CAUSE OF SPOON-SHAPED NAILS
posted: Aug. 19, 2018.
It is often said that eyes are the windows to the soul, well, toenails and nail conditions can also be the window to underlying diseases. Certain conditions can change the shape, colour, texture and appearance of the nails. As we discussed in previous blogs, nail conditions such as hippocratic nails can be linked to heart or lung disease, however, spoon shaped nails can be linked to other disease. Spoon shaped or concave nails are termed as "koilonychia". Koilonychia has been often linked to iron deficiency,
- inadequate iron in the diet (chronic iron deficiency)
- inability to absorb adequate iron from the diet
- malnutrition
- gastrointestinal malignancy
- celiac disease
- high altitude
- nail trauma
- disorders that involve muscles and bones
- genetics