What Your Hands Tell Your Doctor about Your Health
"Doctors can often tell more about someone's health by their hands than their face."
(United Kingdom)—The latest Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine has published research indicating that a person's hands contain vital details about their health, giving an example of a 74-year-old woman who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer after her doctor noted lumps (palmar fasciitis) on her hand.
Said Dr. Graham Easton, a general practicitioner in London: "I always try to shake hands when I meet a patient for the first time. I'm not being polite—their hands are packed with information about their general health, from whether they might have a thyroid problem to signs of osteoarthritis. In fact, doctors can often tell more about someone's health by their hands than their face."
The article goes on to list a variety of hand conditions—such as reddened palms, sweaty palms, oversized hands, fatty knuckles, spoon nails, beaded nails, two-tone nails, blue fingernails, club fingers, and bony lumps on fingers—and explains what health cues they give.
A very interesting article; to discover what these symptoms mean, follow the link provided.
