Splinter hemorrhages on your nails

Ever since I got lyme I have had small black vertical lines randomly appear on my fingernails. I knew it was a part of having heart involvement and lyme. Endocarditis.

I have had no symptoms of lyme since March. I quit my herbs on June 27th. I am now just waiting to see if the heart involvement is still there and my fingernails will be my test.

I know there are other members that have heart issues and I just thought I would tip you off to watching your finger and toe nails. Tiny sliver looking black, brown or reddish marks on your nails. And they go away when your nails grow out - In my case eating a lot of collagen or gelatin helps this move along more quickly. But, then another one would appear on another finger.

Endocarditis is when a bacteria is in your heart.

Just thought I would give a head's up for you to watch your nails. And, if you see those black lines do not freak out. I am doing fine having had them for months. But it is a tattle tale of what is going on in my body.

I do not say it to scare you, just make sure you watch your heart and any other symptoms. I am now watching to see if they come back since I am "healed."

Actually, psoriasis also causes those splinter hemorrhages as well. I had them and it turned out to be a part of my psoriasis, not heart involvement:

"This study, conducted by researchers in Ontario, Canada, examined 188 people with psoriatic arthritis to see if specific nail changes were tied to specific joint symptoms. Almost everyone in the study—172 patients—had some kind of fingernail psoriasis on at least one nail, according to the findings.

Patients with blood spots under the nail, also known as splinter hemorrhages, tended to have higher numbers of swollen joints, while patients with other kinds of nail psoriasis—including vertical ridges on the nail; red spots in the white, crescent-shaped area at the root of the nail; and crumbling nails—had higher numbers of tender joints, researchers reported."

/www.psoriasis.org/advance/nail-changes-psa-symptoms-go-hand-in-hand


While I agree that it's always a good thing to be sure your heart is checked out, there are plenty of other things that can cause the same issues.

Traveler I think nail psoriasis is a lot different than splinter hemorrhages. Nail psoriasis sure looks a lot like fungus to me.

My splinter hemorrhages are very small and I actually thought I had a splinter under my nail. This is not my hand because I did not take a pic of mine. But this is what mine looked like - so very tiny.

VIEW IMAGE

If you google nail psoriasis it is pretty gross.

Did you have skin psoriasis or nail psoriasis or both?

Was it painful?

I ask because I did not even notice my splinters in my nails. My manicurist asked me, "how did you bruise your nail?" I had no idea what he was talking about. That is when I noticed that they appeared. And I continued to get them about 1 a month. Now I am awaiting to see if they come back.

I have no psoriasis at all and this is why my doc thinks that the nail splinters are related to my heart. We are just monitoring it. He thinks that the bacteria affected my heart and it is a leftover from lyme.

Stinks to be well and go to the doctor and find out there might be a "leftover." I am just grateful that I was helping my heart all through the lyme treatment. Grateful that some of the herbs gave me pause to notice my heart changes and I added in heart herbs.

Just have read of other members noticing heart involvement in their treatment and did not want them to ignore it. Maybe it is palpitations, flutters, racing or even splinter hemorrhages. All things we should notice and take to our LLMD or regular doctor.

Traveler I always love all of your articles but none of them reference lyme disease along with splinter hemmorrhages which is what my doctor was talking to me about.

I recognize all the implications of splinter hemorrhages with other diseases, but when it occurs in people with lyme disease, that is a whole different issue and something that lyme patients should be aware of.

Yes there is the possibility that you can have lyme and psoriatic arthritis or lyme and also have just plain ole psoriasis.

What I am talking about is lyme and splinter hemorrhages only. No psoriasis or fungus. There is a relationship between the two and it can alert someone to heart issues that they may want to have examined by a doctor.

Splinter hemorrhages is a symptom of lyme way down on the list, and it is a tattle tale for heart involvement but I will add here - if you don't have fungus or psoriasis.

Maybe I should have said this at the beginning and it could have been more easily understood.

Just a friendly tip for those with possible heart issues to check their nails.

More importantly in my case was I had heart issues at the beginning of my lyme. Doc checked my heart and it was okay, and much later in my treatment I got the "splinters." My heart issues were being addressed by Hawthorn and Motherwort, I thought. No flutters, no racing or palps. I did not put 2 and 2 together. I had had my heart checked and I was fine but as time went on it was not. If I had of known about those splinters I would have gotten my heart checked again. This issue was found after I healed. Not saying everyone will get this but if you do, even if you don't have heart palps, racing or tachy or flutters, time to get another heart examine.

Just giving someone a head's up.

Regular doc usually has to recommend you going to a cardiologist in my state.

I have to go to my regular doctor to get any referral visit with a specialist.