Did you know the condition of your fingernails can reflect the state of your health? To the trained health professionals, nail changes can provide valuable clues to certain health problems. Here's how to read the signs.

What healthy nails should look like

Healthy nails are smooth, without grooves or ridges. They're uniform in color and free of discoloration. A healthy nail bed should look pink and the nail plate (the most visible part of the nail) should be strong, lustrous and flexible.

What to look out for:

1. Nail Color Changes

• Green, Discolored Nails

  These are likely to be caused by fungal infections. Other signs to look for are nail brittleness and thickening of the nails.
  
  

• Blue Nails

  Nails with a chronic bluish tinge are due to cyanosis -- poor circulation or the lack of oxygen in the blood supply. Common causes of cyanosis include asthma, heart and lung disorders, congenital heart disease and blood cell disorder. If the nails only turn blue during times when you are feeling cold, it signifies malnutrition and the need to put on weight.
  
  

• Yellow Nails

  Thick, yellow nails may simply be the result of staining caused by nail polish, or due to nicotine from cigarette smoke, or the result of long-term use of the antibiotic tetracycline (commonly prescribed to treat acne). They could also suggest more serious causes such as respiratory condition, especially if the nails are thickened and new growth slows.
  
  

• Pale or White Nails

  Nails that are pale that the base and dark red or brown at the free edge may suggest chronic liver disease or renal failure.
  
  

• White Specks

  Specks, spots or bands of white in the nail are common with minor injury. These will usually go away on their own without any treatment.