Reasons for depressions on fingernails

Normal fingernails are relatively flat, but depressions on the fingernails are likely caused by disease. We should also pay attention to the fact that the depressions on the fingernails are caused by malnutrition. In this case, patients should develop good habits and try not to be directly exposed to cold water stimulation.

1. Hypoxemia: According to relevant reports, the prevalence rate in plateau areas can be as high as over 46%, while in plain areas it is only 3%. This clearly shows that this disease is closely related to plateau hypoxemia. Hypoxia can cause the body's arterial oxygen partial pressure to drop, resulting in hypoxia in the peripheral tissue blood circulation, causing nutritional metabolic disorders in the nails and forming nail depressions.

2. Heavy physical labor: Among people with nail depression, those who do heavy physical labor are more likely to do so than those who do light physical labor, those on the right hand are more likely to do so than on the left hand, and those on the thumb, index and middle finger are more likely to do so than on the ring finger and little finger. This suggests that under the same conditions, the intensity of labor has a certain impact on nail depression. High labor intensity and high oxygen consumption of fingers can aggravate nail hypoxia.

3. Nutritional status: Some people have observed that long-term hunger, finger paralysis or immobilization and other factors can cause slow nail growth. Iron deficiency anemia and Raynaud's disease, which causes acromial ischemia, can both cause nail pitting. This shows that nails have a certain relationship with nutrition. Later, it was discovered that the level of hydroxylase in the nails of patients with anemia was decreased, and the level of hydroxylase in patients with nail pitting was very low, thus believing that the lack of hydroxylase was an important factor in the occurrence mechanism of nail pitting.

4. Long-term contact with cold water: The water temperature in high-consumption areas is relatively low. Fingers are in contact with water for a long time, and peripheral blood vessels spasm and nails are directly immersed, which may be an important cause of nail depression. Someone once conducted a survey and found that the disease rate is high among dishwashers, cooks, masons, housewives and farmers, as these people's hands are in contact with water for a long time. When the contact with water is reduced, the degree of nail depression may gradually improve or even heal itself.