Nose-picking

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Nose-picking
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A girl picking her nose
Specialty Psychiatry, rhinology

Nose-picking is the act of extracting nasal mucus with one's finger (rhinotillexis) and may include the subsequent ingestion of the extracted mucus (mucophagy). [1] In Western cultures, this act is generally considered to be socially deviant; [2] parents and pediatricians have historically tried to prevent development of the habit and attempt to break it if already established. [3] Mucophagy is a source of mockery and entertainment in the media. [4]

Contents

Prevalence

Nose-picking is an extremely widespread habit: some surveys indicate that it is almost universal, with people picking their nose on average about four times a day. [5] A 1995 study of nose-picking, requesting information from 1,000 randomly selected adults from Wisconsin USA gathered 254 responses. It defined nose-picking as "the insertion of a finger (or other object) into the nose with the intention of removing dried nasal secretions". Of those who responded, 91% said they were current nose-pickers (but only 75% of these believed everyone did it), and two respondents claimed to spend between 15 and 30 minutes and between one and two hours a day picking their noses. [6]

Mucous membranes in the nasal cavity constantly produce a wet mucus that removes dust and pathogens from the air flowing through the cavity. For the most part, the cilia that also line the cavity work to move the mucus toward the throat, where it can be swallowed. However, not all the mucus stays fluid enough to be moved by the cilia. The closer the mucus is to the nostril opening, the more moisture it loses to the outside air, and the more likely it is to dry out and become stuck. Once dried, the mucus typically causes a sensation of irritation that leads to the compulsion to dislodge the itch by picking. Other reasons to remove excess dried mucus include impaired breathing through the nose and a concern that it may be visible to others in the nostril openings.

In some cultures, nose-picking is considered a private act akin to defecation, urination, flatulence, burping, or masturbation. [7] Mucophagy, which is eating the extracted mucus, may be considered more taboo, and is sometimes portrayed in comedies. [4]

Rhinotillexomania

When nose picking becomes a body-focused repetitive behavior or obsessive–compulsive disorder it is known as rhinotillexomania. [8] [9] [10] [11] Most cases do not meet this pathological threshold. [6] When it does, however, treatments similar to other BFRBs can be employed, such as habit reversal training and decoupling.

Medical risks and benefits

The environment of the nose and the dried secretions removed contain many micro-organisms. When a person is contagious with a cold, flu or other virus, it is important that hands or other objects used to remove mucus are washed promptly because there is risk of introducing micro-organisms to other parts of the body or other people since it is a norm to shake hands in many societies. [12]

Picking one's nose with dirty fingers or fingernails may increase risks of infection that may include an increase in the diversity of nose flora (and thus infection or illness), [13] or occasional nosebleeds. One case of rhinotillexomania resulted in perforation of the nasal septum and self-induced ethmoidectomy. [14] In children, the most common complication related to nose picking is epistaxis (nosebleed). Infections or perforation of the nasal septum are uncommon, but can occur. [15] Nose picking, however, should not affect the sense of smell, as the nasal cavity where the olfactory nerves are located is too high up to reach.

Researchers at Griffith University have discovered a connection between bacteria and Alzheimer's disease. They have found evidence that a specific bacterium (Chlamydia pneumoniae) is capable of traveling through the olfactory nerve in the nose and entering the brain of mice. The intrusion of the bacteria is enhanced by nose picking. Once inside the brain, this bacterium triggers the production of certain markers that are indicative of Alzheimer's disease. Their study demonstrates that Chlamydia pneumoniae exploits the nerve pathway that extends from the nasal cavity to the brain as a means to invade the central nervous system. In response to this invasion, brain cells deposit a protein called amyloid beta, which is a characteristic feature of Alzheimer's disease. Activities like picking one's nose or plucking nasal hairs can damage the nasal lining, making it easier for bacteria to reach the brain. The olfactory nerve, located in the nose, provides a direct and relatively short route to the brain. Importantly, this route bypasses the protective barrier known as the blood-brain barrier. It seems that viruses and bacteria have identified this pathway as an easy way to gain access to the brain. Therefore, it is according to Professor St John, a co-author of the study, advisable to avoid nose picking or plucking nasal hairs to maintain the integrity of the nasal passage and lower the chances of developing Alzheimer's disease. [16] [17]

Some scientists claim that mucophagy provides benefits for the human body. [1] Friedrich Bischinger, an Austrian doctor specializing in lungs, advocates using fingers to pick nasal mucus and then ingesting it, stating that people who do so get "a natural boost to their immune system". [1] [18] The mucus contains a "cocktail of antiseptic enzymes that kill or weaken many of the bacteria that become entangled in it", so reintroducing the "crippled" microorganisms "may afford the immune system an opportunity to produce antibodies in relative safety". [1] However, other scientists argue that, "because boogers are made from the same ingredients as the mucus we swallow every day, ... eating boogers doesn’t matter much to your immune system". [19]

