The heart is one of our vital organs and is responsible for pumping blood around the body. Therefore, any issues with the heart can be extremely dangerous.
In fact, in the UK heart and circulatory disease is one of the biggest causes of death, accounting for around a quarter of all fatalities.
The sooner you spot any signs of a heart problem the sooner you can seek the treatment you need. Therefore, it is important to be aware of as many of the warning signs as possible.
Some of these seem obvious, with symptoms such as chest pain (angina) well known.
However, others are less so and can appear in the most unlikely places.
According to one expert, one sign of heart problems can show up on the fingernails.
Doctor James O’Donovan told people to look out for splinter haemorrhages, which cause little lines at the top of the nails as well as dark spots to appear under the nails.
Speaking in a TikTok video, the doctor said: “The little lines that you can see here at the top of the nail are known as splinter haemorrhages.
“These have been caused by damage to the small blood vessels known as capillaries in the nail bed.”
He continued: There’s lots of different causes for splinter haemorrhages, including trauma to the nail bed, as well as systemic conditions such as Raynaud’s disease.
“But what heart condition is typically associated with splinter haemorrhages?”
He encouraged viewers to share the answer in the comments section.
Many replied saying “endocarditis”, which is a rare infection of the inner lining of the heart, with Dr O’Donavan confirming they were correct.
The NHS explains more about endocarditis on its website.
“Endocarditis is a rare and potentially fatal infection of the inner lining of the heart (the endocardium),” it says.
“It’s most commonly caused by bacteria entering the blood and travelling to the heart.”
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) states that symptoms of endocarditis can appear in the nails.
It says: “The symptoms of endocarditis can be hard to notice and unclear, developing slowly over weeks or sometimes months. In some cases, however, they can develop suddenly.”
The charity describes splinter haemorrhages as “unusual dark lines under your fingernails”.
Other symptoms of endocarditis can include:
- Flu-like symptoms – these include having a temperature, tiredness, headaches, chills, a cough and sore throat
- Poor appetite or unexplained weight loss
- Pale skin
- Aching muscles and joints
- Heart murmurs (an abnormal heart sound)
- Small dark-coloured spots on the skin
- Red lumps on the fingers or toes that might be painful.
If you experience any symptoms or are concerned about your heart health you should speak to your GP.
