What is leukonychia?
Leukonychia is a discipline where blank lines or dots appear on the fingernails or toenails. This is a very common emergence, and it ’ s wholly harmless. Leukonychia is classified into two types :
- True leukonychia originates in the matrix of the nail, the part of the nail that’s responsible for nail production.
- Apparent leukonychia is a problem with the nail bed, the portion of the nail that’s under the nail, and not the nail itself.
true leukonychia can be promote divided into two categories based on how the nail look .
- Total leukonychia is a complete whitening of the nail plate. It usually affects all 20 nails.
- Partial leukonychia occurs when a portion of the nail plate is affected by the whitening. It may affect one nail, a few, or all.
partake on PinterestThese nails exhibit the typical formation of both white lines and spots on the nails.
Symptoms
For some people, the white spots may appear as bantam dots speckled across the pinpoint. For others, the whiten spots may be larger and stretch across the entire pinpoint denture. The spots may affect one collar or several. partial derivative leukonychia can appear in a kind of ways. They may look like :
- tiny pen-point–sized dots (punctuate leukonychia), which is the most common form
- larger “lines” across the nail (longitudinal leukonychia)
- larger individual dots or horizontal bands that are parallel to the base of the nail (striate or transverse leukonychia)
The cause for the white spots on your breeze through may dictate how the spot appear. A complete injury may cause a big white department of transportation in the center of the pinpoint. An allergic reaction may cause several dots all over the pinpoint. The appearance of the white dots or lines may be different on each nail. You may besides have extra symptoms, depending on the lawsuit of the white spots.
Diagnosis
If your white spots are infrequent, and you think they ’ re likely related to injury, you may never need to see your doctor about the exit.
barely be more careful to avoid injury or stop the behavior you suspect is responsible for the wrong. If you notice the spots are persistent or worsen, it might be time to see your doctor of the church. Most issues that could cause the white spots are well treated once they ’ re diagnosed. At your appointment, your repair will inspect the nails on your hands or feet. Based on their observations, they may make a diagnosis and offer a prescription. To help them understand the underlie issues, doctors may perform one or more tests. These include :
- Mycology, where fungal or nail clippings are sent for study under a microscope
- Nail biopsy, where a sample of the nail or skin tissue is sent for study under a microscope
- Blood test, where blood is examined for evidence of systemic disease or heavy metal poisoning
If they ’ rhenium uncertain about the diagnosis, they may request several tests to eliminate potential causes. This is specially true if your doctor suspects that a vitamin or mineral insufficiency is responsible for the flannel spots on your nails .
Treatment options
discussion will vary depending on the cause of the white spots. once you have a diagnosis, your doctor may recommend any of the postdate treatments .
Avoid allergens and harsh chemicals
Stop using the nail down polish, gloss, or other product you think may be responsible for your allergic reaction. If you continue to have symptoms of an allergic chemical reaction after you stop using the products, consult your repair .
Antifungal medication
oral fungicidal medicine is the most coarse treatment for nail fungus, and many doctors will besides prescribe a topical fungicidal treatment angstrom well. The average treatment time is 3 months, and it ’ s authoritative to use the discussion through the appointed period of time. otherwise, you may not in full treat the infection .
Time and rest
Most breeze through injuries just need time to heal. As the nail grows, the damage will move up the complete home plate. Over time, the egg white spots will disappear entirely .
Cosmetic treatments
If the discoloration of your nails is troublesome, or if you ’ re seeking a impermanent way to cover them up, use breeze through polish. Skin tone–colored nail polish is a natural way to hide the spots. And colorful polishes are surely fun.
Next steps to prevent reoccurring spots
If you ’ ve repeatedly noticed white spots on your nails and wonder what to do, hera ’ s a brief guide :
- Think, and then protect your nails. Have you recently hit your nails or injured your fingers in any way? Are the spots on the affected digits? Protect your nails as best you can when doing anything where they may be pinched, hit, or smashed. Also, take action to strengthen your nails, so they are more resistant to damage.
- Take note of symptoms. Do you have any other symptoms, such as changes to your nail color or texture? Are your nails turning yellow or becoming brittle? You may need to see your doctor for treatment.
- Talk with your doctor. If you think the white spots on your nails are not caused by injury, you can make an appointment with your doctor. After an examination, your doctor may offer a diagnosis and prescription.
- Eat for better nail health. Eat a balanced diet and maintain adequate levels of vitamins to prevent side effects, like white spots on your nails.
Fingernails and toenails grow lento, so it may take some time for the white spots or lines to disappear wholly. Fingernails can take 6 months or more to grow out in full. Toenails take longer, up to 18 months for broad growth.
Takeaway
For most people, white spots on the nails are nothing more than a annoying descry. They are rarely signs of bigger problems, and most will disappear on their own without treatment. If you ’ ve noticed the spots and are anxious, a agile visit to the sophisticate can help clear up whatever ’ s causing the spots and answer any extra questions you have. Most treatments are fast and effective .