Finger color: Fingers that change color Information | Mount Sinai

Опубликовано: December 11, 2022 в 10:43 pm

Автор: alexxlab

Категории: Miscellaneous

Fingers that change color Information | Mount Sinai

Blanching of the fingers; Fingers – pale; Toes that change color; Toes – pale

Fingers or toes may change color when they are exposed to cold temperatures or stress, or when there is a problem with their blood supply.

Raynaud’s phenomenon is characterized by blood vessel spasms in the fingers, toes, ears or nose, usually brought on by exposure to cold. Raynaud’s phenomenon and Raynaud’s disease, a similar disorder, may be associated with autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus and scleroderma.

Cryoglobulinemia is caused by an abnormal protein that is occasionally found in the blood of people with multiple myeloma, leukemia, and certain forms of pneumonia. It causes blood to gel at low temperatures. In this picture, cryoglobulinemia has reduced blood flow in the fingers so much the fingers have turned dark. The black areas are gangrene resulting from lack of blood flow.

Causes

These conditions can cause fingers or toes to change color:

Buerger disease
Chilblains (painful inflammation of small blood vessels)
Cryoglobulinemia
Frostbite
Necrotizing vasculitis
Peripheral artery disease
Raynaud phenomenon (sudden change in the finger color ranges from pale to red to blue)
Scleroderma
Systemic lupus erythematosus

Home Care

Things you can do to help prevent this problem include:

Avoid smoking.
Avoid exposure to cold in any form.
Wear mittens or gloves outdoors and when handling ice or frozen food.
Avoid getting chilled, which may happen following any active recreational sport or other physical activity.
Wear comfortable, roomy shoes and wool socks.
When outside, always wear shoes.

When to Contact a Medical Professional

Call your health care provider if:

Your fingers change color and the cause is not known.
Your fingers or toes turn black or the skin breaks.

What to Expect at Your Office Visit

Your provider will perform a physical exam, which will include close examination of your hands, arms, and fingers.

Your provider will ask questions about your medical history and symptoms, including:

Did the fingers or toes suddenly change color?
Has the color change occurred before?
Does the cold or changes in your emotions cause your fingers or toes to turn white or blue?
Did the skin color changes occur after you had anesthesia?
Do you smoke?
Do you have other symptoms such as finger pain? Arm or leg pain? A change in the texture of your skin? Loss of hair on your arms or hands?

Tests that may be done include:

Antinuclear antibody blood test
Blood differential
Complete blood count (CBC)
Comprehensive metabolic panel
Duplex Doppler ultrasound of the arteries to the extremities
Serum cryoglobulins
Serum protein electrophoresis
Urinalysis
X-ray of your hands and feet

Treatment depends on the underlying cause.

Jaff MR, Bartholomew JR. Other peripheral arterial diseases. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 26th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 72.

Robert A, Melville I, Baines CP, Belch JJF. Raynaud phenomenon. In: Hochberg MC, Gravallese EM, Silman AJ, Smolen JS, Weinblatt ME, Weisman MH, eds. Rheumatology. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019:chap 154.

Last reviewed on: 5/3/2021

Reviewed by: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine, UW Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

Color of Fingernails and Toenails Health Indicator Chart

Published: 2015-10-11 – Updated: 2022-06-24
Author: Disabled World | Contact: Disabled World (Disabled-World.com)
Peer-Reviewed Publication: N/A
Additional References: Finger and Toenails Publications

Synopsis: The nail color of fingernails and toenails can reveal certain severe health conditions. For instance, white nails may be indicative of kidney or liver disorders or anemia. Healthy fingernails and toenails should be white as it grows off the nail bed and the nail plate a pinkish color. Pitted brown spots in fingernails may indicate skin and a joint disorder called psoriasis.

Definition

Nail (Anatomy): In anatomy, a nail is defined as a horn-like envelope covering the tips of the fingers and toes in humans, most non-human primates, and a few other mammals. Fingernails and toenails are made of a tough protective protein called alpha-keratin, a polymer. Alpha-keratin is found in the hooves, claws, and horns of vertebrates. The nail functions by protecting the digits and contributing to tactile sensation.

Main Digest

Fingernails and toenails are made of a tough protective protein called keratin. Keratin is one of a family of fibrous structural proteins and is the key structural material making up hair, horns, claws, hooves, and the outer layer of human skin.

