What is the Cause of Pale Fingernails?

What Causes Pale Fingernails?

Pale fingernails can have various causes, ranging in severity from 'worrying' to 'generally fatal'. Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.

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Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms. In order to diagnose pale fingernails, we could:

Research the topic
Find a doctor with the time
Use a diagnostic computer system.

The process is the same, whichever method is used.

Step 1: List all Possible Causes

We begin by identifying the disease conditions which have "pale fingernails" as a symptom. Here are seven possibilities:

Hepatitis
Anemia
Liver Cancer
Congestive Heart Failure
Need For Dietary Improvement
Iron Need
Cirrhosis Of The Liver

Step 2: Build a Symptom Checklist

We then identify all possible symptoms and risk factors of each possible cause, and check the ones that apply:

brittle fingernails

bulimia

H2-blocker antacid use

waking up with choking sensation

low hematocrit

low TIBC

major unexplained weight loss

low red blood cell count

edema of the feet

past calcium-based antacid use

not eating garlic

very low hemoglobin levels

... and more than 70 others

Step 3: Rule Out or Confirm each Possible Cause

A differential diagnosis of your symptoms and risk factors finds the likely cause of pale fingernails:

Cause	Probability	Status
Cirrhosis Of The Liver	94%	Confirm
Need For Dietary Improvement	24%	Unlikely
Iron Need	19%	Unlikely
Liver Cancer	2%	Ruled out
Hepatitis	2%	Ruled out
Congestive Heart Failure	2%	Ruled out
Anemia	1%	Ruled out

* This is a simple example to illustrate the process

Arriving at a Correct Diagnosis

The Analyst™ is our online diagnosis tool that learns all about you through a straightforward process of multi-level questioning, providing diagnosis at the end.

If you indicate abnormal fingernails and toenails, The Analyst™ will ask further questions including this one:

Are your fingernails more pale than they should be? Normal nail beds are a strong pink color. You could try comparing your nails those of other people.

Possible responses:

→ No, my nail beds are a healthy pink / don't know
→ Yes, my nail beds are a little pale / light pink
→ Yes, my nail beds are very pale / almost white

Based on your response to this question, which may indicate either pale fingernails or very pale fingernails, The Analyst™ will consider possibilities such as:

Anemia

Cirrhosis of the Liver

Congestive Heart Failure

Consequences of Poor Diet

Malnutrition can cause pale fingernails.

Iron Requirement

Liver Cancer

Concerned or curious about your health? Try The Analyst™