STATE OF HEALTH

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 September 1938, Page 8

STATE OF HEALTH

TOLD BY THE NAILS. Do you ever look at other people’s hands? A great deal can be learned from them —temperament, habits, health. If the general health is below par, a reflection of this state of affairs is to be found in the hair and in the nails. The reason for this is probably because the circulation is poorest in these areas, and they are thus more easily affected. When the peak of a serous illness is reached, a furrow appears across the nail, at the end nearest the halfmoon. The nail grows from this end out of the nail-bed. In time the end of the nail is eventually cut off. We know that it takes roughly five months for the nail to grow from its bed to the tip of the finger It is thus possible to tell approximately the date of that illness by looking at the position of the furrow. 111-health affects the appearance of the nails and spoils their looks. In some cases they are covered with tiny pinholes, in others there are lines or ridges running the whole length of the nails. Nails of this type are liable to split and crack, causing a good deal of annoyance because the broken edges catch on things, particularly soft materials. The best treatment is to try to restore the general health by taking a tonic, exercise in the fresh air, and good wholesome food. The nails themselves should be massaged with olive oil, or even dressed with lint soaked in oil. It is important, during this waiting period, to protect the nail affected by a finger stall. People often ask about the white spots or “presents” which appear on some nails —what causes , them, and what can be done to get rid of them. Some people are particularly liable to these spots. They are not due to disease, but may be encouraged by general ill-health. They are due to imperfect growth of the nail. Where they occur the nail cells have not grown and these areas have become surrounded by normal nail cells. Air collects in these patches. That is why they look white. Nothing much can be done for this condition, but the spots can, of course, be covered by a modern nail varnish. Skin diseases, and the presence of minute fungi, sometimes disfigure the nails. These conditions are, as a rule, extremely resistant to treatment. Proper care is only possible by medical means. Carelessness is often responsible for over-growth of the nails. In some cases the nail becomes horny and thick and sometimes curves round the finger or toe. In other cases it grows inward. These troubles are almost always due to pressure, and for that reason the toes are usually affected. Badly fitting shoes cramp growth and distort the shape of the nails, encouraging them to become overladen with successive layers. The only remedy is to seek surgical treatment. Lastly, there is that annoying condition known as hang nail. If you pull on this you will quickly expose the true skin underneath, and the finger nail will become very painful. In many cases the condition is due to the habit of nail-biting. Its danger lies in possible septic infection which may lead to a poisoned finger. These tags should be cut off with sharp scissors, and, if necessary, the finger should be bound up.