Why The Doctor Demands That You Remove Your Nail Polish. NOW.

B'SD

17 Sivan 5769


Hospitalized people feel sick already. Some patients try their best to rise above the occasion with excellent grooming (nice pajamas, robe, neatly brushed hair, good shave, etc.) in their hosptal room. Nobody wants to look like the guy above.


So when women are told that "The doctor says you must remove your nail polish, now" they resist the message.

"Why?" is a common response. Mine was ;^ )


Guys, I hear you. I know some of you wear clear polish to enhance your hand's professional appearance. I know how awkward it'll be for you to disagree with the nail polish removing directive, too. But ooohh, you'd like to...

Let's take some fire out of that fight
by looking at life
from the doctor's point of view.

Nails and nailbeds indicate a lot of information about your health. Discolored nails, nails with raised lines (possibly indicating congested liver), dips (malnutrition), dots - leukonychia in medicalese (nutritional, fungal or psoriasis problems), lack of nail moons (kidney problems) or other marks can indicate health issues you wouldn't know to suspect. Any form of cover/polish will disguise the symptoms that the medical staff needs to see.

Uh, the parenthesized remarks above
are not final status, by the way.
Those nail marks might indicate
other health issues.

One more thing: during surgery, a clip called a Pulse Oximeter will be attached to a toe or finger. The skin color below your nail will indicate how well and how much oxygen is moving through your circulatory (blood) system. Nail polish, even clear polish, interferes with the machine's signal, confusing the medical team about your welfare.

Ready to be a bit more cooperative with the doctor, now? Whew.

Okay, okay I know that now you're wondering about why nails have weird, or any, marks on them. Check out this WebMDHealth column for a quick look at why leukonychia, nail dots, might happen. It's not a comprehensive piece of information, just a quickie look at the question and some possible answers.

Want to feel a whole lot better about your medical issues? Click on I'm Buying "It's MY Crisis! And I'll Cry if I Need To" so I can calm down some more. It's "A Life Book that Helps You to Dry Your Tears and to Cope with a Medical Challenge."

To your healthy sense of humor,

Yojeved Golani
Coping with a Medical Crisis?
Make the Changes You Need in Your Life