so, i don't know if this means anything, but i have noticeable vertical ridges on my fingernails and toenails. other than that, no nail abnormalities - my nails are strong and healthy, and they grow quickly.
anyone know what the ridges could signify?
thanks.
Posted by Pure Lymie League (Member # 10421) on :
I have ridges also, asked the doc, he said it does signify disease or infection. Sara
Posted by heiwalove (Member # 6467) on :
up
Posted by gambler (Member # 8441) on :
Ridges that go across the nail in the same place on all the nails mean serious illness or stress on the system.
Ridges that go lengthwise are common as people get older.
Posted by jaime1978 (Member # 11786) on :
funny, I have had ridges for years...have asked several docs, and all said it's nothing!
I could have had answers YEARS ago if these stupid ducks had a clue
Posted by Virginia of Yore (Member # 3269) on :
I noticed early in my lyme infection that my left ring finger developed a vertical ridge. I have since developed them in several other nails. My infec. disease doc said there are whole books written on nail changes from disease. I suspect it is from various nutrient deficiencies caused by the Bb. Zinc is one--despite taking zinc in multivitamin, I was still deficient in it. (I now use liquid vitamins and enzymes, for better absorption.) Elderly people also may develop nutrient deficiencies as they lost digestive enzymes that help assimilate the nutrients, hence a possible cause of their nail ridges.
Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
old post from Art Doherty on sci.med (he used to do "Lots of Links on Lyme disease" but is now in full remission after longterm high-dose amoxicillin- doing great, spoke to him on phone a while back, just VERy physically active again always out & about!!!) **************************************** Lyme disease and fingernails May 1997 *************************************** On the subject of fingernails and Lyme disease, I have experienced the following when I initially had untreated Lyme disease for about nine months:
1. Nail splitting or cracking at the tip of nail where the vertical ridges (ridges in nail, parallel to the finger) exit at nail tip.
2. White spots in the nail on most nails.
3. Uneven growth/horizontal ridges (ridges perpendicular with finger). All these symptoms, except the white spots, disappeared upon taking antibiotics. The white spots would lessen but they never completely disappeared. However, after stopping antibiotics, these symptoms reappeared along with all of the other Lyme disease symptoms. Many times I could roughly predict when the white spots might appear at the base of the nails. They appeared two to four days after a major flare of symptoms when I was not taking antibiotics and was relapsing.
After doing a little searching and reading, I have found that the white spots are called leukonychia and are due to zinc deficiency. Zinc also affects the immune system - too little or too much can have an adverse effect on the immune system.
I take a extra zinc (30mg, four times a day - RDA is 15mg) plus the 15mg contained in a Centrum multiple vitamin and the white spots are gone.
There is a paper on nutrition that discusses zinc and copper and their relationship to the white spots and the immune system at: http://www.nutramed.com/zeno/nutrition.htm
If only these fingernail symptoms were the worst of the Lyme disease symptoms! But, all this indicates to me that those who state that some fingernail abnormalities are due to disease/infection are correct.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
I have them too. I suspect (after seeing what Virginia wrote) that mine are from my gluten intolerance. My nails are very strong, but have distinct ridges in several of them.
So either it's old age ( ) or I'm deficient in a few things!!
Posted by heiwalove (Member # 6467) on :
up again
Posted by klutzo (Member # 5701) on :
I have major horizontal ridges in both of my thumbnails. My Cardiologist told me they are called Beau Reiel lines, and indicate a systemic illness, most likely an infection, serious enough to periodically stop nail and hair growth so the body can put all it's energy into fighting the illness. The jerky starting and stopping of nail growth causes the horizontal hills and valleys in the nails.
BTW, I picked him to be my cardiologist on the basis of this. He did not know beans about Fibromyalgia, and very little about Lyme, but unlike most ducks I saw, once he saw I had Beau lines, he believed I was very ill and listened to me. Other doctors never even noticed my odd looking fingernails.
![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
) or I'm deficient in a few things!!