Crohn’s disease has many extra-intestinal manifestations and can affect every part of your body.
I’ve talked about this before-like the blog a guest writer wrote about genital crohn’s which, as you’ve probably guessed, is Crohn’s of the genitals (thankfully, a rare complication of the disease.)
But today, I’m going to talk about nails.
Let me be honest about the inspiration for this post. It started during a bad period of health anxiety after having Jude; in which I seemed to notice things that I probably wouldn’t have batted an eyelid at beforehand.
One of these was my nails, which seemed to be full of ridges and just didn’t seem as healthy pre-baby.
Thankfully, they seem much healthier now but, mid-deep in google, I started to learn about how nail problems are more common in those of us who have IBD (source).
It’s one of those things you’ve probably never connected with your IBD, but you may read this and a lightbulb may go off!
It’s important to note that having these nail issues does NOT form an IBD diagnosis, but more that if you have IBD, like me, it may explain the nail changes you’ve been experiencing.
1.Beau’s lines
You can get two types of ridges in your nails. The ones that go up and down are common and part of aging, so they’re not really a big deal. The ones going across are a bit more of a worry (well, at least to me).
They’re called Beau’s lines they are dents and ridges that go ACROSS your nail.
Beau’s lines happen when your nail stops growing for a period time and they’re only visible once the nail starts growing again (it causes a dent between the paused and new growth)
When you google, lots of scary things come up like heart disease, chemotherapy, and other illnesses but basically anything that stops the nail growing can cause them.
It can be scary (if you’re a hypochondriac like me) but the important thing is these occur usually after the events occurred-so it’s very unlikely they’re a sign of a heart attack unless you had one three months earlier (but god knows my anxious brain will try and convince me I’ve had a heart attack some days).
Although I couldn’t find any studies on this, thankfully google brought up various forums which reassured me that lots of people with IBD seemed to complain of Beau’s lines and it could well be because of flare-ups.
My GP (who I mentioned it to after seeing her for a different issue) said it can be caused by iron dips, which seems to be happening for me with heavy periods. But it’s also linked to low levels of Zinc.
I’ve just checked my nails whilst writing this and they do *seem* to be growing out now my iron levels are creeping higher.
2.Clubbed Nails
Clubbed nails can occur when the nail bed bulges unnaturally or the fingertips curl over the edges. This is linked to all sorts of scary lung issues but can also be common for those with IBD.
In fact, a study showed that about 38% of those with Crohn’s and 15% of those with Ulcerative Colitis presented with clubbed nails and, in those with Crohn’s, it seemed to be linked to disease activity and the prevalence of it in the digestive tract.
It’s definitely worth making sure nothing else is going on but, most likely, this is caused by your IBD.
3.Onychomycosis
This was shown to be the most common nail issue with those with IBD.
It sounds like a medieval disease but it is in fact just yellowing of the fingernails.
The cause is usually fungal so it could perhaps be linked to the fact we’re more likely to get infections due to medication.
However, it’s also caused by Subungual hyperkeratosis, which can also cause the nail to detach and flaking of the nail surface.
Subungal Hyperkeratosis was also found to be one of the most common nail problems with IBD and is also part of psoriasis (which some people with IBD may also have)
4. Spoon nails
Spoon nails, or Koilonychia (another word that sounds like a terrible disease but actually isn’t) are nails that are flat or even concave and it’s most commonly caused by iron-deficiency anemia. Because so many of us with IBD have anaemia, it could make spoon nails more likely too.
5. Leukonychia
What is with all these scary-sounding nail disease names? This is the name of white spots you get on your nail which are usually just caused by trauma ( it used to be thought it was due to low calcium but that’s no longer the case).
It’s actually quite common but some research has suggested when this becomes more prominent (like ‘half and half nail’ in which the nail is half-white), it can be a signal of Crohn’s Disease.
IBD can have a huge impact on your gut but I did not know about the effect out can have on your nails. Thank you so much for sharing. Great post 🙂
thank you!
This is an interesting observation! Never associated abnormalities in nails with ailments like IBD. You have been quite observant and these symptoms must not be ignored.
Wow, I didn’t realize how bad this condition can be. What are some early signs of this condition And are there ways to reverse the damage to the nails?
Chloe E. recently posted…Addicted To Nail Biting? That’s How You Get Rid Of It
Hi! I never thought how bad it can be…I also wonder what are some early signs of this condition?
I try to visit the salon once a month, but during pandemic it was problematic. So I start to take collagen, becuase I wans’t satisfy with my nails condition. It wasn’t so bad like above in the article, but still. And you know I am happy that I order it online. Btw here is the link https://www.vitaminexpress.org/uk/collagen-supplements
Anyway thank you for this article. It’s very useful!
Our gut bacteria play a role in everything from immunity to mental health, so it’s important to keep them happy and healthy. One way to do this is by eating Manuka honey. Manuka honey contains prebiotics, which are a type of dietary fiber that feed the good bacteria in our gut. This helps to keep them healthy and thriving. I’ve been using this one https://www.amazon.co.uk/puregold for years, and I’ve seen the benefits first-hand.