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  • Jefferson Adams
    Jefferson Adams

    Do No Half-Moons on Your Fingernails Mean Celiac Disease?

    Reviewed and edited by a celiac disease expert.

    Does an absence of half-moons on your fingernails mean you have celiac disease?

    Do No Half-Moons on Your Fingernails Mean Celiac Disease? - Fingernails with no half-moons. Image: CC BY 2.0-- rockindave1
    Caption: Fingernails with no half-moons. Image: CC BY 2.0-- rockindave1

    Celiac.com 02/27/2020 - One interesting question we see regularly here at Celiac.com is: Does having no half-moons on your fingernails mean you have celiac disease? Certainly, symptoms of celiac disease include problems with skin, hair and nails, and even seemingly harmless defects in dental enamel

    The Celiac Disease and Gluten-Free Forum includes numerous entries on celiac disease and various finger nail abnormalities, including Beau's lines, brittle nails, clubbing of toenails, ridges in fingernails, and more, but the science here is thin. There just haven't been many studies on fingernails and celiac disease. These conditions

    B-12 Deficiency is Common in People with Celiac Disease

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    B-12 deficiency is one of the most common vitamin deficiencies faced by people with celiac disease. While B-12 deficiency is common among people with celiac disease, evidence regarding nails and people with celiac disease having no half-moons on their fingernails is largely anecdotal. Claims pop up in a number of health web sites. Here are a few examples:

    Low Vitamin B-12 Signs

    Blue Nails: Window to Micronutrient Deficiency

    Whatever effects low B-12 may have on half-moons on fingernails, vitamin B-12 deficiency may cause potentially serious symptoms including:

    • Bleeding gums
    • Bone Pain
    • Brown spots on skin
    • Burning sensations, especially on the thighs
    • Depression
    • Diarrhea
    • Difficulty walking
    • Exhaustion or fatigue
    • Heavy menstrual bleeding
    • Loss of Balance
    • Memory problems
    • Nose bleeds
    • Numbness
    • Pain or twitching in legs
    • Sensitivity to noise
    • Tingling in feet or hands

    So, while there is no solid scientific answer to the question, the anecdotal evidence is abundant, with many people with celiac disease claiming a connection. Could low B-12 cause changes to your fingernails? Possibly.  In any event, if you experience a loss of half-moons on your fingernails, or suspect vitamin B-12 or other deficiency, see a doctor.
     


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    Guest Eleanor

    Posted

    My Dr. pointed out I had no finger prints.  Said it was a symptom of sprue.  One more thing to look for.

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    rehh05

    Interesting. When I was fingerprinted for a background check for my job, nothing they did could get the machine to read my fingerprints... just too faint. I figured it was the forty years of constant hand washing as a preschool spec ed teacher that wore them off. Maybe not! 

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    Awol cast iron stomach

    I'll be honest I don't think I ever recall having half moons on my fingernails. I now 4 years later after diagnosis I have half moons appearing on my thumbs only. My right thumb half moon is better than my left which is more sparse. I do wonder in time if I'll get half moons on the other fingernails. I do recall my diagnosing Dr looking at my fingers and nails during examination.

    I have noticed if I get cc I get problems with my big toenails that I believe is not only b12, but possibly zinc absorption problems as well. Maybe just unique to me though. The strength and coloring doesn't improve until nail grows out even if I supplement . It interesting the color issues occurs on the big toes as numbing of big toes also occurs neuropathy wise if cc. 

    Edited by Awol cast iron stomach
    Autocorrect incorrect
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    Guest Samari

    Posted

    Hi! To be honest I've never thought about half moons on my fingernails and how important it is.

    I have half moons only on my thumbs. Should I worried about it?

    I also start to take collagen for improving my nails and hair structure.

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    plumbago
    On 3/5/2020 at 12:46 PM, Awol cast iron stomach said:

    I have half moons appearing on my thumbs only. My right thumb half moon is better than my left

    Same.

     

    On 3/5/2020 at 12:46 PM, Awol cast iron stomach said:

    do wonder in time if I'll get half moons on the other fingernails.

    No. Well, for me, the answer is no. I've been gluten free for 10 plus years.

    The main issue is that I actually do have half moons, but most of the time they can't be seen as they're covered by my encroaching cuticles. (Looking now at my left middle finger, I see the top of a half moon and on my left ring finger.)

    I work with patients and am very interested in nail assessment, but I think in this case, lack of a half moon is not very determanative of anything, unless it is paired with something like obvious malnutrition and the person says they used to have them. Not sure.

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    Guest Michelle

    Posted

    I found out about celiac about 4 months ago. Went in for a colonscopy, they found it. I have very faint half moons. I take 2 iron pills a day. Vitamin deficiency.

     

     

     

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  • About Me

    Jefferson Adams

    Jefferson Adams is Celiac.com's senior writer and Digital Content Director. He earned his B.A. and M.F.A. at Arizona State University. His articles, essays, poems, stories and book reviews have appeared in numerous magazines, journals, and websites, including North American Project, Antioch Review, Caliban, Mississippi Review, Slate, and more. He is the author of more than 2,500 articles on celiac disease. His university coursework includes studies in science, scientific methodology, biology, anatomy, physiology, medicine, logic, and advanced research. He previously devised health and medical content for Colgate, Dove, Pfizer, Sharecare, Walgreens, and more. Jefferson has spoken about celiac disease to the media, including an appearance on the KQED radio show Forum, and is the editor of numerous books, including "Cereal Killers" by Scott Adams and Ron Hoggan, Ed.D.

    >VIEW ALL ARTICLES BY JEFFERSON ADAMS

     


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