Related Publications:

Fingernails: Horizontal or Vertical Ridges, Pitting, Shape
Color of Fingernails and Toenails Health Indicator Chart
Nail Fungus: Information, Prevention, Treatment

Health-care and pre-hospital-care providers (EMTs or paramedics) often use the fingernail beds (CRT or blanch test) as a cursory indicator of distal tissue perfusion of individuals who may be dehydrated or in shock.

Healthy fingernails and toenails should generally be pink – with the healthy nail plate being pink and the nail being white as it grows off the nail bed. Fingernail color and condition changes are rarely the first clues of serious illness. In most instances, patients will manifest other signs or symptoms of disease before nail changes become evident.

Nail colors can generally be grouped into black, blue, brown/copper, green, blue-green, grey, yellow, pale, purple or red groups – each color means something different. Remember that your nails may look a particular way for another reason unrelated to your health but could be due to mechanical or environmental influences. Your beauty therapist and manicurist should also be able to guide you in this field.

When healthy fingernails begin to change color or texture, one of the most common underlying causes is nail fungus, which can cause the nails to crack, peel, and change color and texture. Common disorders like thyroid disease can also cause abnormalities in the toenail and fingernail beds, often producing dry brittle nails that crack and split easily.

Nail Color Health Chart
Jump To Nail Color Condition: Blue Black White White Spots White Under Nails Grey/Gray Green Yellow Purple Red Dark on Sides Lines on Nails Brown Spots Under Nails Color Bands Ridges and Pitting
Blue nails	Blue fingernails, also known as azure lunula (medical term – cyanosis), are characterized by a blue discoloration of the lunulae. Blue Fingernails Can be Indicative of: Argyria – A condition caused by exposure to chemical compounds of the element silver. Hepatolenticular degeneration (Wilson’s disease) Raynaud’s disease – The fingers and toes blanch, then turn blue and may become numb or painful on exposure to cold. Septicemia – Also known as bacteremia or blood poisoning. Septicemia occurs when a bacterial infection enters the bloodstream. Lung and breathing problems – Including asthma, emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic bronchitis and other respiratory disorders. Blue fingernails may represent a type of cyanosis caused by a lower level of lack of circulating oxygen in the red blood cells. May also represent a high level of an abnormal form of hemoglobin in the circulation. If normal color returns upon warming and/or massage, the cause is due to the body part not getting enough blood supply due to cold, constriction (of the tissues or the blood vessels that supply the tissues) or some other reason. If the fingernails remain blue, then there may be an underlying disease or structural abnormality interfering with the body’s ability to deliver oxygenated red blood cells to the body.
Black Nails	Black fingernails can indicate signs of Anemia B-12 deficiency Bacterial infection Chronic kidney disease Adrenal gland problems Liver disease Cancer or melanomas Silver deposits (heavy metals) Trauma
White/Pale Fingernails	May be indicative of kidney or liver disorders or anemia. White lined bands across the nail beds can signal a protein deficiency. White nails with a rim of darker color at the tip of the nail is called Terry’s nail and can be a sign of cirrhosis of the liver
White Spots on Nails	In most cases this is due to a zinc deficiency or injuries to the nail bed. Indicative of certain internal problems such as arthritis, or from poisoning. Iron or zinc deficiency Although it has been noted that white lines can be symptoms of a serious disorder, their presence is more than likely a result of iron or zinc deficiency.
White Areas Under Nails	When there are white areas visible under the nail, normally at the tip of the nail where it joins the nail bed, this normally indicates a fungal infection and must be treated medically. Half white nails, with dark spots, especially on the tip, may be indicative of kidney diseases.
Grey Nails	Arthritis problems Edema Malnutrition Post-operative effects Glaucoma, Lung problems Emphysema Cardio-pulmonary disease
Green Nails	Allergies to cleaning agents Bacterial infection such as Bacillus infection Localized fungal infection Serious emphysema
Yellow Nails	Can be indicative of problems with the lymphatic system Respiratory disorders Diabetes or liver problems Nicotine from cigarette smoking Yellow discoloration in your fingernails can also result from a respiratory condition, such as chronic bronchitis, or from swelling of your hands (lymphedema). In yellow nail syndrome, nails thicken and new growth slows, resulting in discoloration. Nails affected with this condition may lack a cuticle and may detach from the nail bed in places.
Purple Nails	Oxygen deprivation Circulatory problems Congenital problems
Red Fingernails	Possible Brain hemorrhage Heart disease High blood pressure Lung disease Stroke Carbon monoxide poisoning
Darkening of Nails (on sides)	Can be indicative of kidney disease
Lines on Nails (red/brown)	Splinter hemorrhage shows up as red or brown lines along the long axis of the nail and may be caused by endocarditis (an inflammation of the heart membranes) or trichinosis (a parasitic infection from undercooked pork). A simple dark blue line in the fingernail can be a sign of skin cancer. Tiny black streaks can indicate a possible heart problem. Thin black lines on the nail often indicate a heart disease.
Brown Spots Under Nails	Pitted brown spots in fingernails may indicate a skin and joint disorder called psoriasis. Reddish-brown spots can indicate a deficiency of folic acid, protein or vitamin C.
Color Bands	In Caucasian people, color bands under the nail may indicate cancer, while in non-Caucasian people it is usually a normal occurrence.
Fingernail Ridges, Pitting, Shape	For information regarding fingernail shape, pitting, spoon nails, vertical or horizontal fingernail ridges, click here.

