Can smoking cause nail clubbing?

Question

Hello doctor,

I am a 27-year-old female, weighing 130 pounds, with a history of smoking slightly less than one pack a day for 10 years. I quit a month ago. I am concerned about finger clubbing. Over the past few months, I have noticed a new curvature in my nails that was not present before. It is mainly in my index fingers, with a slight change in my middle fingers as well. According to Schamroth's test, I have a very small window. I am really concerned. Could this be an early sign?

Please advise.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

This is mild clubbing, which is normal in young females due to the estrogen hormone. Please keep yourself well away from tobacco and alcohol. To be on the safe side, have a chest X-ray done and send it to me here to check for any pulmonary causes, as you have a 10-year history of smoking. Typically, smokers develop clubbing when they have cyanosis, which is an increased concentration of deoxygenated blood in the vessels. However, your fingers do not appear to be cyanosed. Cyanosis refers to a bluish appearance of the nails, tongue, lips, etc. Your fingers and nails appear pink, which indicates there is no cyanosis. Again, I strongly emphasize avoiding smoking.

Thanks and regards.