About 90 percent of people sometimes stick a finger in the nose, according to American research. Some then eat the contents. Snot is said to be good for the immune system, but ENT doctors strongly discourage nose picking.
Door Naomi DefoerWe pick our noses because of a stimulus, says Waiel Alkhateeb, otolaryngologist and somnologist at Haaglanden Medisch Centrum (HMC). “That’s because scabs form in the nose that irritate the mucous membrane, the lining on the inside of the nose, or obstruct nasal passages. The scabs are then picked off with the nail.”
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Picking your nose often starts harmlessly, but according to the ENT doctor it is very harmful to pick your nose. It can cause damage to the mucous membrane. “The nasal mucosa is essential for the blood flow to the nose, as well as for heating, moisturizing and cleaning the air that is inhaled,” he explains.
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Nails are very dirty and fingers are full of bacteria.
“Because you keep causing damage there, the blood flow to the cartilage in the nose is also affected. This can lead to a nosebleed because the blood vessels are damaged. These capillaries are close to each other in the area at the front of the septum. As a result, this is the place where most nosebleeds occur.”
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Picking can also lead to the death of parts inside the nose. “In addition, nails are very dirty and fingers are full of bacteria,” adds Alkhateeb. “Damage to the mucosa by these bacteria also causes inflammation.”
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Nose picking can become compulsive
Picking the nose can also become compulsive, which is called rhinotillexomania. This can have major consequences for the nose. “The tissue under the mucous membrane – cartilage and the bone of the nose – gets less blood flow and becomes inflamed more quickly,” says Alkhateeb. “Through years of inflammation and reduced blood flow, the tissue can die. The consequences are holes in the septum to the complete collapse of the nose and chronic inflammation, which continuously impairs the nasal passages. In extreme cases, inflammation can spread to parts outside the nose. .”
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Snot can be annoying, but is extremely important for a healthy existence.
Leaving your nose alone when dry scabs irritate is tricky. But the ENT doctor gives a number of tips to stay away from it. Like rinsing your nose regularly with a saltwater solution from the drugstore. “You can also use a nasal ointment to moisten the mucous membrane and get rid of the scabs,” he mentions as the second option.
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“Whatever you do, do not pick your nose, not even with a handkerchief. Sometimes there is an underlying cause, such as an allergy or an autoimmune disease. It is therefore important to always consult a doctor if you have persistent or serious complaints. “
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Snot ensures that viruses are inactivated
After picking in the nose, some people eat the contents. Several researchers say that snot can be healthy for the immune system. Jacques Neefjes, professor of chemical immunology at the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), can imagine this. Snot is a simple word, he says, but the stuff has a complex structure and an important task.
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“A very important part of snot are so-called mucins,” explains Neefjes. These are long proteins with a lot of sugars, including sialic acids (negatively charged sugars). A lot of dust sticks to this. Bacteria and viruses are actually kind of wrapped up by the mucins. This means that viruses and bacteria can infect your nose and mouth a lot worse. The nose is the most important, because a lot of air passes through here.”
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The professor of chemical immunology does not recommend eating the snot. On average, your nose produces 1 liter of snot per day. “Apparently it doesn’t taste bad and we may chew it, so that it is more manageable,” explains Neefjes. “But a large part of the snot already goes through your palate (where your nose and mouth meet) into your esophagus. Moreover, viruses make good use of it by penetrating through your hands, your face and eventually your nose. Mucins in snot then ensure that the viruses are packaged and inactivated. Snot can be annoying, but is extremely important for a healthy existence.”
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