This symptom under your nails can be a sign of a deadly cardiac pathology

An innocuous verification that could help save your life. Meanwhile, British specialists in heart disease recently drew attention to an unknown symptom of endocarditis. Nevertheless, a heart pathology that can prove to be fatal in its infectious form.

As an article in Getsurrey indicates. Moreover, cardiologists thus advise to pay particular attention to the state of your nails of the hands, whose alteration may be a sign that you suffer without knowing it from endocarditis.

Infectious endocarditis can lead to septicemia – This symptom under your nails

According to the Vidal medical dictionary. Therefore, endocarditis are “inflammation of the internal coating of the heart”, most often “due to bacteria or, more rarely, microscopic fungi”. Furthermore, These inflammations particularly affect the heart valves.

In its infectious form. For example, this disease leads to “proliferation on the internal coating of the heart of bacteria present in the blood”. “This proliferation can alter the functioning this symptom under your nails of the cardiac valves. lead to a generalized infection of the organism (sepsis)”, specifies the medical dictionary.

Rare disease. but also affecting people without cardiac history – This symptom under your nails

The risks of death or important consequences are therefore important for infectious endocarditis, which remains a relatively rare disease, however. According to the practitioner’s review, its incidence is thus between 30 and 80 cases per million inhabitants and per year “. According to the Vidal dictionary, this represents, in France, around 2000 cases per year.

Another peculiarity of infectious endocarditis is that it is far from only touching people with cardiac history. The Vidal dictionary thus indicates that around “40 % of endocardites appear on a healthy heart”.

“Inhabitual nails” dark lines “can be the sign of endocarditis

In order to avoid complications that can go as far as death. endocarditis must therefore ideally be diagnosed and treated early. To this object, it may be this symptom under your nails useful to identify certain independent symptoms of the heart.

Cité by Getsurrey. cardiologists from the British Heart Foundation notably recommend paying attention to the appearance of “dark unusual lines under the nails”. “These are reddish brown lines that follow the direction of nail growth. which occur when tiny blood clots damage the capillaries under the nail,” said the British media.

Imperfections that may have other explanations

As Getsurrey explains. this type of imperfections under the nails can therefore be a symptom of endocarditis, but it can also be caused by conditions such as diabetes, by certain drugs such as aspirin, or even appear following an accidental nail shock.

In cases where the problem is reproduced on several nails without injury. other obvious cause, it is strongly advised to consult a doctor, who will be able to identify possible endocarditis and in any case establish a precise diagnosis.

Other symptoms to spot

Other this symptom under your nails mild symptoms that can indicate that you suffer from endocarditis. the British Cardiology Foundation also mentions “small dark spots on the skin”, “red bumps on the fingers or toes that can be painful” or an unusual “skin pallor”.

As the institute explains, being vigilant to these weak signals can be crucial to identify the disease in time. “Infectious endocarditis can be fatal if it is not treated, recalls the British Heart Foundation. Therefore, early screening and fast management are essential. You must contact your health professional as soon as you recognize the above symptoms.”