Editing Nose picking

{{short description|Human habit}}
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| image           = Niña pemón - La Gran Sabana - Estado Bolívar (2).JPG
| caption         = A girl picking her nose
| field           = [[Psychiatry]], [[rhinology]]
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'''Nose picking''' is the act of extracting mucus and nasal mucus with one's finger ('''rhinotillexis''') and may include the subsequent [[Eating mucus|ingestion of the extracted mucus]] ('''mucophagy''').<ref name=Bellows>{{cite book|last=Bellows|first=Alan|chapter=A Booger A Day Keeps The Doctor Away: A Medical Doctor Describes the Health Benefits of Nose-Mining| title=Alien Hand Syndrome: And Other Too-Weird-Not-To-Be-True Stories|year=2009|publisher=Workman Publishing|isbn=978-0761152255|pages=[https://archive.org/details/alienhandsyndrom0000bell/page/28 28]–30|chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/alienhandsyndrom0000bell|chapter-url-access=registration}}</ref>  
In Western cultures, this act is generally considered to be socially deviant;<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-07-30 |title=7.1C: Deviance and Social Stigma |url=https://socialsci.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Sociology/Introduction_to_Sociology/Book%3A_Sociology_(Boundless)/07%3A_Deviance_Social_Control_and_Crime/7.01%3A_Deviance/7.1C%3A_Deviance_and_Social_Stigma |access-date=2022-08-12 |website=Social Sci LibreTexts |language=en}}</ref> parents and pediatricians have historically tried to prevent development of the habit and attempt to break it if already established.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Seltzer |first=A. P. |date=September 1963 |title=NOSE PICKING |journal=Journal of the National Medical Association |volume=55 |issue=5 |pages=451–452 |issn=0027-9684 |pmc=2642359 |pmid=14049564}}</ref>

==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.<ref name=Andrade>{{cite journal |first= Chittaranjan |last=Andrade |author2=B.S. Srihari  |title=A preliminary survey of rhinotillexomania in an adolescent sample |journal=The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry |volume=62 |issue=6 |pages=426–31 |year= 2001 |pmid=11465519 |doi=10.4088/JCP.v62n0605}} Reviewed in:
* {{cite news |first=Marc |last=Abrahams |author-link=Marc Abrahams |date=2008-08-19 |title=Why teenagers get right up your nose |work=[[The Guardian]] |series=Improbable research |url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2008/aug/19/research.highereducation |access-date=2008-12-07}}
* {{cite book |first=Marc |last=Abrahams |author-link=Marc Abrahams |chapter=Nose Picking in Adolescents |title=The Ig Nobel prizes: the annals of improbable research |publisher=[[E.P. Dutton]] |location=[[New York City]] |year=2003 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/ignobelprizesthe00abra/page/19 19–22] |isbn=0-525-94753-1 |oclc=52092050 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/ignobelprizesthe00abra/page/19 }}</ref> 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.<ref name=jefferson1995>{{cite journal |first=James W. |last= Jefferson |author2=Trevor D.B. Thompson  |title=Rhinotillexomania: psychiatric disorder or habit? |journal=The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry |volume=56 |issue=2 |pages=56–9 |year=1995 |pmid=7852253}}</ref>

[[Mucous membrane]]s in the [[nasal cavity]] constantly produce a wet mucus that removes dust and [[pathogen]]s from the air flowing through the cavity. For the most part, the [[Cilium|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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Snot My Fault {{!}} Psychology Today |url=https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/in-excess/201401/snot-my-fault |access-date=2022-08-12 |website=www.psychologytoday.com |language=en-US}}</ref> [[Mucophagy]], which is [[Eating mucus|eating the extracted mucus]], may be considered more taboo, and is sometimes portrayed in comedies.{{Citation needed|date=October 2023}}

