People have been urged to seek “immediate” professional help if they spot this particular sign when applying pressure to their fingernails. According to foot and ankle surgeon, Doctor Dana Brems, “pulsating” shades of pink and white beneath the nail could signal a serious cardiac condition.
This symptom is known in the medical field as Quincke’s sign and it suggests you could have a leaky heart. Without swift treatment this can result in heart failure and even cardiac death, she warned.
In a video shared on social media platform TikTok, Dr Brems offered additional information about Quincke’s sign whilst demonstrating an example of what this might look like.
“If you see this in your nails, you need to see a doctor immediately,” she stated.
“This is Quincke’s sign. It can be seen when you press gently on your fingernail or toenail and notice these pulsating capillaries in the nail bed. It’s a sign of aortic insufficiency.
“In this condition the aortic valve of the heart doesn’t close properly. So when the blood is supposed to be pushed to the rest of the body, it’s actually leaky and a lot of the blood comes back into the heart.”
She cautioned: “This can lead to heart failure or even setting cardiac death. This is an example of how a subtle finding can mean a big problem.”
A case study, published in the British Medical Journal in 2021, examined an instance of Quincke’s sign in a 74-year-old patient.
The patient also displayed additional symptoms including breathlessness, weight gain, oedema (swelling), and elevated jugular venous pressure.
Consequently, he received a diagnosis and treatment for congestive heart failure.
The study report stated: “Quincke’s pulse is characterised by alternating flushing and blanching of the nail bed in concert with the cardiac cycle, and frequently occurs along with wide pulse pressure.
“It is most commonly associated with severe aortic valve insufficiency; however, it can also be seen in patients with coarctation of the aorta as well as in patients with high-output physiology.
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“The presence of Quincke’s pulse in a patient presenting with heart failure should raise suspicion for high-output heart failure.”
The NHS identifies additional warning signs of heart failure as:
- Breathlessness
- Swollen ankles and legs
- Feeling lightheaded and fainting
- A persistent cough, which may be worse at night
- Wheezing
- A bloated tummy
- Loss of appetite
- Weight gain or weight loss
- Confusion
- A fast heart rate
- A pounding, fluttering or irregular heartbeat (palpitations)
Should you experience ongoing or progressively worsening heart failure symptoms, it’s advisable to contact your GP. The NHS says: “Call 999 for an ambulance or go to your nearest accident and emergency (A&E) department as soon as possible if you have sudden or very severe symptoms.”