Nose picking allows bacteria, viruses and fungi to enter the brain, where they can cause inflammation.
It is often criticised in public and can cause problems for not respecting the rules of etiquette. Picking your nose is not only frowned upon, but can also cause serious health problems. According to a study, this unpleasant but seemingly harmless habit can have health consequences and researchers claim that it increases the risk of suffering from degenerative brain diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Dementia is a general term for a group of diseases that lead to a decline in cognitive abilities, making it difficult to perform everyday activities and characterized by problems with thinking, memory, behavior, and motor control.
How does nose picking cause dementia?
According to a study published in the journal American Journal of Medical SciencesNose picking can cause bacteria, viruses and fungi to enter the brain, where they can cause inflammation. As we age, inflammation leads to infections that damage brain cells and lead to symptoms of the disease.
Researchers have linked this habit to the undesirable outcome after citing at least ten studies. “Several pathogens, including those that invade the brain through the nasal epithelium, have been linked to Alzheimer’s disease and have been isolated during post-mortem analysis,” they wrote.
“In conclusion, these studies demonstrate that nose picking is an important risk factor and plays a role in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. We propose that further research be conducted to understand the association between nose picking and Alzheimer’s disease through case-control studies with larger sample populations.”
Previous study corroborates the risk factor
Previously, a detailed study conducted by an Australian research team, whose work was published in the journal BiomoleculesHe had said that dementia is responsible for memory loss and cognitive decline, caused by “many possible factors.”
What causes Alzheimer’s and dementia?
Both Alzheimer’s and dementia result from an abnormal buildup of proteins (amyloid protein and tau protein) in the brain, which cause brain cells to die. Experts say the human brain contains more than 100 billion nerve cells and other cells that work together to carry out all the communications necessary to perform functions such as thinking, learning, remembering and planning.
Scientists believe that when amyloid protein builds up in brain cells, it forms large clumps called plaques, which block communication between nerve cells, preventing them from carrying out their processes. This slow, ongoing death of nerve cells gives rise to the symptoms of the diseases.
“More recent evidence suggests that neuroinflammation may also play a role, at least partially, in the development of the disease,” the scientists said. “More recent research has explored the possible involvement of invading external pathogens in the initiation or acceleration of neuroinflammatory processes in Alzheimer’s disease,” they added.
Ways to protect yourself from dangerous pathogens
According to experts, pathogens enter the brain and attack the olfactory system (the nasal cavity and nerve cells involved in smell), making it a plausible route, which is also linked to neuroinflammation, including herpes, COVID-19, pneumonia and bronchitis.
Reflecting on the results of the review, the researchers suggested paying special attention to handwashing as a possible way to avoid the disease. “Among all the entry routes, improved hand hygiene could be a simple prevention measure, as has been learned from the COVID-19 epidemic,” they said.
“One of the lessons learned from Covid-19 is the value of hand hygiene through frequent handwashing and use of hand sanitizers, and we suggest that these routine hygiene procedures should be mandatory routine procedures for the person with incurable nose picking.”
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