==Rhinotillexomania==
When nose picking becomes a [[body-focused repetitive behavior]] or [[obsessive–compulsive disorder]] it is known as rhinotillexomania.<ref>[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez Medical papers] at [[PubMed]]</ref><ref>{{cite journal |first=L.F. |last=Fontenelle |author2=M.V. Mendlowicz |author3=T.C. Mussi |author4=C. Marques |author5=M. Versiani |title=The man with the purple nostrils: a case of rhinotrichotillomania secondary to body dysmorphic disorder |journal=[[Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica]] |volume=106 |issue=6 |pages=464–6; discussion 466 |date=December 2002 |pmid=12392491 |doi=10.1034/j.1600-0447.2002.01463.x |s2cid=31444068 }}</ref><ref name="AAMFT">[http://www.aamft.org/families/Consumer_Updates/Body-focusedRepetitiveDisorders.asp AAMFT Consumer Update – Hair Pulling, Skin Picking and Biting: Body-Focused Repetitive Disorders] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090425095847/http://www.aamft.org/families/Consumer_Updates/Body-focusedRepetitiveDisorders.asp |date=2009-04-25 }}, American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy</ref><ref>[[Etymology]]: from [[Greek language|Greek]] ''rhino'' (from [[wikt:ῥίς|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 [[wikt:έξη|έξη]], ''éksi'', "habit") + [[mania]].</ref> Most cases do not meet this pathological threshold.<ref name=jefferson1995/> When it does, however, treatments similar to other BFRBs can be employed, such as [[habit reversal training]] and [[Decoupling for body-focused repetitive behaviors|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.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[BBC]]|title=The ancient story of the modern handshake|url=https://www.bbc.com/ideas/videos/the-ancient-story-of-the-modern-handshake/p072n8wn|date=2019}}</ref>

Picking one's nose with dirty fingers or fingernails may increase risks of infection that may include an increase in the diversity of [[human microbiota|nose flora]] (and thus infection or illness),<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Wertheim |first1=Heiman F. L. |last2=van Kleef |first2=Menno |last3=Vos |first3=Margreet C. |last4=Ott |first4=Alewijn |last5=Verbrugh |first5=Henri A. |last6=Fokkens |first6=Wytske |date=August 2006 |title=Nose picking and nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus |journal=Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology |volume=27 |issue=8 |pages=863–7 |doi=10.1086/506401 |pmid=16874648 |s2cid=45790701}}</ref> or occasional [[nosebleed]]s. One case of rhinotillexomania resulted in perforation of the [[nasal septum]] and self-induced [[ethmoidectomy]].<ref>{{cite journal |last=Caruso |first=Ronald D. |author2=Richard G. Sherry |author3=Arthur E. Rosenbaum |author4=Stephen E. Joy |author5=Ja Kwei Chang |author6=Douglas M. Sanford |year=1997 |title=Self-induced ethmoidectomy from rhinotillexomania |url=http://www.ajnr.org/content/18/10/1949.long |journal=American Journal of Neuroradiology |volume=18 |issue=10 |pages=1949–50 |pmc=8337379 |pmid=9403460 |access-date=2018-01-31}}</ref> In children, the most common complication related to nose picking is [[Nosebleed|epistaxis]] (nosebleed). Infections or perforation of the nasal septum are uncommon, but can occur.<ref>{{Citation |last=Blum |first=Nathan J. |title=Chapter 65 - REPETITIVE BEHAVIORS AND TICS |date=2009-01-01 |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9781416033707000651 |work=Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics (Fourth Edition) |pages=629–641 |editor-last=Carey |editor-first=William B. |place=Philadelphia |publisher=W.B. Saunders |language=en |doi=10.1016/b978-1-4160-3370-7.00065-1 |isbn=978-1-4160-3370-7 |access-date=2022-08-12 |editor2-last=Crocker |editor2-first=Allen C. |editor3-last=Coleman |editor3-first=William L. |editor4-last=Elias |editor4-first=Ellen Roy}}</ref>  Nose picking, however, should not affect the [[olfaction|sense of smell]], as the [[nasal cavity]] where the [[olfactory nerve]]s 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|''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 Dr. 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.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2022-10-28 |title=Nose Picking Could Increase Risk for Alzheimer's and Dementia |url=https://neurosciencenews.com/olfaction-nose-alzheimers-21742/ |access-date=2023-07-09 |website=Neuroscience News |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Chacko |first1=Anu |last2=Delbaz |first2=Ali |last3=Walkden |first3=Heidi |last4=Basu |first4=Souptik |last5=Armitage |first5=Charles W. |last6=Eindorf |first6=Tanja |last7=Trim |first7=Logan K. |last8=Miller |first8=Edith |last9=West |first9=Nicholas P. |last10=St John |first10=James A. |last11=Beagley |first11=Kenneth W. |last12=Ekberg |first12=Jenny A. K. |date=2022-02-17 |title=Chlamydia pneumoniae can infect the central nervous system via the olfactory and trigeminal nerves and contributes to Alzheimer's disease risk |journal=Scientific Reports |language=en |volume=12 |issue=1 |pages=2759 |doi=10.1038/s41598-022-06749-9 |pmid=35177758 |pmc=8854390 |bibcode=2022NatSR..12.2759C |issn=2045-2322}}</ref> However, there is still scarce evidence in favour of this claim, and most experts say it is too soon to link.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nose picking and dementia? Too soon to link |url=https://newsroom.osfhealthcare.org/nose-picking-and-dementia-too-soon-to-link/ |access-date=2023-12-15 |website=Nose picking and dementia? Too soon to link |language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-11-03 |title=Don't worry – Picking your nose doesn't cause Alzheimer's disease |url=https://newatlas.com/health-wellbeing/alzheimers-disease-nose-picking-dementia-no-evidence/ |access-date=2023-12-15 |website=New Atlas |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Taylor |first=Joyce Siette and Mark Patrick |date=2024-01-27 |title=Does picking your nose really increase your risk of dementia? |url=https://www.psypost.org/does-picking-your-nose-really-increase-your-risk-of-dementia/ |access-date=2024-03-21 |work=PsyPost - Psychology News |language=en-US}}</ref>

