Leuconychia - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment Tips

Leuconychia - also known as or associated to leukonychia (disorder), white nails, white nails (finding), leukonychia. Leuconychia is visible as white lines or spots in the nail plate and may be caused by tiny bubbles of air that are trapped in the nail plate layers due to trauma. This condition is differentiated by staining of the whole nail white and is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait.

Symptoms of Leuconychia

Leuconychia or "white nail" is an abnormal whiteness of the nails, either in total, partial (spot) or striate (streaks) forms. It may be congenital or acquired.Leuconychia may occur spontaneously or after minor trauma. Several nail disorders are there that come from hereditary or it may be acquired. Leuconychia is one of them.

Causes of Leuconychia

Some other causes of leukonychia except from those said above may be:

• Leprosy.
• Exposure to extreme cold.
• Hepatic Cirrhosis.
• Ulcerative Colitis.
• Onychophagia.
• Psychogenic Stresses.
• Anemia.
• Hypoproteinemia.
• Occupational trauma.
• A crush injury to base of the nail or the nail bed may produce a permanent distortion.
• Vitamin deficiency can cause a loss of luster or brittle nails.

Treatment of Leuconychia

The white marks will evanesce on their own, when the nails will grow outwards. Reducing minor injury to the nails may prevent the white marks. This situation may be hereditary and no treatment is needed as the spots will grow out with the nail plate. Food like green leafy vegetables, whole grains, nuts and should be consumed in daily life for the deficiency of zinc, which imputed to appearance of white spots.