Most persons have a small, whitish, half-moon shape at the base of each fingernail where the nail connects to the cuticle and finger. Some persons cannot see a half-moon, or lunula, on the nail while a missing half-moon may mean an individual has a vitamin deficiency or a chronic medical condition.
According to MedicalNewsToday, some of the things the absence of a half-moon on your fingernail tells about your health include;
1. Kidney failure
People passing through dialysis for kidney failure often do not have half-moons on their nails.
Doctors think this is a result of anaemia due to kidney failure. Kidney failure is not the only potential trigger of anaemia, or the most common. Therefore, it is significant for people who think they might be anaemic to meet a doctor.
A person with kidney failure may also discover a brown band at the tip of the finger, at the point where the white tip links to the nail bed.
2. Malnourishment
Malnourishment as a result of extreme diets, medical conditions that affect the body’s capacity to absorb nutrients, and eating disorders can lead to alterations in the nails.
Patients with B-12 deficiency may notice that the half-moon on their nails disappears. They may also have brownish-grey nails.
Blood tests can showcase many vitamin and mineral deficiencies. A doctor can assist a person to determine what deficiencies they are most prone to, depending on diet, lifestyle, health, and other factors.
3. Yellow nail syndrome
Some diseases make the nails thicken and turn yellow, making the lunulae faint.
The nails may also curve, and the cuticle, which is the small piece of skin at the starting of the nail, may change shape or get less visible. The most common trigger factor is pleural effusion, which occurs when fluid builds up in the pleura, or the thin tissues that line the lungs and chest.
4. Heart and lung disease
The half-moon on your fingernail may turn red in persons with some types of heart and lung disease, including:
• chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
• heart failure.
• collagen vascular disease
The nails may also get changed in shape or texture, and a person may develop additional symptoms, like shortness of breath, coughing, or chest pain.
5. Cirrhosis
Cirrhosis is a severe health condition that scars and harms the liver, affecting the working of the liver. Patients with diabetes, those who drink too much alcohol, males, and people above 50 years of age are more prone to cirrhosis.
People with cirrhosis may have red lunulae. Their nails may also change to white, making it tough to see the half-moon on the fingernail.
