The subtle sign on your fingernail that means you could be at risk of sudden death – and 6 other red flags

YOUR fingernails aren't just a place to paint nail varnish on - they could provide a window into your health.

A subtle but common sign could suggest you have a dangerous form of heart disease, which may cause no other noticeable symptoms but could leave you at risk of sudden death if left untreated.

a close up of a woman 's hands on a white background — A subtle sign on your nail could be a sign of heart valve diseaseCredit: Getty

a man is talking about when the nail is pressed — A red pulsation in your nail bed when you press you fingernail down is called Quincke's signCredit: Instagram/drjoe_md

Press down on your nail: can you see a a red, pulsing movement in the nail bed?

This is known as the Quincke's sign - and it could be caused by aortic regurgitation.

Joanne Whitmore, lead nurse at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), explained to Sun Health: "Quincke's sign in the nail bed can be a sign of severe aortic valve insufficiency, as well as other heart conditions."

Normally, your blood flows around your heart and the rest of your body in one direction. The BHF compares it to a "one way traffic" system.

Your heart valves are like traffic controllers, as they control the direction of your blood flow and stop it from flowing backwards. The tiny flaps of skin open and close like doors with every heartbeat.

You have four of them - called pulmonary, tricuspid, mitral and aortic valves.

The aortic valve controls the flow of blood out from the heart to the rest of the body.

Joanne said: “Aortic regurgitation means the aortic valve does not close fully and the blood can leak back into the heart instead of forwards into the body.

"These problems can put extra strain on your heart and make your heart work harder."

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The Quincke's sign is a "bad sign", according to emergency response doctor Dr Joe, who warned of the phenomenon to his 800K+ Instagram followers.

In a video that showed exactly what the pulsation looked like, Dr Joe said aortic regurgitation can cause "a whole host of problems", including chest pain, fatigue and sudden cardiac death.

"It’s one of the clues doctors use to help diagnose this heart issue," he said.

Another is what's known as Corrigan pulse - an excessive and visible pulsation in the neck.

Recent research by the University of East Anglia found that one in four supposedly "healthy" adults over the age of 60 may have heart valve disease.

Researchers carried out heart scans on almost 4,500 people aged over 60, who where outwardly healthy and had no symptoms.

Over a quarter - 28 per cent - were found to have previously undetected heart valve disease.

"Some people with heart valve disease have no symptoms," according to Joanne.

But others may experience:

There are a few causes of heart valve disease - when one or more of your valves don't work - including:

Being born with an abnormal valve
Having rheumatic fever - a rare complication that can develop after a bacterial throat infection, causing painful joints and heart problems
Having heart muscle disease - called cardiomyopathy
Your heart muscle being damaged from a heart attack
Getting older
A heart infection - called endocarditis

Over time, it can increase your risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke.

Another form of the condition is when valves get narrower and don't open fully, blocking or restricting the flow of blood.

The disease can range from mild to moderate and severe.

Those with a mild form will often have no symptoms and might not need treatment - though checkups every few years are advised.

But Joanne said: “If your heart valve disease is moderate or severe you will usually need treatment, involving medicines and/or surgery.

"It can feel scary to be diagnosed with severe heart valve disease. Talk to your doctor about what this means for you and your treatment options."

A HEART attack is when the supply of the blood to the heart is suddenly blocked.

It is a medical emergency and needs to be treated right away.

Around 100,000 people are admitted to hospital due to heart attacks every year in the UK, according to the British Heart Foundation.

That's 290 each day, or one every five minutes.

Some symptoms, like chest pain, shortness of breath and feeling lightheaded or dizzy, can be fairly obvious.

But the signs aren't always so blatant, the NHS warns. Other more subtle symptoms of a heart attack include:

Pain in other parts of the body (it can feel as if the pain is spreading from your chest to your arms, jaw, neck, back and stomach)
Sweating
Feeling sick
Vomiting
An overwhelming feeling of anxiety (similar to a panic attack)
Weakness or fatigue
Coughing
Wheezing

A heart attack and cardiac arrest are similar, but not the same.

A cardiac arrest is when the heart stops pumping blood around the body.