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Then, when you look at them from the side, the nails start to...
Then, when you look at them from the side, the nails begin to bend more than normal towards the palmar face, and round to the dorsal face. This phenomenon is known as the "Schamroth sign" and is characterized by the disappearance of the diamond formed by the affixing of the fingers against each other.
Scientists believe that clubbing results from the accumulation of liquids in soft tissues at the tips of the fingers. This is due to the inflow of an abnormally high amount of blood into this area. However, the mechanisms behind this phenomenon are still unknown.
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is the second most common cancer in the UK. Every year, about 47,000 people are diagnosed with this deadly disease.
But now a simple test could tell you if you've contracted this cancer.
How can you do the Schamroth test? ... ...
How can you do the Schamroth test?
The Schamroth test was invented by Emma Norton, an oncology nurse at BUPA Cromwell Hospital.
To perform this test, first put your hands in front of you and touch the ends of your index fingers. Then, make your nails touch by folding the top of your fingers (like in the picture). Do you see a small diamond-shaped space just under the nail bed?
“Most people with lung cancer do not know that their fingers are deformed until they know how to observe them specifically. This test is used by healthcare professionals as an additional method to confirm the results, but you can also do it yourself, and it only takes a few seconds,” the nurse says.
“If you don’t see any space under the nail bed, it means your fingers are deformed. You should go to your general practitioner as soon as possible so that he can determine whether the deform is caused by an underlying disease. He will be able to send you a chest X-ray to check your heart and lungs,” says the specialist.
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