, psoriasis or even renal failure.
12. Pitting of the nails. Normally is present when a patient suffers
    from psoriasis but it could also be present in patients with alopecia areata,
    eczema, reactive arthritis or lichen planus.
13. Nail Melanoma – a fairly rare condition.
14. Nail tuft It is a vascular dermal protrusion beneath a nail. This
    is actually a very common occurrence in especially older people.
15. Tuberous sclerosis complex This is a genetic disorder that caused
    benign tumours to grow in various parts of the body.
16. Onychoptosis Is the periodic shedding and falling of one or more nails, in whole
    or part. It can be seen after fever, trauma, adverse reaction
    to medications, and in systemic illnesses including syphilis (syphilitic
    onychia)
17. Onychia Is the term applied to an infection of the soft parts
    around the nail or of the matrix beneath it.
18. OnychoschiziaBrittle nails are usually caused by repeated wetting and drying of
    your fingernails, so you should use gloves when getting your hands wet, such as
    when doing dishes.In some cases, brittle nails might also be a sign of
    hypothyroidism or even iron deficiency.

I am pretty sure that after reading all of the above you have inspected your
finger and toe nails and may have noticed a few things  and are probably saying to yourself “ Oh no !
Is this x, y. or z !” Please don’t worry. Even FHP’s sometimes have to approach
a podiatrist for a second opinion and more often that not , what you see is
absolutely nothing. But why not book in your session with me so a professional can
have a look and advice you accordingly. Email me : contactme@dessiefhp.com or send me a WhatsApp on (+44)07856577897

References:

1.Gahalaut P, Mishra N, Chauhan S, Ali MM, Rastogi MK, Thakur R.
Anolunula in Fingernails among Patients Infected with HIV. ISRN Dermatol. 2014
Feb 23;2014:271230. doi: 10.1155/2014/271230. PMID: 24701356; PMCID:
PMC3950909.

2.https://reference.medscape.com/slideshow/fingernail-abnormalities-6002456?uac=422700EY&faf=1&sso=true&impID=4109980&src=wnl_edit_tpal#15

3.https://www.dictionary.com/browse/onychia

4.Al-Awwad AA, Abdelmaksoud O, Albirini A. Onychoptosis: A forgotten
sign in syphilis infection. Avicenna J Med. 2020 Jul 3;10(3):122-124. doi:
10.4103/ajm.ajm_215_19. PMID: 32832429; PMCID: PMC7414600.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32832429/#:~:text=Onychoptosis%20is%20the%20periodic%20shedding,including%20syphilis%20(syphilitic%20onychia).https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32832429/#:~:text=Onychoptosis%20is%20the%20periodic%20shedding,including%20syphilis%20(syphilitic%20onychia).

5.https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/healthy-nails#texture

The post What does your nails tell you about your health – Nail abnormalities. appeared first on Deseree Myburgh Foot Health Practioner.