High cholesterol often does not cause obvious symptoms in the early stages, causing many people to be subjective or unaware of the condition. However, unusual signs around the nails sometimes reflect serious underlying problems within the cardiovascular system. According to some health agencies, an early sign of cholesterol embolism can appear in the skin near the nails.
Cholesterol embolism occurs when cholesterol crystals break off from plaque in the artery walls and travel through the bloodstream, becoming trapped in small blood vessels. This condition can cause damage to organs if not detected and treated promptly. Therefore, small changes around the nails are sometimes the first “signal” warning of a high cholesterol condition that is causing complications.
Unusual Signs of Cholesterol Embolism in Fingernails
1. Appearance of small yellow spots around the nails
One of the most common and easily observed signs is the appearance of small yellow spots that reflect light around the nail area. These spots can be tiny, stand out clearly on the skin around the nail, often appearing in clusters and causing an unsightly appearance. This is a sign that cholesterol embolism may have occurred.
2. Changes in the color of fingers and nails
The nails or fingertips turn blue or purple, also known as “blue fingers”, may be due to obstructed blood flow. This often occurs when small blood vessels are blocked by cholesterol crystals. This sign is especially important if it occurs with a feeling of coldness, numbness or pain in the extremities.
3. Ulcers around the nails that do not heal
The presence of ulcers, redness, or even small lesions around the nails that do not heal over time can be a sign that there is a problem with blood circulation in this area. Lesions that are slow to heal, skin necrosis, or signs of unexplained inflammation in the nails should be carefully considered in the context of high cholesterol.
The most common and dangerous complications of cholesterol embolism
Here are the most common and dangerous complications of cholesterol embolism:
1. Acute or chronic kidney failure
The kidneys are one of the organs most vulnerable to damage by cholesterol crystals. When the small blood vessels in the kidneys – especially the glomerular capillaries – are blocked, the blood filtering function will be significantly impaired. Patients can quickly fall into a state of acute kidney failure with symptoms of oliguria, increased blood creatinine, and electrolyte disturbances. If not treated properly or if the embolism occurs repeatedly, this condition can progress to chronic kidney failure, requiring the patient to undergo regular dialysis to maintain life.
2. Sudden blindness due to retinal damage
The eye is an organ that is very sensitive to anemia. When a cholesterol crystal blocks a blood vessel that supplies the retina (the central retinal artery or its smaller branches), the patient may suddenly lose vision in one eye. This phenomenon is called amaurosis fugax, a serious warning sign of an impending stroke. If not detected and treated promptly, this loss of vision can become permanent.
3. Stroke or brain damage
If cholesterol crystals enter the cerebral circulation and block small arteries in the brain, the result can be ischemic strokes. Depending on the affected brain area, the patient may experience symptoms such as facial distortion, weakness in the limbs, speech disorders or loss of consciousness. The danger is that lesions caused by cholesterol embolism are often diffuse and do not have typical images on diagnostic imaging techniques, making the diagnosis easy to miss or confuse with other neurological diseases.
4. Widespread tissue necrosis and skin ulcers
Another common but easily overlooked manifestation is skin necrosis or ulcers that are difficult to heal, especially in distant locations such as the toes, feet or fingertips. Small peripheral blood vessels are easily blocked by cholesterol crystals, leading to local ischemia. Symptoms may begin with bruises, erythema or patches of abnormally discolored skin, then progress to ulcers or tissue necrosis. These lesions are often resistant to conventional treatment and can put patients at risk of amputation if not treated promptly.
5. High risk of death if damage occurs at important locations
One of the most dangerous dangers of cholesterol embolism is when crystals cause blockage at strategic locations such as the aorta, coronary arteries or bilateral renal arteries. At that time, the risk of cardiogenic shock, myocardial infarction, complete kidney failure or multiple organ dysfunction will increase. These conditions, if not treated urgently, will directly threaten the patient’s life. In particular, in elderly patients or those with underlying cardiovascular disease, the mortality rate due to complications of cholesterol embolism is very alarming.
