Yellow Nail Syndrome

Foot Problems Can Signal Bad Overall Health

BOSTON -- After a routine ankle sprain, Jessica Seiden went to her doctor, concerned about her symptoms.

"I was feeling numbness and coldness starting in my toes and slowly moving up my leg," said Seiden.

Just a foot problem, right? Not so fast says Dr. Jordana Szpiro of Boston Common Podiatry.

"There can be other disease processes in the body that can manifest or show up first in the foot," said Szpiro.

Together, the left and right feet hold a quarter of the body's bones and countless nerves and blood vessels that link directly to the heart, spine and brain.

"If they're going to die off, they start first in the foot," said Szpiro. "If they're very, very cold, that could be a circulatory problem or a nerve problem."

Other red flags include frequent foot cramping or charley horses, which could mean you're dehydrated or vitamin deficient. A sore that won't heal could mean diabetes, and other infections could signal an autoimmune disorder, like irritable bowel syndrome or rheumatoid arthritis.

"You should never consider foot pain normal," said Szpiro, who said to also pay attention to your toe nails.

"A fungal toe nail infection generally looks yellow and crumbly, it's getting thicker, or it can have white spots on top of the nail. However, there are other problems that can mimic that," said Szpiro.

According to Yahoo! Health, 75 percent of people with psoriatic arthritis, for example, have spotted nails.

"If you have any numbness that doesn't seem to be going away, swelling that doesn't seem to be going away, any redness or warmth ... if it lasts more than a day or two or becomes a recurrent problem, you need to see someone for it," said Szpiro.

Even if does end up being just a foot problem, it's important to get it resolved quickly. Experts say untreated foot pain can lead to weight gain and even increase your chance of falling and breaking a bone.

What Is Yellow Nail Syndrome? - Health - NAILS Magazine

Yellow nails are not a rare sighting for nail techs. We see varying degrees: deep yellow with a tint of orange usually means someone chose a dark polish. Treatment: Buff it off. Brownish yellow on nails often indicates we’ve got a smoker. Treatment: Add enhancements as usual. These yellow nails may reveal our clients’ vices, but they don’t signal alarm. However, some yellow nails do raise our curiosity, and we begin to question clients to get more information. Yellow nails that pull away from the nail bed, for example, could indicate an infection, so techs want to learn the history of the condition.

 

Add one more “yellow nail sighting” that should draw your attention. It’s called yellow nail syndrome (YNS), and, while rare, YNS could reveal a lot more about a client than her vices. Thankfully, techs can look for a few telltale signs of YNS that separate it from your run-of-the-mill discoloration. The nails (including the toenails) of a client with YNS will have some or all of these characteristics: They will be thicker than normal and they may have a dark, greenish edge. They will grow slower than normal. A secondary result of the slow growth will be ridges or lines in the nails. There will be a pronounced, almost exaggerated curve to the nails. All the nails will be affected. Some of the nails may have onycholysis (separation of the nail plate from the nail bed), and the cuticle will be absent.

 

Yellow nail syndrome is most often associated with health conditions due to lymphedema or respiratory conditions. The Mayo Clinic defines lymphedema as the swelling that occurs “when a blockage in your lymphatic system prevents the lymph fluid in your arm or leg from draining adequately.” Lymphedema in the legs can result from something as harmless as a long airplane ride, or it could be present in clients with conditions that are far more serious. Clients with breast or lung cancer who have had lymph tissue or nodes removed may experience lymphedema.

 

Yellow nail syndrome may also be present in clients who suffer from pleural effusion. A membrane called the “pleura” lines our chest cavity and surrounds each of our lungs. When fluid accumulates between the layers of that membrane, pleural effusion occurs.

 

At one time, it was believed that yellow nail syndrome was hereditary. However, a recent study in the British Journal of Dermatology (June 2007), suggests that YNS may not be a genetic disease. More information is needed on YNS to make a solid determination of its cause. In order to receive a medical classification of YNS, two of three conditions must be present: changes to the nails, chronic respiratory disorders, and primary lymphedema. In some cases, all three are present. Because YNS is not considered a distinct condition, no treatment exists for yellow nail syndrome. Under the care of a doctor, conditions such as lymphedema or respiratory problems that are present alongside yellow nail syndrome may have treatment options. These include physical therapy, prescriptions, or even natural alternatives. Yellow nail syndrome can clear up once the other condition has been treated.

Yellow Nail Syndrome

Foot Problems in Older People, Assessment and Management

YELLOW NAIL SYNDROME Yellow nail syndrome is an uncommon condition characterised by the triad of thickened, incurvated yellow Figure 6.16 Yellow nail ...

Radiological findings in skin diseases and related conditions

Yellow Nail Syndrome Synonyms: Ivmphedema of nail, Sanunan syndrome In the yellow nail syndrome there is a highly characteristic nail change, ...

Pulmonary Manifestations of Pediatric Diseases

Yellow Nail Syndrome Yellow nail syndrome was described first in 1964 in a group of 13 patients with lymphedema and distinctive nail findings.1 Yellow nail ...

Pleural Disease

A case of the yellow nail syndrome associated with massive chylous ascites, ... Paradisis M, Van Asperen P. Yellow nail syndrome in infancy. ...