Fingernail Moons and Driving Habits

Your bad driving habits may be hurting you more than you realize - Perhaps doing as much harm as smoking 2 packs of cigarettes per day.

Take a look at your fingernails. In palmistry the "moons" at the base of each nail show how well blood and oxygen are circulating through your body. Too large of moons reveals excessive action of the heart (such as high blood pressure), while fingernail moons that are too small show weaker heart action and potential circulatory problems.

More and more I have been encountering very small fingernail moons on physically fit, active, and relatively healthy individuals. Sometimes these small moons can be attributed to carbon monoxide exposure from regular jogging along busy streets, or from smoking cigarettes. Yet in so many cases there seemed to be nothing in the lifestyle that would cause circulatory problems.

Well, today I drove on the freeway in rush hour traffic - Something I almost never do anymore. It quickly became pretty obvious where many people are getting their excessive carbon monoxide exposure. Just take a look at how close some drivers stay behind the car in front of them. If you don't leave enough space between you and the car ahead of you (especially in slow or stopped traffic), you may as well just put your mouth around a tailpipe and suck the exhaust straight in that way.

So there's one more reason to develop good driving habits - Follow too close and it's as if everyone in your car (children included) is chain-smoking cigarettes the whole time you're behind the wheel.

More Palmistry Questions - Back to Work

Next time I take time off from computer work, I'll have to take some actual time off as well. Quite a few palmistry and other hand related questions kept me busy, not to mention regular work also. Here's a few of the interesting questions:

Q: When I close my hand and try to re-open the large finger on each hand remains locked at the knuckle. I can open up by using extra pressure. Is there a cure for this?

A: That sounds like a condition called "Dupuytren’s contracture". You can find some expert information on this at these 2 links:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/dupuytrens-contracture/DS00732
http://www.eatonhand.com/hw/hw009.htm

Q: There is fungus under my thumbnail and although it's receding, the bottom of my nail on one side is loose. I suppose I will lose the nail but want to know how to remove it properly.

A: A doctor is best equipped for doing nail removals, especially since you are also dealing with a fungus. If you absolutely must treat it yourself, the best option is usually keeping the thumbnail cut short and let the loose part grow out on its own. It may take several months for the nail to come off on its own, but then there is usually another nail already growing in its place.

Q: I recently went to get my palm read, is it okay to share the details with family and friends?

A: In most cases it is perfectly fine to share with others the info you receive from a palm reading. If anything seems too personal to you, just keep that part to yourself.

If you were specifically told by a palm reader to not share with others anything they told you, I would be very suspicious of their motives and abilities. Some palmists give everyone almost exactly the same reading...

Splitting Fingernails

I get a lot of questions about fingernail conditions. Here's an example from yesterday:

"I have never had strong nails, they are thin and split easily. But the past 5 years my thumb nails are forming a ridge down the center and then they break open and split apart. Then they grow out and the process starts all over again. They seem to be worse in the summer. I am 56 and healthy, I get a check up every year and have bone density test when my doctor recommends it. This condition is not only ugly but very painful when the nail splits open down the center. I have to keep the nail trimmed very short. Can you give me any reason for this, and what can I do or what can I take to prevent it or lesson it."

Vertically splitting fingernails almost always indicate a lack of calcium, whether through inadequate diet or poor absorption. Maintaining sufficient calcium levels within the body eliminates the vertical splits.

The thumb nail takes about 9 months to grow out from the base to tip. If the split goes all the way to the cuticle, then it would take 9 months of continued calcium supplements to correct.

Alcohol and caffeine deplete calcium from the body, so intake should be reduced or eliminated.

Calcium needs to be taken twice per day to maintain sufficient levels. You can do things like have a piece of cheese in the morning, and a calcium supplement at night. (Or just make sure that both your breakfast and dinner contain foods high in calcium.)

Calcium also needs an acidic stomach to be properly digested and absorbed. Antacids should be avoided, even if they contain added calcium.

Vitamin D is also necessary to absorb calcium, either through sunlight or when added to foods (like milk).

The best calcium supplement I have found so far is "Mega Cal high absorption calcium", 650mg soft-chews by Jamieson.

Splitting Fingernails & Osteoporosis

One early warning sign for osteoporosis is vertical splitting of the fingernails. This usually indicates a long-term calcium deficiency. My mother has osteoporosis so it runs in the family, and I have also had these fingernail splits a few times over the past decade. Each time I (eventually) added calcium supplements to my diet and the splitting disappeared in a few months.

These images were taken today, and show my own middle fingernail on the left hand. It was difficult to get a good photo of the fingernail split, so I played with the image color a bit so you can see it better.



Starting today I'm again taking calcuim supplements. The one that works best for me is "Mega Cal" soft chews by Jamieson. 650 mg twice per day.

I'll add new photos every once in a while so you can see the changes to the fingernail over time.

Horizontal Fingernail Trenches and Spinal Problems

Horizontal trenches across the fingernails are usually interpreted as revealing injuries or problems with the spine. The thumbnail shows the top 2 vertebrae, the index fingernail is C3-C7, middle fingernail is T1-12, ring fingernail is L1-4, and baby fingernail is the sacrum and coccyx.

Horizontal trenches are not always due to whiplash or other spinal injuries, however. They can also be caused by simply digging away at the cuticle with a metal object (such as nail clippers). This changes the meaning completely, and is then interpreted very much like bitten nails and cuticles (but more obsessive/compulsive).

You can still apply the related area of the spine to the interpretation. If the thumb shows the deep horizontal trench, for example, expect to also find pain caused by excessive muscle tension located near the base of the skull.

More Info on Osteoporosis

Another common hand analysis question I receive is what to do when the fingernails show vertical splitting that could indicate calcium deficiency or possible osteoporosis. As with any health condition, consult a professional for a proper diagnosis. Two of the best sources I've ever found for osteoporosis information are EndocrineWeb.com and MayoClinic.com