‘I don’t feel good’: Person goes to Urgent Care after finding ‘suspicious lines’ under her nails. Doctors immediately send them to the hospital
Given the high price of medical care in the United States, it’s no surprise that many find themselves putting off essential treatment, even if they have insurance.
In fact, almost half of American adults say it’s difficult to afford healthcare costs. Additionally, around a third of American adults admit to having put off medical care due to cost concerns.
Often, this manifests as simply waiting out the problem in hopes it gets better. However, things can occasionally take a turn for the worse, as a recent viral video shows.
What’s Wrong With This Person’s Finger?
In a video with over 6.7 million views, TikToker @spenshii shows themselves looking a bit ill.
“I do not feel good, and I just found suspicious lines under my nail, so I’m going to go to Urgent Care,” the TikToker starts. “I hope to come back and tell you, ‘You don’t have to worry about suspicious lines under your nail!’”
The video then immediately cuts to the TikToker in the hospital.
In the caption, they offered a further explanation of what happened.
“It was because they suspected endocarditis!” they wrote. “I am predisposed as I have Marfan Syndrome and a history of MRSA. It can present with splinter hemorrhages under the nails. But I’m all good, looks like it’s just some other nasty infection that causes chest pain and coldlike symptoms and nausea and vomiting and aches and fatigue and brain fog and splinter hemorrhages and…”
Subsequent videos from the creator show that they were eventually diagnosed with pneumonia. They also documented the issues they had receiving that diagnosis, as well as some of the other problems that emerged during their treatment.
What Are Splinter Hemorrhages?
While most users expressed concern for the TikToker, some questioned what it meant to have “suspicious lines” under one’s nails.
The TikToker revealed their own nails in a follow-up video. Visible under the nails are several thin, small, red-brown lines.
As the TikToker wrote in their caption, these are called “splinter hemorrhages.” In a response video, Dr. Sermed Mezher summarizes them as “one of those that can mean absolutely nothing, or be a serious concern.”
According to the Cleveland Clinic, one of the most common ways that people get splinter hemorrhages is via trauma. For example, closing a door on your finger or getting acrylic nails put on can both cause splinter hemorrhages.
Are They Bad?
In some cases, the sudden appearance of these small, thin lines can indicate a serious problem. Skin conditions like nail psoriasis and lichen planus can cause this issue. So too can vasculitis, or an inflammation of the blood vessels. This inflammation is sometimes the result of diseases like antiphospholipid syndrome and lupus.
Furthermore, bacterial infections like endocarditis are also known to cause splinter hemorrhages. Patients with chronic kidney disease have reported them as well. Finally, there is some evidence that patients can develop this issue in response to medication.
If you find yourself with splinter hemorrhages, especially if you haven’t experienced any recent nail trauma, it’s a good idea to see a specialist. From there, they will be able to tell you if your issue is benign or something that requires further medication and treatment.
Commenters Share Medical Woes
In the comments section, many users offered their own experiences in the medical field. Often, these negative experiences resulted from their not being taken seriously. This sometimes had dire consequences.
“One time I was pooping blood but the GI Specialist was like hmm who knows what that could be, maybe anxiety! And then 5 years later a PA finally listened to me and referred me for a colonoscopy and then they found stage 4 colon cancer that had spread to my liver…at age 32…” recalled a commenter.
“I had painful lesions inside of my nose for an entire year that my doctor and other healthcare professionals I came in contact with just brushed off as stress even though i told them that’s not what it is. I brought it up at every check up appointment bc it was making my nose swell and it was very painful. ‘it’s probably just stress’ or ‘you make a lot of medications so it’s probably a side effect’ ?? why do they immediately go to that, I’ve been on the same medications for 2 decades,” shared another. “anyways turns out I had a full blown mrsa infection in both of my nostrils for a solid year.”
“One time i went to urgent care with really bad period bleeding to be reassured it was a normal amount of blood loss only to be transported to the ER for a blood transfusion after i lost half the blood in my body,” stated a third.
@spenshii NAIL REVEAL POSTED!!!! and that's what you missed on glee. Edit to add: It was because they suspected endocarditis! I am predisposed as I have Marfan Syndrome and a history of MRSA. It can present with splinter hemorrhages under the nails. But I'm all good, looks like it's just some other nasty infection that causes chest pain and coldlike symptoms and nausea and vomiting and aches and fatigue and brain fog and splinter hemorrhages and-
♬ Frolic (Theme from "Curb Your Enthusiasm" TV Show) – Luciano Michelini
The Mary Sue reached out to @spenshii via TikTok direct message and comment.
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