What is Nose-picking?
Nose picking is an act of extracting nasal mucus or a strange thing inside the nose. Mucous membranes in the nasal cavity constantly produced every day, which will dry because of air humidity, and form a solid thing calls boogers. The boogers will be trapped in your tiny little nose hairs (cilia) in the nasal cavity.
Besides, the dried mucus typically causes a sensation of irritation that leads to the itch. It leads to the compulsion to dislodge the itch by picking your nose.The formal medical term used to describe the act of the habit of nose picking as rhinotillexomania. Read more about: How to Treat Runny Nose While Breastfeeding
Why do we picking our nose?
There are a lot of reasons why everyone picks their nose. It involves unconscious psychological behavior such as being daydreaming or thinking about something. The same thing happens as the tendency of biting nails or sucking thumb which unconsciously done in a public place. Nose picking activity associated with negative feelings that interfere with the mind of the person.
Besides, the nose commonly has its own sensitivity to external stimuli. The nose can easily irritate by triggering substance such as chemicals, odors, air pollution, or other allergic substance. When the nose irritated it will arise itching, sneezing, even leading to influenza symptoms.
Nose Picking Effects for Health
There are several negative nose picking effects for health. They might lead to death.
1. Easy to Flu
The flu virus is a type of airborne infectious disease which means it can be spread by air and many other ways. One of them is it can be transmitted by oneself through unhygienic hands. When infected with the flu, commonly will continue to the itchy nose, inflammation of the throat, sneezing and finally catch a cold-flu. Dirty hands can be a medium of infection in the nasal activity.
2 . Tiny Little Nose Hairs Loss
Cilia‘s hair serves to filter dust, bacteria and pathogenic viruses out, also the strange thing that enters the nasal cavity. Without cilia, any types of pathogens disease can freely enter the body. The inclusion of your fingers while nose picking into the nasal cavity might cause cilia loss.It begins thinner and then disappears. Without cilia (as a natural filter) then viruses and bacteria will easily enter into the body.
3. Nosebleeds
A sharp fingernail might help you to dig the boogers out. But, a sharp fingernail also can scratch and cause cuts the nasal passages. There are blood vessels inside of the nostrils, picking the nose might break the blood vessels inside of the nostrils and nosebleed will happen. The blood will come out from the scar.
4. Meningitis
Be aware while picking your nose, because scraping too deep might touch the inner sinuses that adjacent to the brain. There is a bone called an ethmoid bone which separated the nose and the brain. If you not aware, it will pierce the bone. The fluid in the brain will lose and it can cause meningitis.
5. Death
The negative effects of nose picking as above can be extended and cause an infection, ache, and death. You should be aware while picking your nose.
You might also want to read: How to Stop Running Nose in Cold Weather
Thus, to prevent the harmful nose picking effects for health, please check out the healthy tips below!
Save Ways Tips for Nose Picking
For those who used to doing nose picking, it turns out that this activity is useful as long as it done correctly. In order to avoid negative effects, while nose picking, there are some things you should do while nose picking.
- Wash your hand
Do not scrape the nose too deep because it can disrupt the function of organs. The nasal cavity works as a filter to prevents the germs, bacteria, and viruses. Cleanliness hands will also keep the nasal cavity of infections due to dirty hands. - Nasal Spray
Use a specific spray to wet the nasal cavity, for example by using the saline nasal spray to moisturize the nasal cavity. Keep the nasal cavity moisture, not too dry and not too wet. - Cut your nails
You should cut your nails before nose picking to avoid the nasal cavity injury. Puree the surface after the cut. It helps to prevent the infection due to dirty nails. - Clean the nasal cavity
Get used to remove the snot when you got cold-flu completely and no longer left. Thus, the mucus will not be left. - Wash your hand after nose picking
The last suggestion is more about health and social ethics. Do a clean washing way after nose picking.
Read more: Home Remedies for Children Running Nose
Nose Picking Health Benefits
Although there are negative effects of nose picking, on the other hand, it also has some benefits especially for cleanliness of the nasal cavity. It proved by some studies, as below:
- Study 1 – Austrian lung specialist, Prof Friedrich Bischinger, said that nose picking is one way to have a healthy nose. The nose will become healthier, cleaner, and the body will become comfortable. With the finger, you can get to places you just can’t reach with a handkerchief. It keeping your nose far cleaner.
- Study 2 – Dr. Scott Napper, a biochemistry expert at University of Saskatchewan, Canada, believe that nose picking is not gross but quote the opposite. Cleaning the boogers will remove the dirt and bacteria which trapped inside and facilitate breathing.The same opinion expressed by Sidney Tarachow of the State University of New York, that nose picking is a useful activity.
- Study 3 – A study by the University of Wisconsin, Dane County, USA, involving 200 participants. found that nose picking is done universally by most humans. Approximately 91% of respondents picked their nose to remove the dirt.
Indeed, nose picking can be a bad habit for you. First, it’s dirty. Second, it may cause you bad for nose health. Thus, now you know about the nose picking effects for health and ways to stop it. Stay Healthy, Good People!