Causes & Symptoms Of White Spots On Nails

You may notice white spots or dots along your nails if you are deficient in certain minerals or vitamins. The deficiencies most commonly linked to this issue are zinc deficiency and calcium deficiency.

For some people, the white spots may appear as tiny dots speckled across the nail. For others, the white spots may be larger and stretch across the entire nail. The spots may affect one nail or several.

Causes
White spots or dots on your nails are common. Several issues can cause them. Possible causes include:

• allergic reaction
• fungal infection
• nail injury
• mineral deficiency

1. Allergic reaction

An allergy to a nail polish, gloss, hardener, or nail polish remover may cause white spots on your nails. The use of acrylic or gel nails can also badly damage your nails and may cause these white spots.

2.Fungi
A common nail fungus called white superficial onychomycosis can appear on the toenails. The first sign of the infection may be a few small white dots on the nails.

The infection can grow and spread to the nail bed. Toenails may appear flaky and then become thick and brittle.

3.Injury to the nail
An injury at the base of your fingernail can cause white spots or dots on your nail as it grows. However, because of the time it takes for your fingernails to grow, you may not recall the injury. Some injuries won’t show up for four weeks or more.

Common sources of injuries to nails include:

• shutting your fingers in a door
• striking your finger with a hammer
• hitting your nails against a counter or desk
• Frequent manicures may also cause damage that results in these white spots on your nails. Pressure applied by the manicurist may damage the nail beds.

4. Mineral deficiency
You may notice white spots or dots along your nails if you are deficient in certain minerals or vitamins. The deficiencies most commonly linked to this issue are zinc deficiency and calcium deficiency.

Additional Causes
Less common causes for white spots on nails include:

• heart disease
• bad health
• renal (kidney) failure
• psoriasis or eczema
• pneumonia
• arsenic poisoning
  While these causes are possible, they are very rare. Your doctor will likely explore a host of other conditions if you have persistent white spots on your nails before considering these more serious issues.

Symptoms
White spots can appear in a variety of ways. They may look like:

• Tiny pen-point–sized dots
• larger “lines” across the nail
• larger individual dots
  The cause for the white spots on your nail may dictate how the spots appear. A nail injury may cause a large white dot in the middle of the nail. An allergic reaction may cause several dots all over the nail. The appearance of the white dots or lines may be different on each nail.

Also Read:Try these home remedies for nail fungus