A study in the Netherlands published in 2023 found that healthcare workers who picked their nose were about three times more likely to contract covid-19. The same study found no correlation between covid infection and nail-biting, or with wearing spectacles or having a beard, which could interfere with fit of protective equipment. The study was observational, finding a correlation without identifying a detailed cause. [20]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olfactory nerve</span> Cranial nerve I, for smelling

The olfactory nerve, also known as the first cranial nerve, cranial nerve I, or simply CN I, is a cranial nerve that contains sensory nerve fibers relating to the sense of smell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cough</span> Sudden expulsion of air from the lungs as a reflex to clear irritants

A cough is a sudden expulsion of air through the large breathing passages which can help clear them of fluids, irritants, foreign particles and microbes. As a protective reflex, coughing can be repetitive with the cough reflex following three phases: an inhalation, a forced exhalation against a closed glottis, and a violent release of air from the lungs following opening of the glottis, usually accompanied by a distinctive sound.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phlegm</span> Mucus produced by the respiratory system (excluding the nasal passages)

Phlegm is mucus produced by the respiratory system, excluding that produced by the nasal passages. It often refers to respiratory mucus expelled by coughing, otherwise known as sputum. Phlegm, and mucus as a whole, is in essence a water-based gel consisting of glycoproteins, immunoglobulins, lipids and other substances. Its composition varies depending on climate, genetics, and state of the immune system. Its color can vary from transparent to pale or dark yellow and green, from light to dark brown, and even to dark grey depending on the constituents. The body naturally produces about 1 quart of phlegm every day to capture and clear substances in the air and bacteria from the nose and throat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nasal cavity</span> Large, air-filled space above and behind the nose in the middle of the face

The nasal cavity is a large, air-filled space above and behind the nose in the middle of the face. The nasal septum divides the cavity into two cavities, also known as fossae. Each cavity is the continuation of one of the two nostrils. The nasal cavity is the uppermost part of the respiratory system and provides the nasal passage for inhaled air from the nostrils to the nasopharynx and rest of the respiratory tract.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mucus</span> Secretion produced by mucous membranes

Mucus is a slippery aqueous secretion produced by, and covering, mucous membranes. It is typically produced from cells found in mucous glands, although it may also originate from mixed glands, which contain both serous and mucous cells. It is a viscous colloid containing inorganic salts, antimicrobial enzymes, immunoglobulins, and glycoproteins such as lactoferrin and mucins, which are produced by goblet cells in the mucous membranes and submucosal glands. Mucus serves to protect epithelial cells in the linings of the respiratory, digestive, and urogenital systems, and structures in the visual and auditory systems from pathogenic fungi, bacteria and viruses. Most of the mucus in the body is produced in the gastrointestinal tract.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nasal concha</span> Piece of bone in the breathing passage of humans and other animals

In anatomy, a nasal concha, plural conchae, also called a nasal turbinate or turbinal, is a long, narrow, curled shelf of bone that protrudes into the breathing passage of the nose in humans and various animals. The conchae are shaped like an elongated seashell, which gave them their name. A concha is any of the scrolled spongy bones of the nasal passages in vertebrates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olfactory system</span> Sensory system used for smelling

The olfactory system, or sense of smell, is the sensory system used for smelling (olfaction). Olfaction is one of the special senses, that have directly associated specific organs. Most mammals and reptiles have a main olfactory system and an accessory olfactory system. The main olfactory system detects airborne substances, while the accessory system senses fluid-phase stimuli.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nasal spray</span>

Nasal sprays are used to deliver medications locally in the nasal cavities or systemically. They are used locally for conditions such as nasal congestion and allergic rhinitis. In some situations, the nasal delivery route is preferred for systemic therapy because it provides an agreeable alternative to injection or pills. Substances can be assimilated extremely quickly and directly through the nose. Many pharmaceutical drugs exist as nasal sprays for systemic administration. Other applications include hormone replacement therapy, treatment of Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Nasal sprays are seen as a more efficient way of transporting drugs with potential use in crossing the blood–brain barrier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nasal irrigation</span> Personal hygiene practice for rinsing out nasal passages

Nasal irrigation is a personal hygiene practice in which the nasal cavity is washed to flush out mucus and debris from the nose and sinuses, in order to enhance nasal breathing. Nasal irrigation can also refer to the use of saline nasal spray or nebulizers to moisten the mucous membranes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhinorrhea</span> Type of medical symptom where the nasal cavity is filled with fluid mucus

Rhinorrhea, rhinorrhoea, or informally runny nose is the free discharge of a thin mucus fluid from the nose; it is a common condition. It is a common symptom of allergies or certain viral infections, such as the common cold or COVID-19. It can be a side effect of crying, exposure to cold temperatures, cocaine abuse, or drug withdrawal, such as from methadone or other opioids. Treatment for rhinorrhea is not usually undertaken, but there are a number of medical treatments and preventive techniques.

