Sometimes the body reveals underlying health problems through simple changes that may seem insignificant, including a change in color of the white, half-moon-shaped area at the base of the nail to red.
A review of clinical cases, published in the American Journal of Medical Sciences, indicated an association between redness of the nail crescent, medically known as the lunula, and a range of health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, liver disease, autoimmune and joint disorders.
The review was conducted by researchers from Rutgers University School of Medicine in New Jersey, during which they compiled cases documented in the medical literature since the phenomenon was first recorded in 1954.
Redness of the lunula (the crescent-shaped area around the nail) does not necessarily indicate disease, and those with conditions associated with this sign do not always experience redness. However, researchers believe that its appearance, especially on multiple nails, may warrant a medical evaluation to rule out any underlying health problems.
This phenomenon has been linked in medical reports to cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune and joint diseases, as well as some liver, blood, and skin diseases. Cases have also been reported in individuals with alopecia areata or carbon monoxide poisoning.
Conversely, the appearance of redness in only one nail may be related to a local problem under the nail, such as infection, tumor or bleeding, and not to a systemic condition affecting the whole body.
The exact cause of this phenomenon remains unknown, but one hypothesis suggests that the capillaries beneath the nail are dilated, leading to increased blood flow and a reddening appearance. A doctor may use pressure on the lunula as part of the evaluation, as the color may turn white if the redness is related to increased blood flow in the vessels.
Researchers emphasize that redness of the nail crescent is not a means of diagnosing a specific disease, but it may represent a clinical sign that warrants attention, especially when it appears in more than one nail or coincides with other symptoms.
The researchers wrote that the rarity of this phenomenon may be one of the reasons for overlooking its medical importance, noting that observing it should prompt doctors to look for underlying systemic or skin diseases.
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