What is the white mark on the front of the nail?

Nails are a part of our body, and nails are also very important to the body. Many people are prone to having a circle of white marks in front of the nails. Changes in nails are a representation of physical health. Nail problems may be a manifestation of illness. A circle of white marks in front of the nails may be caused by malnutrition. You should pay more attention to nutrition in your daily life.

What is the white mark on the front of the nail?

This may be a situation caused by malnutrition. You should pay more attention to nutritional supplements in your daily life.

Clinical manifestations

There are often two typical symptoms. One is the emaciation type, which is caused by severe lack of heat energy. Children are short and thin, subcutaneous fat disappears, skin loses elasticity, hair is dry and easy to fall out, and they become weak and listless. The other is the edema type, which is caused by severe protein deficiency. It is characterized by edema all over the body, including edema of the eyelids and lower parts of the body, dry and atrophic skin, keratinization and desquamation, or pigmentation. The hair is brittle and easy to break and fall out, the nails are brittle and have horizontal grooves, loss of appetite, enlarged liver, and frequent diarrhea and watery stools. There are also hybrid types, which are somewhere in between. And may be accompanied by other nutrient deficiencies.

1. Physical measurement

Physical measurement is the most reliable indicator for assessing malnutrition. Currently, there are major changes in the measurement indicators for evaluating malnutrition internationally, which include three parts.

(1) When the weight for age and sex of an underweight child is lower than the median minus 2 standard deviations but higher than or equal to the median minus 3 standard deviations compared with the standard for the reference population of the same age and sex, the child is moderately underweight. If the weight is lower than the median minus 3 standard deviations of the reference population, the child is severely underweight. This indicator reflects whether the child has had chronic and/or acute malnutrition in the past and/or present. This indicator alone cannot distinguish between acute and chronic malnutrition.

(2) When the height for age and gender of a child with growth retardation is lower than the median minus 2 standard deviations but higher than or equal to the median minus 3 standard deviations compared with the standard of the reference population of the same age and gender, it is moderate growth retardation. If it is lower than the median minus 3 standard deviations of the reference population, it is severe growth retardation. This indicator mainly reflects past or long-term chronic malnutrition.

(3) If the height and weight of an emaciated child is lower than the median minus 2 standard deviations but higher than or equal to the median minus 3 standard deviations compared with the standards of the reference population of the same age and gender, it is moderately emaciated. If it is lower than the median minus 3 standard deviations of the reference population, it is severely emaciated. This indicator reflects the child's recent acute malnutrition.

2. Malnutrition diagnostic criteria

(1) The patient has a history of long-term inadequate dietary intake, improper feeding, digestive system diseases, chronic wasting diseases or low birth weight.

(2) Classification: Energy malnutrition is characterized by emaciation, protein malnutrition is characterized by edema, and those who have both significant weight loss and edema are classified as mixed type.

(3) Clinically, it is divided into three degrees: degree I, weight loss of 15% to 25%, abdominal skin fold thickness of 0.8 cm to 0.4 cm; degree II, weight loss of 25% to 40%, abdominal skin fold thickness <0.4 cm; degree III, weight loss >40%, abdominal skin fold disappearance.

(4) Complications often include anemia, vitamin A, B and C deficiency and zinc deficiency; in severe cases, growth and development stagnation, and disorders of various organs and immune functions throughout the body.