I noticed it a couple weeks ago while driving home. I’m not sure if they’ve always been like this or how long. I’m a 23M, 6’4, and about 230lbs. I’m pretty healthy with some blood pressure issues, but those are controlled very well.
At first I was worried it’s diabetes. I have a big family history of diabetes, and my blood sugar has always been on the higher side of normal. Between 85-100 since high school. I’ve recently been keeping up with my blood sugar though, and fasting blood sugar was typically between 90-95 and was 93 during a fasting blood test at my doctor a couple of months ago. I stopped testing when I ran out of strips about a month ago, partly because I haven’t been anymore and I also think it’s better for my anxiety if I’m not constantly checking. From things I’ve read, when diabetes shows symptoms on the fingernails, it’s usually Beau’s Ridges (deep horizontal ridges). That provided a bit of relief.
Another thing I read that can cause these vertical ridges is liver and kidney problems. I have a fear of kidney problems, because I’m afraid I’m all of a sudden going to be diabetic with severe blood sugar problems. I’m not as worried about the possibility of liver issues, but I just had a night of drinking a few nights ago. I don’t drink heavily a lot, but I guess every now and then I have a little more than I should. Saying that, I don’t even drink moderately a lot.The anxiety in my head is trying to tell me that me having drank a bit much the other night is going to all of a sudden bring on some form of liver disease.
Finally, the most common causes seem to be vitamin/mineral deficiencies and age. I’d say I’m still relatively young, so I don’t think age would cause these lines/ridges to show up. I’ve recently been trying to eat better and exercise more, so I’m not sure if I’ve accidentally been missing out on Iron, zinc, calcium, or some other mineral deficiency that can cause this. I guess it would make sense, since I’ve been eating a little less than normal but still eating pretty well (I think). On the bright side, I’ve lost around 10lbs more or less over the past four or so weeks.
My girlfriend says they look normal to her and look like “boy fingernails”. My mom says they look normal and she has similar issues, but being in her mid50’s, it would make more sense for her to have them. A couple of my friends have said they look normal and some of their nails have the same ridges, though i’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not. This whole thing is causing me more stress than I feel it should. It’s just these shallow ridges/white lines.They’re the normal pinkish-whitish-clear color and nothing else seems unusual about them. I’m thinking about seeing a doctor about it for peace of mind and just to be safe, but I don’t want to inconvenience them with something that is probably and hopefully nothing serious, especially with COVID going on. I think I just need a place to write my thoughts and feelings on it all.
At first I was worried it’s diabetes. I have a big family history of diabetes, and my blood sugar has always been on the higher side of normal. Between 85-100 since high school. I’ve recently been keeping up with my blood sugar though, and fasting blood sugar was typically between 90-95 and was 93 during a fasting blood test at my doctor a couple of months ago. I stopped testing when I ran out of strips about a month ago, partly because I haven’t been anymore and I also think it’s better for my anxiety if I’m not constantly checking. From things I’ve read, when diabetes shows symptoms on the fingernails, it’s usually Beau’s Ridges (deep horizontal ridges). That provided a bit of relief.
Another thing I read that can cause these vertical ridges is liver and kidney problems. I have a fear of kidney problems, because I’m afraid I’m all of a sudden going to be diabetic with severe blood sugar problems. I’m not as worried about the possibility of liver issues, but I just had a night of drinking a few nights ago. I don’t drink heavily a lot, but I guess every now and then I have a little more than I should. Saying that, I don’t even drink moderately a lot.The anxiety in my head is trying to tell me that me having drank a bit much the other night is going to all of a sudden bring on some form of liver disease.
Finally, the most common causes seem to be vitamin/mineral deficiencies and age. I’d say I’m still relatively young, so I don’t think age would cause these lines/ridges to show up. I’ve recently been trying to eat better and exercise more, so I’m not sure if I’ve accidentally been missing out on Iron, zinc, calcium, or some other mineral deficiency that can cause this. I guess it would make sense, since I’ve been eating a little less than normal but still eating pretty well (I think). On the bright side, I’ve lost around 10lbs more or less over the past four or so weeks.
My girlfriend says they look normal to her and look like “boy fingernails”. My mom says they look normal and she has similar issues, but being in her mid50’s, it would make more sense for her to have them. A couple of my friends have said they look normal and some of their nails have the same ridges, though i’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not. This whole thing is causing me more stress than I feel it should. It’s just these shallow ridges/white lines.They’re the normal pinkish-whitish-clear color and nothing else seems unusual about them. I’m thinking about seeing a doctor about it for peace of mind and just to be safe, but I don’t want to inconvenience them with something that is probably and hopefully nothing serious, especially with COVID going on. I think I just need a place to write my thoughts and feelings on it all.
