Your fingernails can give you the tip off about a great many health problems, ranging from iron deficiency to heart disease, according to experts. Doctors often look at your nails because they reflect your general health. Their shape and texture, color and various flecks or marks reveal plenty to the medically trained eye. So next time when you’re filing them, take a closer look at them and see if you can spot any clues. Here are some clues that you can look at:

• Brittle nails: A common complaint and there are various causes. Very often it is caused by prolonged immersion in water, or it could be occupational. Women can get it from detergents or nail polish remover. However, in some cases brittle nails mean iron deficiency, poor circulation or even an under active thyroid condition.

• Soft nails: Generally nothing to worry about, although in some cases it could denote an overactive thyroid.

• Tiny red/ black areas: Rare and could suggest heart disease, but larger areas are not uncommon, when, following a nail injury, blood gets under the nail, or there is a dark bruising.

• Yellow nails: Some drugs discolor nails; but if the nails are yellow and very hard it could be sign of chronic bronchitis, sinus trouble, or chronic lung disease such as emphysema.

• Brown nails: This often occurs in ringworm and in old people with poor circulation.

• Spoon nails: Spoon shaped nails, if you put a drop of water on them; it won’t roll off, can be due to anaemia or iron deficiency.

• Black vertical streaks: Could be a sign of a growth beneath the nail.

• Club nails: The opposite of spoon nails with the sides curving sharply downwards can indicate heart trouble, thyroid disease or lung disease.

• White pale nails: Could suggest anaemia but may occur in liver or kidney disease.

• Ridged nails: Often happen when people have a habit of pick the base of the nail. Cross ridging may be a feature of many skin complaints. But it usually follows a severe illness.

• Other abnormal shapes: Abnormal shapes may be due to skin diseases. Psoriasis is the most common skin disease to be accompanied by nail dystrophy. Pinpoints depressions or pits and lifting up on the edge of the nail may occur in this condition.

• Half and half nails: Half of the end section of the nail is discolored brown, while the lower half, closet to the knuckles, is normal. A sign of kidney problems.

• A splinter haemorrhage: They look like small dark specks in the nail bed and are due to the release of small amounts of blood products under the nail.

So these clues are enough you to know about your health.