Discoloured fingernail symptom you should get checked out, according to a doctor

dailystar.co.uk:

NHS doctor has explained why a discolored nail can be a serious medical problem and urged people to get it checked out of they are concerned.Dr Karan Rajan, a general surgeon, says a dark stripe on your nail can sometimes be a sign of cancer.In a video he posted on his @dr.karanr TikTok channel, the medic responds to someone who thought they had a "cool streak" in their nail for 10 years, only to be diagnosed with cancer.Dr Karan shows his own fingernails and says: "Now I've got this dark verticle on my ring finger, this is known as melanonychia and it's pretty common in people with darker skin."There can be a lot of causes for a dark line on your nail, from infection to medication side effects, trauma, blood clots."One particular cause is a rare type of skin cancer called melanoma, in this case subungual melanoma, under the nail."Dr Karan reassures viewers that the cancer is "quite rare" and only appears under the fingernail in 1% of all melanoma cases.In his case, the dark stripe on his fingernail is harmless."As with any skin lesions, if you notice a rapid change in size, colour, or shape, go check it out," he says.

The video was watched more than 400,000 times and people in the comments said they were anxiously checking their own fingernails.One person joked: "I got scared for a sec there was a brown spot on my nail it was just dried up syrup.""I’ve never checked my nails so quickly before," confessed a second viewer.A third user commented: "When you said 1% rare my anxiety left my body."Someone else asked: "What about a white circle in the bottom of your nails.

I have it in all my nails I think it’s normal though."The half-moon shape at the base of fingernails is called a lunula and is completely normal. .