What your fingernails are telling you

Our nails are made up largely of keratin, a hardened protein found in skin and hair, and it turns out they can act as a window into what’s going on inside the rest of our bodies. Here are a few changes to look out for in nail health and appearance that might suggest specific issues to look into: For starters, brittle nails can be a sign of anemia or thyroid disease, and sometimes small cysts on or near your cuticles can mean you have arthritis. “Nail pitting,” (tiny, ice pick-like dents) can be indicative of psoriasis, connective tissue disorders or autoimmune diseases, while “nail clubbing,” when your nails curve up around your fingertips, might suggest lung, inflammatory bowel, cardiovascular or liver disease. As a general rule, improve the health of your nails by eating a well-balanced diet and getting the right amount of vitamin B and zinc.

Source: The Mayo Clinic