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Panaritium – articles about health

Panaritium in a child is an inflammatory process that occurs mainly in the tissues of the upper phalanx of a finger or toe. Panaritium is always preceded by small penetrating soft tissue injuries that have not been properly treated with disinfectants, especially with damage to the epidermis in newborns.

Panaritium treated with local therapy in newborns is prone to frequent relapses at an older age.

Taking into account the location and nature of the affected tissues, the following types of panaritium are distinguished:

dermal
periungual
subungual
subcutaneous
bone
articular
osteoarticular
tendon

Causes

The causes of panaritium are always associated with infection of injured soft tissues of the fingers and toes in children. There are many ways of infection: scratches left by animals, splinters, cuts not treated with antiseptics, scratches, finger abrasions received when falling during street games. Inaccurate or infrequent trimming of nails, ingrown nails in newborns also often cause cuticle injuries, and later on periungual panaritium.

Symptoms of the disease

Panaritium symptoms develop rapidly. First, the deep layers of the skin become inflamed, the surface of the skin turns red. If there is no treatment, a purulent process begins. A vesicle with cloudy grayish-yellow pus forms. The area of the abscess hurts a lot, burns. At this stage, treatment should not be postponed, the inflammation will worsen, the abscess will grow, penetrating even deeper into the tissues.

Different types of panaritium show their own specific symptoms. But there are common signs indicating an acute purulent inflammatory process:

Finger of the hand, foot swells, swells, the surface of the skin becomes very red. If suppuration is aggravated, the color of the skin becomes bluish.
The inflamed area hurts a lot, the pain is throbbing, constant, intensifying.
The mobility of the finger is limited, the child cannot bend, unbend the affected finger, every movement brings pain.
Due to acute inflammation, the temperature rises.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis is based on the clinical symptoms of the disease. To determine the shape of the panaritium and clarify the localization of the abscess, palpation is performed with a bellied probe. To exclude bone and articular panaritium, x-rays are performed. It should be borne in mind that, unlike bone panaritium, in the articular form of the disease, changes are not detected immediately and may be mildly pronounced. Therefore, to clarify the diagnosis, comparative radiographs of the same healthy finger on the other arm or leg should be prescribed.

Treatment of panaritium

Treatment of panaritium should be started at the earliest stage, as soon as the first symptoms become noticeable. Then you can do without surgery, limiting yourself to conservative methods of therapy. Conservative treatment is effective only during the serous-infiltrative stage of suppuration. Methods of local hypothermia, UHF therapy, electrophoresis, ultrasound, baths with salt and soda, alcohol-based dressings and drugs are used.

When the process is running, an operation is performed using local anesthesia. Sometimes alternative methods of anesthesia are used, including general anesthesia. The doctor makes tissue incisions in the affected area, removes dead skin, injects a local antibiotic into the deep layers of the epidermis.

Viable tissues are drained, incisions are disinfected, followed by dressing. Before bandaging, the doctor carefully examines the incisions, whether there is a fistulous entrance to the deep layers of tissues, where the focus of suppuration is located.

In order for the incisions to heal faster and prevent re-infection, a course of local and general antibacterial therapy is prescribed – antibiotics and antiseptics.

Sign up for a consultation with a therapist at the MEDSI-ProMedicina clinic in Ufa, the doctor will prescribe the necessary treatment.

