Symptoms associated with skin, nails and hair

The skin can be exposed to various influences not only from the outside, but also from the inside of the body, which is why several diseases manifest themselves on its surface. Some are directly skin-related, but others arise as a result of immune reactions or as a consequence of processes in the cardiovascular or metabolic systems. The skin is probably the most visible sign and symptom of a disease on the body and should therefore be paid attention to.

Nails in humans can be found on the tips of the fingers and toes, and physically it is a keratin plate that grows out of the nail bed from birth. At the root of the nail, new nail plates are constantly forming from the germ layer, so that the nail grows and is constantly renewing and regrowing. Their function is an aid to tactile perception, but also protective. The condition of the nails can many times be related to the levels of various substances in the body or to skin diseases on the body.

The hair and similarly the hair are also part of the skin, being formations growing from roots that are found in the subcutaneous layers. The deepest part is the hair follicle, which contains the hair follicle, the sweat gland and the hair germ itself. Like nails, hair is constantly growing back and gradually loses its pigmentation with age. Hair also shows several symptoms and signs related to the state of the body, substance levels and certain diseases.

On the skin, it is possible to observe symptoms of, for example, external injuries or exposure to substances or factors from the environment, but also various symptoms that originate from internal infectious and inflammatory diseases. The skin may sometimes change its colour, surface roughness, hydration, or there may be formations of a pathological nature. It is not always necessary to look for a problem in the skin behind every symptom, sometimes it is related to the internal environment.

Similarly, nails and hair indicate the condition of the body by their quality, shape and strength. If, for example, the hair is brittle or falls out excessively, this may be a disorder of the hair or skin directly, but also a systemic sign of a deficiency in the body. The nails also show levels of various important vitamins or substances in the body. Therefore, the skin, nails and hair are very good indicators not only of primary diseases, but also of the whole state of the body.

Problems with nails

Slow nail growth does not have to be a sign of a disease, it could be a deficiency of calcium in the body, or a low level of vitamins A or C or a lack of collagen in the body, for example. Sometimes, however, it is related to low hormone levels in hypothyroidism, lower limb ischaemia or tuberculosis, for example. If the nails are excessively brittle, it may also be a deficiency of magnesium, silicon, zinc, vitamins A or B, or a skin disease.

Sometimes skin diseases also attack the nails and disrupt their nutrition or cause infections, such as yeast infections. However, anorexia, anaemia, coeliac disease, hypothyroidism or ischaemia of the lower limbs can also be the cause of brittle nails. If the nails are dented and have a spoon-like shape, there may be blood, endocrine or thyroid disorders. Sometimes mycotic skin diseases can also lead to this type of nail damage.

It often happens that the nails are affected by a diverse deformation. In this case, it is most often an external pressure deformation, for example, from an accident. However, if it is not an external factor, the deformation is caused, for example, by psoriasis, onycholysis or some nervous disease of the local type. The lines under the nails are in turn a typical symptom of a nutrient deficiency in the body, but sometimes also a symptom of fungal diseases, psoriasis, hyperthyroidism, exceptionally infectious endocarditis.

Hair and pubic hair

Hair on the skin usually grows, especially during puberty, adolescence and young adulthood, and hormones play a major role in this growth. Thus, slow growth occurs mainly in disorders that are caused by the slowing down of the body, i.e. especially in hormonal problems. However, if there is a loss of body hair, it may also be due to cancer, metabolic disorders or liver problems. Diabetes or coronary artery disease of the lower limbs are also manifested in this way.

On the contrary, increased hair growth is related to hyperthyroidism, i.e. an acceleration of the body's metabolism and an increase in hormone levels, but it is also a symptom of cysts on the ovaries in women or Cushing's syndrome. The hair can also be affected by various problems. Most people are probably troubled by dandruff in the hair, which is particles of dead skin. They occur with long-standing oily hair and also with a lack of selenium, zinc or vitamins in the body.