Phantosmia, also called an olfactory hallucination or a phantom odor, is smelling an odor that is not actually there. This is intrinsically suspicious as the formal evaluation and detection of relatively low levels of odour particles is itself a very tricky task in air epistemology. It can occur in one nostril or both. Unpleasant phantosmia, cacosmia, is more common and is often described as smelling something that is burned, foul, spoiled, or rotten. Experiencing occasional phantom smells is normal and usually goes away on its own in time. When hallucinations of this type do not seem to go away or when they keep coming back, it can be very upsetting and can disrupt an individual's quality of life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nasal cycle</span> Unconscious alternation of the nasal cavities

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human nose</span> Feature of the face

The human nose is the most protruding part of the face. It bears the nostrils and is the first organ of the respiratory system. It is also the principal organ in the olfactory system. The shape of the nose is determined by the nasal bones and the nasal cartilages, including the nasal septum which separates the nostrils and divides the nasal cavity into two. On average, the nose of a male is larger than that of a female.

A sinus is a sac or cavity in any organ or tissue, or an abnormal cavity or passage caused by the destruction of tissue. In common usage, "sinus" usually refers to the paranasal sinuses, which are air cavities in the cranial bones, especially those near the nose and connecting to it. Most individuals have four paired cavities located in the cranial bone or skull.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nose</span> Organ that smells and facilitates breathing

A nose is a protuberance in vertebrates that houses the nostrils, or nares, which receive and expel air for respiration alongside the mouth. Behind the nose are the olfactory mucosa and the sinuses. Behind the nasal cavity, air next passes through the pharynx, shared with the digestive system, and then into the rest of the respiratory system. In humans, the nose is located centrally on the face and serves as an alternative respiratory passage especially during suckling for infants. The protruding nose that is completely separate from the mouth part is a characteristic found only in therian mammals. It has been theorized that this unique mammalian nose evolved from the anterior part of the upper jaw of the reptilian-like ancestors (synapsids).

Dysosmia is a disorder described as any qualitative alteration or distortion of the perception of smell. Qualitative alterations differ from quantitative alterations, which include anosmia and hyposmia. Dysosmia can be classified as either parosmia or phantosmia. Parosmia is a distortion in the perception of an odorant. Odorants smell different from what one remembers. Phantosmia is the perception of an odor when no odorant is present. The cause of dysosmia still remains a theory. It is typically considered a neurological disorder and clinical associations with the disorder have been made. Most cases are described as idiopathic and the main antecedents related to parosmia are URTIs, head trauma, and nasal and paranasal sinus disease. Dysosmia tends to go away on its own but there are options for treatment for patients that want immediate relief.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Body-focused repetitive behavior</span> Medical condition

Body-focused repetitive behavior (BFRB) is an umbrella name for impulse control behaviors involving compulsively damaging one's physical appearance or causing physical injury.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nasal administration</span> Administration of drugs through the nose

Nasal administration, popularly known as snorting, is a route of administration in which drugs are insufflated through the nose. It can be a form of either topical administration or systemic administration, as the drugs thus locally delivered can go on to have either purely local or systemic effects. Nasal sprays are locally acting drugs such as decongestants for cold and allergy treatment, whose systemic effects are usually minimal. Examples of systemically active drugs available as nasal sprays are migraine drugs, rescue medications for overdose and seizure emergencies, nicotine replacement, and hormone treatments.

Eating mucus is the act of extracting dried nasal mucus with one's finger and the succeeding action of ingesting the mucus from the nose-picking.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allergic salute</span> Upward rubbing of the nose to relieve itching

