Give your hands a health MOT

High cholesterol

Telltale lumps of cholesterol on top of the knuckles are one of the signs of a potentially fatal condition called familial hypercholesterolaemia. The hard, yellowy bumps are particularly noticeable when you clench your fist.

Fatty deposits build up for years in the tendons in the finger joints and eventually become fibrous and hard. People with the condition have extremely high cholesterol levels from birth but no obvious symptoms and, without drug treatment, can die from a heart attack at a young age.

Around one in 500 people affected, while 100,000 have not yet been diagnosed.

Warning sign: ‘Drippy’ fingernails Watch out for: Rheumatoid arthritis

are Tiny beads on your nails that look a bit like candle wax dripping could be a sign of rheumatoid arthritis, even joints aren’t swollen or painful.

Called “beading”, the more fingers or toes affected, the more likely it is that arthritis has set in.

It’s thought to be caused by a vasculitis, an inflammation of the blood vessels under the nail bed, triggered by the arthritis. if your

Warning sign: Blotchy red palms Watch out for: Liver cirrhosis

One of the classic signs of diseases such as cirrhosis is a reddening of the palms.

Cirrhosis is heavy scarring of liver tissue, and although it’s associated mostly with heavy drinking, it can also be caused by other “silent” conditions, such as hepatitis C.

Called palmar erythema, this reddening usually affects the outer edge of the palm, especially towards the little finger. Blood vessels in the skin dilate because of changes in the hormone balance caused by liver disease.

Warning sign: Swollen fingertips Watch out for: Lung cancer

If the tips of your fingers are dome-shaped or look like small clubs, it could be a warning sign of lung cancer, TB or mesothelioma – a deadly lung disease linked to asbestos.

First identified by Hippocrates more than 2,000 years ago, it was only recently that scientists at Leeds University discovered exactly why it happens – the build-up of a substance called PGE2 dampens down inflammation in the lungs. Lung tumours send production of PGE2 into overdrive, churning out many times the amount the body needs, and it builds up in the fingertips.

Warning sign: Concave nails Watch out for: Anaemia

Most of us have nails that are convex, so they curve like the surface of a ball.

But if yours have a dip in the middle and are concave, it could be a sign of iron deficiency. Officially called koilonychia, or “spoon nails”, it’s one of the first things doctors look for when trying to work out if a tired patient is suffering from anaemia.

Warning sign: Bucket hands Watch out for: A pituitary tumour

Swollen and enlarged hands could signal you could be developing a condition called acromegaly.

The feet, lips, nose and ears can also be affected as the pituitary gland – which sits in the brain – pumps out too much growth hormone, usually because it has developed a non-cancerous tumour that upsets hormone production. It generally affects middle-aged people and, unless it’s treated with surgery or drugs, it can be fatal.

Warning sign: Lumpy fingers Watch out for: Osteoarthritis

Bony pea-sized lumps that are painful to the touch around the finger joints can be a sign of osteoarthritis elsewhere in the body, such as knees or hips.

One 1970s study showed that of 29 patients with previously undiagnosed arthritis of the hip, 18 had these Heberden’s nodes on their fingers.

Doctors can look at your hands and your nails for telltale signs of diseases to help them diagnose your problem

Warning sign: Multi-coloured nails Watch out for: Kidney disease

Nails that are a brownish shade on the top half but a pale white on the bottom half could be a sign of kidney failure.

These “half-and-half nails” often develop before the kidney starts to fail, giving doctors a vital clue.

It’s thought to be caused by a buildup of urea, a waste product normally processed by the kidneys but which crystallises under the skin and nails.