Koilonychia or spoon shaped nails is a condition when the nail bed becomes flat or concave and waves are visible on the surface of the nails. The nails appear wavy in mild conditions of Koilonychias but in severe cases the nail develops a spoon shaped indent in the middle.
In most cases the nail breaks vertically. The skin under the nail becomes dry and cracked. The condition on its own is not dangerous but it can be a sign of some other dangerous health problem.
Typical condition of finger nails is observed when the finger nails of individuals becomes very thin. Just after getting thin, it also gets lifted at its outer edges. This is known as koilonychias in scientific term. In some places this condition in nail can also be known as spoon nails. The major cause of this disorder will be due to lack of iron content in the blood of individuals.
This is quite likely to be viewed in individuals suffering from Anemia. Some individuals also get this disorder by birth. People get the inheritance of this physical condition with abnormal growth in nails as well as confined and thin edges. It is known as spoon nails as it grow up to concave shaped nails along with raised edges. It looks mostly like a spoon.
Symptomsof koilonychias
- The nails take a spoon shape which appears like projecting outwards from the edges and becoming thinner in the centre.
- The colour and shape of the nails change with this disease. The nails become concave in shape and the nail plates become thin. The outer part of the nails can also get detached.
- There can be pain and swelling in case of trauma to the nail and the nail can also come out from the nail bed.
- The colour of the bottom surface of the nail can change in secondary infections.
- In case the cause of the disease is iron deficiency, the person may look tired which will depict signs of anaemia.
- The surface of the nails plates will appear to be very dry. This will give rise to extraction of nail easily.
Causes of koilonychias
There are many factors responsible for disfigurement of finger nails. The disorder starts with thinning of nails and then keeps on getting lifted. Some of the causes of people suffering from this disorder include:
- Poor capability of iron absorption
- Patella syndrome
- Hemochromatosis
- Poor function of thyroid hormone
- Reynaud’s syndrome
- Pica
- Deficiency of iron
- Muscle skinning
- The commonest type of koilonychias can be a result of damage, fungal infection, anemia, skin disorders like psoriasis.
- Poor fitting footwear can also because spoon shaped nails in children particularly.
- In rare cases inherited koilonychias some nails have a concave depression in the middle. This is a hereditary health problem featuring some abnormalities in the body like kidney disorder.
- Spooning nails can also be its combination with harsh detergents.
- iron deficiency being one of the chronic health problem can also lead to the problem of koilonychias.
- Constant biting, pinching or stroking the nails can cause this problem as well.
- A trauma taking place in the matrix of the nail can cause
- In very rare cases koilonychias can be result of problems related to lung or heart problems and even cancer at times.
- Unbalanced diet, digestion and absorption problems can create the condition of koilonychias.
People suffering from cancer have to take radiation therapy or chemotherapy. While taking the radiations, people can suffer from the effect of spoon nails. If there is poor nourishment or deficiency of proper vitamins and minerals in diet, people can get the effect of spoon nails.
Even if there is a problem in intestine or have difficulties in the digestive system, improper shape of nails can be a critical problem. Certain people can also come to the situation of injury and trauma. This can also be a probable cause of people suffering from nail disorder. A child may get this disease from his fore father or else he can develop it gradually due to lack of nutrition.
Home remedies for koilonychias
If the problem is mild, you can easily get its treatment at home. Sometime if some home remedies are used that helps in growing the nails in natural way, the problem of spoon nails can be resolved. Some of the home remedies are:
- Consume green leafy vegetables or spinach to get adequate iron in your body
- Cut your nail short
- Moisturize your nails with fresh cream
- Apply some lemon in your nails
- You can also apply some lavender oil to your nails and massage it gently so that it gets proper care and strength
- The condition of Koilonychia needs to be managed as soon as signs of the disease are visible. The simple methods for treating or preventing koilonychias are
- Proper fitting shoes that do not squeeze the shoes should be worn when there are ingrown toenails.