The allergic salute is the characteristic and sometimes habitual gesture of wiping and/or rubbing the nose in an upwards or transverse manner with the fingers, palm, or back of the hand. It is termed a salute because the upward movement of the hand acts as an unintentional gesture. The habit of using the hand to wipe the nose is observed more often in children but is common in adults as well. Saluting most commonly temporarily relieves nasal itching as well as removing small amounts of nasal mucus.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Bellows, Alan (2009). "A Booger A Day Keeps The Doctor Away: A Medical Doctor Describes the Health Benefits of Nose-Mining" . Alien Hand Syndrome: And Other Too-Weird-Not-To-Be-True Stories. Workman Publishing. pp.  28–30. ISBN   978-0761152255.
  2. ↑ "7.1C: Deviance and Social Stigma". Social Sci LibreTexts. 2018-07-30. Retrieved 2022-08-12.
  3. ↑ Seltzer, A. P. (September 1963). "NOSE PICKING". Journal of the National Medical Association. 55 (5): 451–452. ISSN   0027-9684. PMC   2642359 . PMID   14049564.
  4. 1 2 "Nose Nuggets". TV Tropes. Retrieved 2022-08-12.
  5. ↑ Andrade, Chittaranjan; B.S. Srihari (2001). "A preliminary survey of rhinotillexomania in an adolescent sample". The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. 62 (6): 426–31. doi:10.4088/JCP.v62n0605. PMID   11465519. Reviewed in:
  6. 1 2 Jefferson, James W.; Trevor D.B. Thompson (1995). "Rhinotillexomania: psychiatric disorder or habit?". The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. 56 (2): 56–9. PMID   7852253.
  7. ↑ "Snot My Fault | Psychology Today". www.psychologytoday.com. Retrieved 2022-08-12.
  8. ↑ Medical papers at PubMed
  9. ↑ Fontenelle, L.F.; M.V. Mendlowicz; T.C. Mussi; C. Marques; M. Versiani (December 2002). "The man with the purple nostrils: a case of rhinotrichotillomania secondary to body dysmorphic disorder". Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica . 106 (6): 464–6, discussion 466. doi:10.1034/j.1600-0447.2002.01463.x. PMID   12392491. S2CID   31444068.
  10. ↑ AAMFT Consumer Update – Hair Pulling, Skin Picking and Biting: Body-Focused Repetitive Disorders Archived 2009-04-25 at the Wayback Machine , American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
  11. ↑ Etymology: from Greek rhino (from ῥίς, rhis, "nose") + τίλλειν (tillein, "to pull") + exo "out" (or according to an alternative analysis, from Neolatin tillexis, "habit of picking", from Greek tillein and έξη, éksi, "habit") + mania.
  12. ↑ "The ancient story of the modern handshake". BBC. 2019.
  13. ↑ Wertheim, Heiman F. L.; van Kleef, Menno; Vos, Margreet C.; Ott, Alewijn; Verbrugh, Henri A.; Fokkens, Wytske (August 2006). "Nose picking and nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus". Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology. 27 (8): 863–7. doi:10.1086/506401. PMID   16874648. S2CID   45790701.
  14. ↑ Caruso, Ronald D.; Richard G. Sherry; Arthur E. Rosenbaum; Stephen E. Joy; Ja Kwei Chang; Douglas M. Sanford (1997). "Self-induced ethmoidectomy from rhinotillexomania". American Journal of Neuroradiology. 18 (10): 1949–50. PMC   8337379 . PMID   9403460 . Retrieved 2018-01-31.
  15. ↑ Blum, Nathan J. (2009-01-01), Carey, William B.; Crocker, Allen C.; Coleman, William L.; Elias, Ellen Roy (eds.), "Chapter 65 - REPETITIVE BEHAVIORS AND TICS", Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics (Fourth Edition), Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders, pp. 629–641, doi:10.1016/b978-1-4160-3370-7.00065-1, ISBN   978-1-4160-3370-7 , retrieved 2022-08-12
  16. ↑ "Nose Picking Could Increase Risk for Alzheimer's and Dementia". Neuroscience News. 2022-10-28. Retrieved 2023-07-09.
  17. ↑ Chacko, Anu; Delbaz, Ali; Walkden, Heidi; Basu, Souptik; Armitage, Charles W.; Eindorf, Tanja; Trim, Logan K.; Miller, Edith; West, Nicholas P.; St John, James A.; Beagley, Kenneth W.; Ekberg, Jenny A. K. (2022-02-17). "Chlamydia pneumoniae can infect the central nervous system via the olfactory and trigeminal nerves and contributes to Alzheimer's disease risk". Scientific Reports. 12 (1): 2759. doi:10.1038/s41598-022-06749-9. ISSN   2045-2322. PMC   8854390 . PMID   35177758.
  18. ↑ Lane, Carin (March 23, 2012). "Like to become a stranger to illness? Read on". Times Union. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
  19. ↑ "How harmful is it to pick your nose?". wexnermedical.osu.edu. 30 October 2017. Retrieved 2022-08-12.
  20. ↑ Davis, Nicola (2 August 2023). "Nose-picking healthcare workers more likely to catch Covid, data suggests". The Guardian.
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