Fracture of the big toe – how to determine the main symptoms and first aid

Fracture of the big toe is a fairly common injury that a person can get while playing sports, at work, walking and even at home. Pain sensations differ from the severity of the injury and its size. For example, if we are talking about a fracture of only one nail phalanx, then it is quite easy to overlook it or even confuse it with an ordinary bruise. And precisely because of the latter, a slight fracture can lead to quite serious consequences and improper fusion. We strongly recommend that, after a strong blow or injury, you can contact a medical center to rule out a fracture or start its immediate treatment.

Signs of a broken toe

Depending on the location and severity of the fracture, symptoms can vary greatly. With a crack in the phalanx, pain is practically not felt, and the victim may not even be aware of the problem, very often the bone grows without plaster and fixation. When the first phalanx of the finger is fractured, severe, aching pain is felt.

When the toes are fractured, the general symptoms are as follows:\

a hematoma forms at the fracture site;
possible hemorrhage;
the skin turns dark blue, the skin swells around the damaged bone;
severe and sharp pain on any attempt to touch or move a finger;
unnatural mobility of the injured finger;
inability to lean on the affected leg;
immobility or partially limited movement of the finger;
fever and redness at the site of localization;
with a fragmental fracture, shortening of the finger is possible;
with an open fracture, a wound with bone fragments;
marked twitching or throbbing of the finger.

On physical examination, the crunching of bone fragments is observed if a little time has passed since the injury. The crunch is the result of broken bones rubbing against each other. Finger fractures are combined with damage to the ligamentous apparatus, sprain and dislocation of the phalangeal joints.

How to distinguish a possible bruise from a fracture

It is possible to determine a bruise or a fracture by several parameters:

Features of the pain syndrome.
Finger movement.
Skin color at the site of swelling (contusion).
Presence of hemorrhage.
Phalanx shape.

The clinical picture of a finger injury is as follows:

The victim has a sharp pain, which begins to subside with time. The nature of the pain is “aching”. Using a cold compress can speed up the process of relieving pain symptoms.
When bruised, the finger is not deformed. Immediately after the bruise, all movements are accompanied by sharp pain (pulsation is possible), as the pain subsides, the motor activity of the finger is gradually restored.
Depending on the nature of the bruise, the color of the skin at the site of injury may be dark red, pink, pale pink. Puffiness may appear immediately, after a day or not at all. The blood at the site of the bruise spreads diffusely (scattered), a bruise may appear.

How to diagnose a finger fracture

On palpation, the pain increases sharply and does not go away for a long time (an hour or two).
With a fracture, there is a sharp pain that can radiate to the nearest parts of the foot. Deformation of the phalanx, unnatural position of the finger. Bloating and strong (acute) throbbing at the fracture site.
With a fracture, the victim cannot move the injured finger. At any attempt to stand on a sore leg, the patient experiences acute pain. To relieve pain symptoms, the affected finger is fixed in one position.
Hemorrhages form under the nail, hematoma and edema appear, the skin becomes cyanotic.

First aid for a broken finger

If you have symptoms that indicate a possible fracture, there is no need to panic in the first place. First of all, you should call an emergency ambulance. Prior to the arrival of a physician, all the efforts of the victim should be aimed at stopping the bleeding (with an open fracture), fixing the limb and anesthesia of the injury site. To prevent negative consequences, the following rules must be observed:

even in the absence of severe symptoms, you should not refuse to consult your doctor;
limb fixation is one of the main stages of effective treatment;
a broken finger must not touch foreign objects;
fractures without displacement may not be fixed until the ambulance arrives;
pain syndrome can be removed with the help of nimesil, analgin and ibuprofen;
cold compress is another effective way to relieve pain.

It is important to note that when applying an ice pack, keep the compress for no more than 10 minutes to prevent possible frostbite. Repeated procedure is possible after a 3-4 minute break. Even if a fracture is suspected, experts recommend immediately contacting a specialized medical institution for qualified help.

Treatments for broken fingers

Name	Description
Closed reduction	This method is used for a closed fracture and no displacement. Antiseptic agents are applied to the injured finger, after which the doctor returns the finger to its normal position by mechanical action (pulling). A significant disadvantage of this method is the need to repeat this procedure.
Skeletal traction	This method is used for a displaced fracture. This procedure requires a metal wire, which is passed through the finger with a small load, which allows the bones to be in a normal position. At the end of the procedure, the doctor performs immobilization.
Open methods	The surgeon performs osteosynthesis. Fixes bone fragments with special metal elements. <- Предыдущий пост: Topeka daycares: THE Top 10 Child Care Providers in Topeka, KS Следующий пост: Before school: Before and After School Care Program – Child Care Services -> Uncategorized Home