Nail which is the hard covering over the end of the finger and toe are made up of proteins, keratin and minerals. The main function of nails is to protect the sensitive nerve endings from harm and injury.

Causes of Nail Problems:

• Vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
• Excessive cutting or pushing back of the cuticle, which functions like a bacteria shield, can put you at risk.
• Using nail wraps or polish can also lead to infection if moisture, bacteria, and yeast get trapped between the nail and nail bed.
• Aging, dry heat in winter, frequent immersion in water, or repeated use of strong nail polish removers can make nails brittle and prone to fungal and bacterial infection.

Prevention of Nail Problems:

• You can prevent fungal infection by leaving your cuticle intact and avoiding nail wraps. And if you have your nails done at salon, make sure they sterilize their instruments and use a clean basin and new liquids each time.
• Cut down on ingrown nails, it's best to clip right after bath or shower when nails are softer.
• If your nail is prone to getting brittle, try trimming them a little shorter and apply a moisturizer each time you wash your hands.
• Make sure your diet contain the right amount of vitamin and minerals.
• Toenail infections can result from athlete's foot. To prevent these infections, keep your feet dry as possible because fungi grow best where it's damp.

Symptoms: Nutritional deficiencies produce the following problems.

• A lack of vitamin A and calcium makes nail dry and brittle.
• A lack of B-complex vitamin causes weakness and cracking.
• A deficiency of Vitamin B12 causes dry, dark nails and causes them to be excessively rounded and curved.
• A deficiency of proteins is evidenced by white stripes on nails.
• A deficiency of iron produces a spoon shaped nails with raised tip.

Treatments:

• Fungus on nails is common ailments but hard to eliminate. One of the reasons why it is difficult to eliminate is due to the difficulty of fungicides to penetrate to the root, which is under the nail. Aloe vera extract and aloe vera gelatin , alone or combined with other elements like salicylic acid when applied to the affected areas after bathing helps in the treatment of fungus on nails. It is recommended also to eat yogurt everyday. The lacto bacillus or acidophilus destroys the fungus "candida albicans" which maybe causing this conditions.
• Intake of garlic and bee propolis supplement can help cure and prevent fungal and bacterial infection. Garlic and bee propolis are both very strong natural antibiotic.

It is also said that nail discoloration, ridges and abnormal shapes is a symptom of specific disorders. How this happen is unknown, but somehow, information about physical conditions is reflected to the nail matrix, the root from which the nail grows.

Fingernails Diagnosis:

• Clubbed nails - nails which curve around your fingertips, may be a symptom of emphysema, tuberculosis, cancer or cardiovascular disease.
• Spoon nails - may be flat or may look scooped out, may indicate iron deficiency anemia.
• "Beau's lines" depressed furrows across the nail plate result from emotional disturbances, severe illness, or infection.
• "Mee's lines" vertical white streaks, may indicate arsenic poisoning, kidney failure, heart attack, or sickle-cell anemia.
• "Terry's nails" the condition in which the nail bed has a dark pink to brown band near the tip, may indicate cirrhosis.
• "Half and half nails", in which the half near the tip appears brown, may be a symptom of kidney problem.
• An unusually wide or squarish nail may indicate thyroid problem.
• An unusually narrow and long nail plates indicates a pituitary hormone deficiency.
• Blue spots on indicate an impaired circulation, diabetes, heart disease, and spasms of the arteries in the fingers.
• Yellow nails syndrome might point to diseases of the respiratory system.
• Vertical red streaks in the nail bed may signify bleeding of the capillaries. They may also be a sign of psoriasis.
• Pitting in rows that makes nails resemble hammered brass, frequently occurs as a result of psoriasis or alopecia.
• Chronically chipped (sawtooth) nails may suggest damage resulting from exposure to household or occupational chemicals.
• Brown or black discoloration that spreads from the nail bed to surrounding finger tissue may indicate malignant melanoma.