White Spots on Fingernails: Causes & What They Mean

Healthy fingernails are clear and free of discoloration and deformity of shape. The presence of abnormalities, such as white spots, indicates special attention is needed in one or more areas of your health.

Definition

• The medical term for white spotting on fingernails is "leukonychia" which originates from the Greek words "leuko," meaning white and "onyx," the word for nail.

Nutrition

• Abnormalities in the appearance of your fingernails often stem from poor diet or can be signs of a health disorder in another part of your body.

Considerations

• Leukonychia can be acquired or passed on genetically. There can be several causes of acquired leukonychia including typhoid fever, cirrhosis, leprosy, trauma, drugs or hypocalcemia.

Types

• In true leukonychia, white spots appear on the nail plate, however, pseudoleukonychia is a condition in which the spotting is underneath the nail and involves the nail bed.

Syndromes

• Leukonychia can affect you as a sole condition or as part of a syndrome of disorders, some known as hypoparathyroidism, peptic ulcer disease, leukonychia totalis and the Bart-Pumphrey Syndrome.