文/安迪·希爾 譯/劉偉

身體好不好，指甲先知道。指甲異常，比如指甲上有白點或者豎紋和橫紋，可能表明缺乏礦物質(zhì)，血液循環(huán)有問題，甚或有潛在的疾病。人的指甲如同樹干，可記錄下指甲生命周期中的點點滴滴。

2最常見的指甲紋路是豎紋。這類紋路從指甲板的根部延伸到頂部，一般都是平行的。從指甲的解剖結(jié)構(gòu)可以看出，這類紋路的形成是指甲板沿著甲床向前生長的結(jié)果。指甲板和甲床中的水分和油脂含量會隨著年齡增長而降低，從而導(dǎo)致豎紋更加明顯。使用化學(xué)清潔產(chǎn)品也會讓豎紋變得更明顯，因為這些產(chǎn)品會降低指甲板中的油脂含量。這類紋路通常并不是健康狀況不佳或有潛在疾病的跡象，通過在指甲根部的外皮和指甲板上涂抹維生素E 油就可以減少這類紋路。

3橫紋可能表明有潛在健康問題，但也可能是創(chuàng)傷引起的。飲食變化、身體創(chuàng)傷（如撞擊創(chuàng)傷或其他甲床損傷）或嚴(yán)重的情緒壓力導(dǎo)致指甲板生長中斷，繼而可能產(chǎn)生橫紋。這類橫紋被稱為博氏線。指甲板上的這類橫溝也可能在患病期間出現(xiàn)，也許會在身體康復(fù)后消失。

4其他類型的指甲異常包括米爾克線和米氏線。米爾克線是成對的白色平行鋸齒線，橫穿指甲。它們不會沿著指甲生長的方向延伸，也不會隨著時間推移向指尖移動。米爾克線可能暗示腎臟疾病、肝臟疾病和各種形式的營養(yǎng)不良。米氏線是一種罕見的指甲紋路，通常是砷中毒的征兆。與米爾克線不同，米氏線隨著指甲板的生長沿著甲床移動。出現(xiàn)任何指甲橫紋都要就醫(yī)，因為它們是潛在健康問題的關(guān)鍵指標(biāo)。□

The fingernails can be a good indicator of potential anomalies in the body. Nail abnormalities, such as white spots or vertical and horizontal fingernail ridges, can be indicators of mineral deficiencies, circulatory problems, or even underlying diseases. The fingernails are similar to the trunk of a tree in that they can document occurrences in the lifespan of the nail.

2The most common form of fingernail ridges are vertical ridges; these ridges run from the base of the nail plate to the tip and are generally parallel. Due to the fingernail anatomy, these ridges are formed by the nail plate moving forward on the nail bed. Moisture and oil levels present in the nail plate and bed can reduce with age, which in turn, leads to an increased prominence of vertical ridges. The use of chemical cleaning products can also increase their prominence as these products reduce oil levels in the nail plate. These ridges are not usually a sign of poor health or underlying disease, and they can be reduced through the application of vitamin E oil to the cuticle and nail plate.

3Horizontal fingernail ridges can indicate underlying health issues but may also be caused by trauma. Some horizontal ridges can be caused through interruptions to the nail plate growth following dietary change, from physical trauma—such as impact trauma or other nail bed injuries—or severe emotional stress. They are known as Beau’s lines.These depressions in the nail plate can also be caused during illness and may disappear following a recovery period.

4Other kinds of nail abnormalities are Muehrcke’s lines and Mee’s lines. Muehrcke’s lines are parallel pairs of white, indented lines that run transversely across the nail. They do not follow the path of the nail growth and do not move toward the tip of the nail over time. Muehrcke’s lines can indicate kidney disease, liver disease, and forms of malnutrition.Mee’s lines are a rare form of fnigernail ridge and are normally an indicator of arsenic poisoning; unlike Muehrcke’s lines, Mee’s lines travel along the nail bed as the nail plate grows. Medical consultation is recommended following the development of any kind of horizontal nail ridges, as they are a key indicator of underlying health issues. ■