- Sufficient amount of iron and vitamins must be added in the diet.
- Nails must be kept soft and smooth by applying cold cream on them daily after bath.
- Iron and vitamin supplements must be taken when prescribed.
- It is safe to wear gloves while working with harsh chemicals found in soaps and washing powders.
- Biting of nails should be avoided by patients suffering from Koilonychia.
If you can keep your hand nails clean on a regular basis, it will have less chance of getting this disorder. If the problem is an after effect of the disease, it is important to treat the source. The side effects will automatically go away.
Healthy food and proper care of nails will be really essential for individuals having this disorder in genes. You must take up certain precautions before it becomes a disease. You must show a doctor if it is at an advanced stage.
Typical condition of finger nails is observed when the finger nails of individuals becomes very thin. Just after getting thin, it also gets lifted at its outer edges.
This is known as koilonychias in scientific term. In some places this condition in nail can also be known as spoon nails. The major cause of this disorder will be due to lack of iron content in the blood of individuals.
This is quite likely to be viewed in individuals suffering from Anemia. Some individuals also get this disorder by birth. People get the inheritance of this physical condition with abnormal growth in nails as well as confined and thin edges. It is known as spoon nails as it grow up to concave shaped nails along with raised edges. It looks mostly like a spoon.
Prevention of koilonychias
Prevention is better than cure. In family members suffering from this problem, those who have not developed can follow certain preventive techniques. Biting of nails must be avoided as it is one of the most common ways for this disease to develop.
Avoid contact with harsh chemicals present in washing powders and soaps by wearing gloves before handling them. One must continue to take a balanced diet with sufficient amount of vitamins and iron.
Treatment for koilonychias
Koilonychias can be an indication of some serious disorder. So the doctor must be consulted as soon as signs of the disorder are visible. He will find the original cause of the disease and give treatment accordingly. Recovery will be easier and faster at the early stage.
Doctors check the cause of the disease and then decide on the treatment. In most cases the disorder grows out with the growing nail after sometime. Some creams or emollients can be given to soften the skin around the nails to prevent dryness and splitting of the nails.
In case the doctor feels no treatment is required, the technician can apply some overlay material to make the nail even. He can also correct the shape of the nail.
Effective home remedies for spoon nails
Iron rich food
One of the reasons behind having spoon nails will be lack of iron content in body. If you are dealing with home remedies, it means you need to consume such variety of food which will be rich in iron.
The iron rich foods are spinach, kidney beans, broccoli, etc. You can also consume shrimps, Tuna, Oyster available among the seafoods. If you are vegetarians, the options are available for you as well. Drink milk regularly as it also contain good amount of iron.
No finger biting
Some of us have a bad habit of biting fingers repeatedly. But, this is also one of the reasons behind spoon nails. You must stop this habit immediately. If you cannot stop yourself any way, the best thing which you can do is wear gloves.
If you wear gloves and suddenly you have wish to bite your fingers, by touching your gloves with your teeth you will realize that you are not supposed to bite your fingers and nails.
Lower coffee consumption
We human being are mostly dependent on certain variety of beverages. Some prefers coffee whereas others drink tea. This becomes a habit to all those who have been regularly consuming.
Even due to work stress people keep on drinking 10-15 cups of coffee everyday. But, this habit can even give rise to spoon nails in your fingers. It is the time for you to lower the consumption of coffee in your diet.
Vitamin rich food
Your diet chart will play an important role when it comes to treating your spoon nail problem. The vitamin rich food must be consumes so that your nails gets enough of vitamins and avail the change to grow dense and attractive without development of gap which persists in a spoon nail. The vitamin rich food includes guava, apple, oranges etc.
Protein rich food
It is important to have enough amount of protein in your diet so that your nails gets a chance to grow in a proper way and do not get a layout of just a spoon. The meat and fishes are something you should consider.
