Hidden Dangers of Kids Who Can’t Resist Nose Picking

What happens when you pick your snot with dirty hands
What different studies have found about nose-blowing behavior

Nasal mucus is a substance formed by a mixture of mucus from the nose, dust, bacteria, and other particles in the air. Sometimes, people pick their nose with their bare hands to relieve the feeling of foreign substances in their nose. However, this behavior can actually lead to illness. What are the risks of picking your nose with dirty hands?

 

Frequent nose picking exposes you to various infection risks. There is a bacteria called Staphylococcus aureus, which is a cause of food poisoning, in the nasal cavity. If there is a wound on the nasal mucosa, it can become infected with Staphylococcus aureus, resulting in a nasal abscess.

In addition, the risk of pneumococcal infection increases. Pneumococcus can cause meningitis or otitis media in infants and children and pneumonia in adults. In addition, frequent nose-picking to remove nasal mucus can lead to a vicious cycle where more mucus is produced.

 

Applying Vaseline or paraffin-based ointment thinly on the nasal mucosa is helpful to reduce nasal mucus. A dry environment inside the nose causes nasal mucus. When using Vaseline or ointment, clean your hands thoroughly and apply it with your little finger, spreading it widely. Alternatively, you can dip a cotton swab in Vaseline and apply it inside the nasal opening, then press both nostrils with your fingers to spread the Vaseline evenly.

The best way to remove nasal mucus is to flush it with a saline solution. Alternatively, you can suck in water through your nose and then let it out. This way, the nasal mucus becomes moist and can easily be removed. You’re also less likely to scratch your mucous membranes with your hands and put yourself at risk of infection.

 

You should suspect atrophic rhinitis if you frequently have dry green nasal mucus. This is a condition where the nasal mucosa becomes dry and shrinks. With atrophic rhinitis, even if there is no runny nose, there may be symptoms such as a foul smell from the nose or the appearance of dry green nasal mucus. The leading causes are vitamin A or iron deficiency, aging, and damage to the nasal mucosa due to external stimuli. To alleviate symptoms, it is recommended to rinse the nose with a warm saline solution and supplement with vitamin A and iron.

 

On the other hand, most people think that nasal mucus is dirty. However, several research results can change the perception of nose-picking. One study found that eating nasal mucus increases the body’s immunity.

Scott Nepper, a professor of biochemistry at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada, hypothesized in 2013 that eating nasal mucus is good for immunity and conducted experiments with students divided into two groups. The results showed that the group that ate nasal mucus had fewer cold symptoms and increased immunity. It is said that nasal mucus acts as a natural vaccine by aggregating dead bacteria.

In 2016, a research team from the University of Tübingen in Germany conducted an in-depth study on nasal mucus and discovered antimicrobial substances in the nasal cavity. According to the research team, there are about 90 bacteria living in the human nasal cavity. The research team found “lugdunin,” an antimicrobial substance that inhibits bacterial activity. Lugdunin showed a strong bactericidal effect, even against Staphylococcus aureus, which is resistant to most antibiotics. These research results were also published in “Nature.”

On the other hand, there are also negative research results regarding nose picking.

According to a research team from Griffith University in Australia, nose-picking behavior can increase the risk of dementia. The research team exposed the olfactory tubes of mice to Chlamydia pneumonia, a bacterium that causes pneumonia, pharyngitis, ear infections, and sinusitis. Mice have a similar olfactory system to humans.

The research results showed that Chlamydia pneumonia injected into the olfactory nerves of the experimental mice infected their brains within 72 hours. This means that bacteria can cross the blood-brain barrier, which is the final immune defense of the central nervous system.

In addition, infected mice showed brain damage within 28 days. The research team explained that such brain damage can affect cognitive function and may lead to the early onset of Alzheimer’s disease.

By. Han So Won (qllk338r@wikitree.co.kr)