Some scientists claim that mucophagy provides benefits for the human body.<ref name="Bellows" /> Friedrich Bischinger, an Austrian doctor specializing in [[lung]]s, 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".<ref name="Bellows" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Lane |first=Carin |date=March 23, 2012 |title=Like to become a stranger to illness? Read on |newspaper=Times Union |url=http://www.timesunion.com/living/article/Like-to-become-a-stranger-to-illness-Read-on-3430548.php |access-date=22 August 2012}}</ref>   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 [[Antibody|antibodies]] in relative safety".<ref name="Bellows" /> 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".<ref>{{Cite web |title=How harmful is it to pick your nose? |url=https://wexnermedical.osu.edu/blog/how-harmful-is-it-to-pick-your-nose |access-date=2022-08-12 |website=wexnermedical.osu.edu |date=30 October 2017 |language=en}}</ref>

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|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 [[Observational study|study was observational]], finding a correlation without identifying a detailed cause.<ref>{{cite news| last=Davis | first=Nicola | title=Nose-picking healthcare workers more likely to catch Covid, data suggests |newspaper=The Guardian | date=2 August 2023 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/aug/02/nose-picking-healthcare-workers-covid-transmission-rhinotillexis}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Allergic salute]] (wiping of the nose with the hand)
* [[Eating mucus]]
* [[Nasal irrigation]]
* [[Neti (Hatha Yoga)]]
* [[Nose-blowing]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wiktionary}}
{{Wikiquote}}
* [https://h2g2.com/edited_entry/A9737094 BBC home: The Truth About Nose-picking] at [[h2g2]]
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20071015070927/http://www.babycenter.com/0_nose-picking_11560.bc Toddlers and Nose Picking]}}
* {{cite web |first=Cecil |last=Adams |author-link=Cecil Adams |url=https://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/235/can-you-die-from-picking-your-nose/ |title=Can you die from picking your nose? |work=[[The Straight Dope]] |date=1982-08-20 |access-date=2018-01-31}}
* {{cite news |first=Kemi |last=Ilori |url=http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/goodhealth/2007/june/19/goodhealth-19-06-2007-004.htm |work=The Daily Sun |title=Nose Picking: The interesting and funny habit |date=2007-06-19 |access-date=2008-12-18}}
* {{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/3566273/Man-dies-from-picking-his-nose.html |title=Man dies from picking his nose |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=2008-12-05 |access-date=2008-12-18}}
* For an elaborate [[parody|spoof]], see [http://www.calflora.net/primatenooz/nosepicking.html "Nose-picking in the Pongidae and Its Implication for Human Evolution"], said to be from the ''American Journal of Nasal Anatomy'', (1987)
*[https://bfrb.org/ The TLC Foundation for Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nose Picking}}
[[Category:Body-focused repetitive behavior]]
[[Category:Rhinology]]