My finger nails are turning black... Normal?

I struggled to find an explanation for your problem and spent some time conferring with my esteemed colleague Rhianna.

There are few things that turn the nail itself black,and all of them,except possibly a local nail fungal infection,would also be accompanied by systemic (generalised,) upset as well,however fungal infections develop and progress very slowly.

Wilson's disease, an inherited copper metabolism problem,tends to turn them blue as does cyanosis,but this is the skin under the nail. Excess fluoride and some other medications might discolour the nail,but again usually this is slow and cumulative.If you had liver failure,which can blacken nails it would hardly be your first symptom and you would of course be very unwell by now.

I will have to fall back on suggesting that you get your GP to have a look and run some tests.If he has an oximeter he can quickly check your oxygen saturation, he should check your heart for murmurs,blood for liver function,fluoride and copper and if the nail itself is blackened when he snips a bit off,send it for mycology.

If you can post your ultimate diagnosis I would appreciate it.

1

That doesn't sound good. I'd get to the doctor. Your fingernail color can indicate issues with your kidneys, such as when a baby has jaundace. If it's actually the nail, maybe you have a fungus? But I would be surprised if it was a fungus under all of your nails. I've had a small black streak on my right big toe that is a fungus I picked up when I was in Iraq, but it has never spread to other toes or even covered the entire toenail. You should see a doc right away, especially being pregnant!

Darkening Of Nails

finger nails turning black normal

Hey Dr. Frank, Heavy Metal Poisoning? You're Correct, Other Things.

http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/h/heavy_metal_poison...

EDIT: I Think I Remember this Film Mentioning it:

http://www.fandango.com/theyoungpoisonershandbook_...

And this Film:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Name_of_the_Rose_...

EDIT: I'm Sorry, the Second Film Cites Finger Discoloration.

What Causes Black Fingernails

I know this is an old thread but this happens to my mother when the water needs salt added to it. She is the only one that it happens to in the household. Since it happened after you took a shower I would check for water hardness. I hope this helps someone else with the same question since it could be a simple problem and solution instead of a deadly disease.

i am 64 and the nails on my right hand are all turning black they are discusting

I would certainly let your doctor know this at once. This could be cyanosis, meaning that you are not getting enough oxygen in your blood stream or that oxygen isn't getting to all the places in your body it needs to go. Especially since you are pregnant, I would treat this seriously.