Article by BR Natalie
Look at your hands - you'll probably see some age spots, cooking scars and maybe a freckle or two. But if you look more closely you might find your hands can give you insight into your health.
1. Pale Fingernails
If you squeeze your finger nail it should turn white and then when you release it it should quickly return to it's usual pink colour. If your nail takes a minute or two to return to it's pinky colour it can be a sign of low iron levels.
Iron deficiency can lead to extreme fatigue, so if you suspect you are low in iron you'll want to mention it to your GP. To avoid an iron deficiency eat lots of iron rich foods such as lean meats and nuts, alongside foods rich in vitamin C which helps the body absord iron.
2. Swollen Fingers
Fingers regularly swell for a number of reasons, from the heat to water retention, from too much salt to PMS. A walking buddy of mine used to complain of throbbing sausage fingers when we'd work up a sweat walking in the cold. A few days of increasing your fluid intake and reducing sugar should alleviate the swollen fingers. If it doesn't, then swollen fingers could be a symptom of hypothyroidism. That's an underactive thyroid for those of us who don't watch Grey's Anatomy.
An underactive thyroid produces less of the hormones that regulate your metabolism and keep your body functioning properly. A sluggish metabolism results in weight gain, water retention and fatigue.
3. Discoloured Nails
Nails with a yellow, green or murky colour can be caused by a fungal infection. In some cases they can be a sign of diabetes. Diabetes sufferers generally have impaired immune and vascular systems and fungi can thrive.
Yellow staining can be caused by dark nail polish and tooth whitening products can help with stubborn and persistent staining.
4. Blue fingers
Blue fingers can be a sign of Raynaud's Disease, which affects around 10% of people, mostly women. Simply put, Raynaud's Disease is when a blood vessel spasms (temporarily) and it restricts blood flow to your fingers. If you suffer from Raynaud's you'll feel numbness when this happens, but you don't need to worry unless it lasts more than an hour. Then you want to take a trip to seek medical advice.
If you're diagnosed with Raynaud's Disease you'll want to go easy on things that restrict blood flow (caffiene and cigarettes!) and excercise regularly to get the blood flowing!
5. Red Palms
If you're pregnant, red palms are normal, due to the increased blood flow causing redness in the palms. You'll notice your palms go red after repetitive use, like when you're pruning in your garden. But if you notice your palms are getting persistantly more red over time, it can be a sign of liver inflammation.
When your liver is inflammed over a period of time it will begin to impair its function, so it's no longer able to flush waste products out of the body as efficiently. This causes more circulating hormones in the body which causes blood vessels in your extremities to dilate, making them more obvious through the palms of your hands and the soles of your feet.
Remember - having these symptoms doesn't mean you are ill or should think the worst! If you're concerned then visit your GP!
So there you have it - 5 things your hands can tell you about your health - do you know any other symptoms that present in your hands?
This is a really good article -I know your eyes can tell a lot about your health but did not know about hands -This is really worth checking out.