Eighteen hundred years ago, Romano-Britons with a variety of medical conditions would have visited the healing temple at Lydney Park in Gloucestershire, with some of them drinking the iron-rich waters found there. One person left behind a small offering – perhaps in appreciation of a successful cure – in the form of a model forearm. Interestingly the fingernails on the hand are spoon-shaped – a feature that is associated with severe iron deficiency anaemia.
Examining an individual’s finger nails can still be very helpful in alerting doctors to a range of heart and lung problems in addition to anaemia, thyroid disease and some skin conditions. In addition we occasionally send off nail clippings to try and diagnose fungal infections.
Osteoporosis is now a fairly common condition that affects around three million people in the UK and some individuals being treated for osteoporosis have reported that the treatment used to reduce the risk of fragility fractures in their bones has also strengthened their nails.
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