If you smoke and play guitar

[mightymike]

You could get this.
Emphysema Fingernails
http://www.google.com/search?q=emphysem ... 33&bih=295" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

20 years ago, I thought fingernails like these where the nail grows over the edge was just part of aging. My grandpa had it. He died of pulmonary fibrosis brought on by years of smoking and asbestos exposure. Now my dad has it, and we have the same shape of hand, but mine are normal. He still smokes for over 50 years.. I have a friend who has it, he smokes. He's in his early 50's, and it affects his guitar playing. I see EVH's fingers, and his finger tips look like they could have it.

I quit in Feb 1990.. Fingers crossed

[neikeel]

The appearance is known as 'clubbing' that is why any good doc checking you over properly should always check your hands, palms, mouth head and neck at the beginning (that is how I teach my students!).

4 -stages of clubbing:
1) softening of the nailbed
2) loss of nail bed angle (hold your nails of your two middle fingers next to each other - you should see a diamond shapehttp://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Nor ... dIndex=342 called Shamroth's test.
3) increased curvature of the nail
4) drumstick shaped deformity

some people add the striped nail pattern but that is not exclusive to clubbing

Associated with lung, heart and liver disease (lung cancer, pulmonary fibrosis, emphysema, cyanotic heart disease, cirrhosis, Crohn's disease and others.

Weird things that crop up 'off topic'

[demonufo]

And I just naively assumed that my doctor didn't believe me when I told her I didn't smoke, and was checking for nicotine staining.

Didn't like her anyway. Because of her, it was nearly another year down the line before I eventually got diagnosed with U.C. (by the good grace of another G.P.) in which time I lost well over a stone. And when you're only 5'6 1/2" and slight to start with, that's a lot to lose.

[mightymike]

I was told the cause is from lack of oxygen. I didn't know other diseases can cause this too. If you're a young guitar player and smoke, just know that in 20 years your finger tips could get all fat like this if you don't quit. This can really affect your playing, which would be the least of your worries. If you've been smoking for years, and this hasn't happened yet, maybe quiting will prevent it.

I'm no doctor, and I don't mean to come off as preachy. I'm just sharing an answer to a question that I have wondered about for over 30 years. Do with that info as you will, but I bet you will notice it when you see it now.

[dirtycooter]

Clubbing of the fingers ALSO is caused by prolonged alcohol abuse. Maybe why Eds fingers have changed?? His look clubbed kinda like a tree frogs fingers. But I also know some dudes who were like that with the bulging fingernails when I was in highschool.
I have to quit but last time I did (4weeks ago I made it 4 days) I got all crazy on the chick behind the counter for carding not only me but my old lady when I wanted to by myself a six pack of beer. I have some grey hair and almost 40. Who the hell does that? Neither of us had alcohol on us or our breath but now they card who is with you when you buy it?? Wth? That makes NO sense. I was ballistic like makin a scene and gettin loud right now. The old lady wanted to crawl away under the counter. I caught myself in this midstream. I was like another person. Gonna have to take a few weeks vacation and avoid people to quit safely. I have smoked 25years now. It has started to effect my health negatively. A coworker of mine hasn't smoked no where near as much as me and has just had surgery for oral cancer.
Then I think of Ed and his case.
So no.... this IS a good topic to bring up
My grandpa smoked all his life, had the same large fingernails now that you mention it. Emphysema and died of lung cancer. However he could still unload a hay wagon onto the elevator faster than me and my dad could stack it in the barn on the other end just 5 years before he passed. 77 years old.

[mightymike]

I did not.know alcohol did that as well.

My grandpa was a hell of a worker. Smoked 50 years at least. Untilled he was 67. He was exposed to asbestos, but did construction until he retired at 65. He could run fast too. I raced him a couple city blocks when he was 67 and I was 17 to a tie. Then he was active till a few months before his death at 84, and never complained. Didn't want to worry us. That's old school manly.

[neikeel]

I did not.know alcohol did that as well.

It does not on its own - it is the cirrhosis of the liver from poisoning your liver beyond its natural ability to take it