Especially women are troubled by brittle hair. Hair brittleness can be caused by mistreatment or exposure to adverse environmental influences, but often this symptom is part of a lack of hair nourishment, in skin diseases or in anaemia or coeliac disease. Hair loss is caused by hormone deficiency and is related to metabolic and hormonal diseases or alopecia, which can be both local and general.

If a person has oily hair, very often it is just a reflection of the internal state of the organism and may not be a more serious disease. Most often there are excess fats in the body or, on the contrary, a deficiency of vitamins A and B. Occasionally, a problem with hormone levels may be the cause. If clusters of light hair appear on the head, it is a loss of pigmentation, which can be caused either by albinism, various tumours in the body or vitiligo.

Different leather colours

The overall pallor of the skin is usually related to febrile and infectious diseases, but it can also be a symptom of anaemia and insufficient blood supply to the skin area, for example. This is true, for example, in infective endocarditis, coarctation of the aorta, leukaemia, myocardial infarction or atherosclerosis. There may also be local pigmentation disorders, but in most cases, pallor is manifested by diseases affecting multiple systems in the body. A serious case is also intoxication, when a person may also be pale.

Small white patches on the skin are a sign of depigmentation, which is typical of vitiligo or albinism, or fungal diseases. Yellowing of the skin and yellowish skin are typical of jaundice, but also of liver failure, cirrhosis or coeliac disease. The opposite is hyperpigmentation of the skin, which is typically seen in haemochromatosis, Addison's disease, melanoma, basalioma or Cushing's syndrome, or in hormonal disorders.

Blue skin is most often caused by a lack of oxygen and occurs locally, typically in areas where there is not enough blood supply. If there is an overall blueness, it is a sign of a lack of air in the body, for example in newborns it is hypoxia. Redness of the skin is also one of the signs of other discoloration. If the skin redness is localised around the joint, it is usually related to arthritis or other inflammatory or degenerative diseases of the joint.

In general, reddened skin is either associated with a skin disease, such as urticaria, psoriasis, skin abscess, atopic eczema or allergy, or it is a disease originating from within the body, which is also manifested in the skin by a change in its colour. For example, Lyme disease, gout, Kaposi's syndrome and sometimes scarlet fever are manifested in this way. Also, redness may be associated with inflammation of the veins or some serious febrile diseases of an infectious type.

Formations on the skin

Young people are very often troubled by acne. It is basically an inflammation of the sebaceous glands, which occurs due to hormonal imbalance in the body. Sometimes it can even occur with Cushing's syndrome or with ovarian cysts in women. Similarly, as a result of hormonal imbalance and especially in adolescents at puberty, pimples also occur on the face and body and this is most often due to overproduction of sebum. Sometimes they can also be caused by bacteria and yeast on the surface of the skin.

It is also very easy to see on the skin if a person is suffering from a sexually transmitted disease. For example, rubbery bumps on the skin are typical of syphilis, but sometimes similar bumps can also be seen in tuberculosis of the skin, or in basalioma or melanoma. Very often syphilis also manifests itself as hard sores on the skin, usually within 3 weeks after infection. Sometimes such ulcers also arise from bacterial inflammation or from disorders of the sweat glands.

Sometimes a mole can also be a problem, especially if it triggers the development of melanoma, which is a skin cancer. This cancerous tumour invades the melanocytes, which are the cells that provide pigmentation and give rise to birthmarks. Various allergic reactions are also manifested on the skin, such as the appearance of urticarial pimples, which are directly linked to urticaria. In addition, this symptom also occurs in anaphylactic shock.

Directly with skin diseases occurs, for example, eczema, which affects either the top layer of the skin or the subcutaneous layers. It is a frequent symptom of diseases such as atopic eczema, impetigo, atopic dermatitis and sometimes occurs in allergies or hay fever. Another symptom is the so-called xanthoma, which is a small deposit of fat in the subcutaneous layer that is manifested by a bump on the skin and often occurs on the limbs. Sometimes it also arises from atherosclerosis.

