How do other illnesses affect nail disorders?

Other illnesses can affect you by causing nail disorders and can continue to weaken and damage your body when nail disorders are left untreated. Illnesses like diabetes, kidney disease, liver disease, heart conditions, skin conditions, and autoimmune disease can affect the body by creating a nail disorder as a symptom of the underlying illness.

Illnesses that affect your body's ability to process certain materials, like kidney disease, increase the build up of certain chemicals in your body that affect the nails. Skin conditions like psoriasis and certain rashes affect the skin surrounding the nail and can create lesions on the nail.

Many illnesses can cause symptoms in your nails, which is why experts recommend discussing any changes in your nail health with your doctor or dermatologist. Some of the conditions that can affect the appearance, growth, or shape of your nails include:

• psoriasis
• melanoma (skin cancer)
• kidney disease
• liver disease
• thyroid disease
• endocarditis (inflammation in the lining of the heart)
• lupus

In addition, chronic illnesses can make it more difficult to recover from nail disorders such as ingrown toenails. If you have diabetes or nerve damage or poor circulation in your feet, it is especially important that you bring any nail changes to your doctor's attention for diagnosis and treatment.