UKC

Bit of a random one this.

My fingernail clicks, been doing it for about a year (just started one day) and I want it to stop! Or maybe know what it is. It's the ring finger on my right hand - if I bend the nail or squeeze the finger tip, then when I let go I often get a small click, like a thin rubber band snapping, under the nail. I thought it might be a ridge under the nail, which would eventually grow out, but it hasn't.

I've not seen a doctor about it as I doubt there's anything they can do. I did ask a physio who I happened to be seeing about something else and he found it was fascinating, kept squeezing me finger to make it pop which started to hurt!!

I thought it might be more informative to ask here if anyone else has come across this?

In reply to cider nut:

I take it that's a no then...

In reply to cider nut: Well I think fingernails are supposed to be quite soft, and yours would have to be quite brittle to "click", maybe have a look in a health food store for something to give you strong fingernails and hair? (I know this exists, just forgot the important ingredient - collagen? vit d?)

In reply to cider nut: you got white almost chalk lines running horizontal across any of the other nails? if so it might be lack of calcium? try the nail strengthning polish stuff, paint on stuff, my mom told me to try it when i kept snapping mine. kept breaking before they had seperated from the skin, hurt like hell, but the paint on stuff stoped it.

Jess.x

In reply to Little Brew:
Clicking might mean you've damaged the nail bed... it will either grow out, or it wont... funny thing the body.

It was a cause of contrversy moons ago, the whole calcium- nails-zinc thing, but it is now generally agreed that white flecks or ridges in nails are generally a sign of zinc deficiency (nails contain very little calcium).

If this is the case, then eat more zinc containing foods like meat, eggs and my favorite, cheese (esp. stuff like stilton, wensleydale, etc).

You might also be needing iron. As this can cause bittle nails, so get chomping on the liver and cabbage... mmmm, nice. That and vitamin C helps boost iron uptake.

In reply to Smitz:

I don't know if it's the nail itself, or something underneath it.

In reply to Little Brew:

My nails don't break, and this particular nail is no different from the others. It's just something underneath is or inside is that's randomly clicking, weirdly.

I have loads of white marks on my nails, but they can be caused by various things http://ask.yahoo.com/20040310.html . Mine are caused from getting bumped when climbing and generally being clumsy!

In reply to finkployd: hum... i drink my own boddy weight in Orange juice, eat way too much cheese and love cabbage! still get the odd white fleck on the nail.

no idea...

Jess.x

In reply to finkployd:

I think that the thing that's clicking is underneath the fingernail, like a band from one side to the other, but god knows that. What's the nail bed made from?

In reply to cider nut: no idea then?!? go see the doc? or as i did with my knee trouble, wait till you have to go with something important, like suspected Weil's desease! and sort it them.

oh and its ok im all clear, doc even said i was right to come in!

Jess.x

In reply to cider nut:


i usually find that the knack is to somehow overcome the inate human urge to fiddle with such things

In reply to cider nut:

If you bang you finger, you could damage the nail bed which is what forms your nail. So instead of growing evenly accros the width of your upper finger tip, instead produces less nail in some areas than in others producing ridges or troughs in the nail as it grows out.

They can grow out as the nail producing tissue recovers if it's not very badly damaged...

This is an interesting link that suggests you are suffering from arsnic poisoning... good luck
http://adam.about.com/encyclopedia/Nail-abnormalities.htm

In reply to timjones:

It clicks even if I don't do it on purpose, like if I'm driving or something, or just stretching my hand out if my fingers are aching after climbing.

In reply to finkployd:

Cheers. Found a site with the anatomy here: https:// www.ivart.com/scripts/ivstock/pic.asp?id=182-095&Terms=artist&q=Finger%20Anatomy (remove the space)