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:

Iron Need
Congestive Heart Failure
Liver Cancer
Hepatitis
Anemia
Need For Dietary Improvement
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:

sugar-free soft drink consumption

high fast food consumption

red palms/fingertips

grilled meat consumption

chronic abdominal pain

very low hematocrit

high refined sugar consumption

high added salt consumption

constant fatigue

waking up with choking sensation

edema of the feet

deep-fried food consumption

... 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	99%	Confirm
Anemia	15%	Unlikely
Hepatitis	12%	Unlikely
Need For Dietary Improvement	4%	Ruled out
Congestive Heart Failure	0%	Ruled out
Iron Need	0%	Ruled out
Liver Cancer	0%	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.

Hepatitis

Liver Cancer

Concerned or curious about your health? Try The Analyst™