Your body displays many subtle signs when you have a serious condition. Dr. Joe, an emergency response medic from the United States, revealed on TikTok that signs of a heart condition can be observed in your fingernails.
According to the doctor, if you press down on your nails and see a red pulsation, you may want to visit your GP as soon as possible.
What Your Fingernails Say About Your Heart Health
This pulsation in the nailbed is from a condition known as aortic regurgitation. The aortic valve is one of the valves that regulate blood flow through your heart. Aortic regurgitation occurs when this valve doesn’t close properly, resulting in blood leaking back into the left ventricle.
Consequently, this chamber holds more blood, causing it to grow larger and thicken. Initially, this larger ventricle helps regulate blood flow with greater force, however, the heart eventually grows weaker.
The Causes of Aortic Valve Regurgitation
Several conditions can cause aortic valve regurgitation. Some babies are born with a bicuspid valve, meaning their aortic valve only has two cusps. It is genetic, so if one of your parents or siblings has a bicuspid valve, then you are more likely to have one too. Another potential cause is aortic stenosis, which is a narrowing of the aortic valve caused by a build-up of calcium deposits.
Endocarditis is a condition wherein the inner lining of the chamber and valves of your heart become inflamed. Usually caused by an infection, this condition can damage your aortic valve. Another potential cause of aortic valve regurgitation is rheumatic fever, a condition that was once common among American children.
Other Potential Causes of Aortic Valve Regurgitation
Several other conditions can make the aorta get bigger and cause damage to the aortic valve, such as Marfan syndrome. Aortic valve regurgitation can also be caused by immune system conditions including lupus. The aorta is the body’s main artery and any traumatic chest injury can potentially damage the aorta, resulting in aortic regurgitation. An aortic dissection (a tear in the aorta’s inner layer), can also lead to an aortic valve regurgitation.
@drjoe_md Quincke’s sign is a physical sign seen in people with aortic regurgitation, a heart condition where blood flows back into the heart instead of moving forward. It shows up as a pulsing in the nail beds when gentle pressure is applied to the fingernail. This happens because the heart’s valves are not working properly, causing stronger pulses in the arteries. It’s one of the clues doctors use to help diagnose this heart issue. #cardiology #aorticvalve #heartmurmur #medicalstudent #medicalresident #premed
Who Is Affected by This Condition
It is a somewhat common condition, with around 1 in every 20 people suffering from some form of it. However, most people don’t experience very severe symptoms, with studies estimating that only around 1 in every 200 people have more serious symptoms. Men between the ages of 40 and 60 were the most commonly diagnosed demographic, with around 1.5 million people in the UK over the age of 65 believed to have some form of it.