Often, various defects or diseases of the skin are also manifested by blisters. Typically, for example, blackheads, urticaria, atopic eczema, warts, impetigo, but sometimes blisters are also caused by external factors, such as burns or frostbite. Rashes can be found on the surface of the skin in some infectious diseases, such as shingles, measles, etc., but they can also be associated with celiac disease, Crohn's disease or infectious mononucleosis.

A special symptom on the skin are ulcers. These can also occur on the inner mucous membranes in the form of smaller ulcers. Typically, for example, in the case of the gastric system as gastric ulcers. On the skin, ulcers are manifested, for example, in the case of Bérc's ulcers, in connection with diabetic neuropathy or on the basis of insufficient blood circulation in the lower limbs. Minor skin ulcers also occur in the case of blockage of the sebaceous glands or on the basis of infection.

Skin surface change

The skin can sometimes be altered in some way even to the touch. Typically, for example, in the case of so-called parchment skin, which is a symptom for skin with impaired nutrition. This is typical in the elderly, but also in people with diseases of veins, arteries and blood vessels or varicose veins. Cellulitis is characterised by orange skin. This is also caused by fluctuating hormone levels in the blood, and such skin also appears during puberty, pregnancy and the menopause. Sometimes the bumps are too coarse.

Cornified skin is typical of warts or eye curls, where local cornification occurs and it is actually a defensive reaction of the skin against mechanical pressure or other environmental influences on a specific point on the skin. Skin thinning, in turn, may not always be related only to skin defects, but, for example, this symptom also occurs in diabetic neuropathy, which is a neurological disease, or it may be one of the symptoms of Lyme disease.

Oily skin has an increase related to excessive levels of fats in the body and is also accompanied by clogging of the pores. Conversely, dry skin is a symptom of various problems. Whether it is just temporary dehydration, or immune system diseases, or inadequate blood supply due to vascular problems. This symptom occurs in leprosy, atopic eczema, diabetic neuropathy, phenylketonuria, bulimia, celiac disease and also in coronary diseases.

Disruption of skin structure

The skin may have only the upper layers disrupted, or the lower subcutaneous layers may be disrupted as well. Usually this occurs with injuries and abrasions, but sometimes also on the basis of diseases. In scabies, for example, parasites breed directly in the skin and make small tunnels there. Scratches can also appear on the skin as a result of allergic reactions, for example, in the case of urticaria. Many times, however, these scratches are self-inflicted as a result of excessive itching from skin diseases such as smallpox.

Similarly, scars can arise from a variety of causes. Smaller scars called stretch marks are caused by rapid weight loss or weight gain, when the skin does not adequately adapt to surfaces. But they can also form after blisters, rashes and, of course, after injuries or surgery. Also unpleasant is the wetting of the skin, which is usually associated with various blisters and disruption of the skin layers, for example, in atopic eczema or in Bérc's ulcers.

Other symptoms manifested on the skin

Scales may also appear on the skin. If they are localized locally, it may be a minor skin irritation, while a larger occurrence is most often psoriasis. At the same time, however, atopic eczema or hypothyroidism are also manifested in this way. If it is a scaling of the nipple, most often it is a symptom of the appearance of a tumour on the breast. This is also manifested by the skin of the nipple being pulled in, but this symptom is also one of the symptoms of mastitis, i.e. inflammation of the mammary gland, and also occurs with cysts.

In some cases, tiny lines or dots of red colour may appear on the skin. These formations are called petechiae, and are small effusions of blood from the thinnest and smallest blood vessels. They are caused by pressure on the skin but also in some diseases such as leukaemia or haemophilia. Slow healing of wounds on the skin also indicates haemophilia, which is a bleeding disorder, or sometimes diabetes. One of the very unpleasant symptoms on the skin is also itching.

If it is an itch on the head, it may be related to dandruff or dermatophytosis, which is a skin disease. General itching anywhere on the body can also be caused by these skin diseases, but also, for example, by an allergic reaction. Itching often occurs with reddening of the skin, for example with urticaria or atopic eczema. Sometimes, however, it can also be associated with diseases of the internal organs, for example, in liver disease or Hodgkin's lymphoma.