Nail fungus and sarcoidosis

The doctor has suggested I have sarcoidosis due to many symptoms and CT of spleen with innumerable lesions.  Awaiting CT of lungs to come back along with lab results. I chewed my nails for about a year after having fake nails last October and couldn't seem to stop messing with them.  Last week I put cheap fake nails on and when they started popping off, I noticed green stuff.  Looks like fungus on 4 nails.  One is at center of the nail so am sure this is fungus and they are bothering me again and want to chew them.  Could nail fungus and chewing my nails have caused sarcoidosis and could it also have been the cause of my persistant nausea for months now?  I will be seeing the doctor soon, but this is bugging me.  Could I have prevented this if I hadn't chewed my nails.  Also, wonder since my dad and brother also had fungal problems-- could their sudden heart attacks also have been sarcoidosis?  Thank you so much.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

The green color of your nails is most likely bacteria that live under the nail and produce a green pigment you can only see when the nail is partially separated (from biting or other trauma.)  None of this sounds as though it has anything to do with sarcoidosis.  Neither does your family history of heart disease, or nausea.  I think you really need to talk this through with your doctor, so you don't worry unnecessarily about connecting unrelated symptoms to the disease.

Take care.

Dr. Rockoff

[poli]

I am a second year respritory student graguating in may 2006. I am also a nail technician for 15 years and I agree with the doctor when he says the nail has seperated from the nail bed from all the biting. The green color is from moisture laying stagnent in the space between the nail and the bed just like stagnent water in a pond. My sugestion is 1st try to stop biting your nails,2nd tap your nails on the counter trying to get all the water out, 3rd put a couple of drops of alchol under the nail bed to evaporate the water. I hope this helps and good luck. remember good thoughts only they won't bring you down.