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Nose picking is not only unsightly, it can also increase the risk of dementia.
Scientists are calling for more research into the link between this bad habit and Alzheimer’s disease.
In a medical journal last month, they admitted that “little” research has been done on the subject.
But the research that has been done shows that nose picking is “a significant risk factor,” they added.
The theory is that bacteria are transferred to the nose via the fingers, from where they travel to the brain and cause inflammation.
Memory robbing disease is characterized by a buildup of harmful protein deposits in the brain, known as amyloid proteins. When the brain becomes inflamed, it expresses an amyloid precursor protein that can build up into clumps and damage healthy brain cells
Over time, this inflammation causes damage to brain cells, leading to the symptoms associated with dementia.
Nose picking can also damage the lining of the nasal wall, making it easier for microorganisms to enter the bloodstream and cause infection and inflammation.
The calls for further research were made in a letter published in the American Journal of Medical Sciences.
They cited 10 studies that showed a possible link, including a study from last year that was supported by the NIH and that also warned about the possible link.
In the letter, they wrote: ‘Several pathogens, including those that enter the brain through the nasal epithelium… have been associated with Alzheimer’s disease and have been isolated at autopsy.
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 more research be done on the association between nose picking and Alzheimer’s disease. This can be done through case-control studies with larger sample populations.’
Pathogens thought to cause amyloid plaques include the herpes virus, the coronavirus, the bacteria that causes pneumonia, and the fungus Candida albicans.
Research shows that nearly every American picks their nose, with many Americans picking their nose an average of four times a day.
These can travel via the olfactory nerve, which connects the nose and the brain, to the olfactory bulb, a small area at the base of the brain responsible for the sense of smell, and cause an infection there.
The letter came from scientists at the Services Institute of Medical Sciences in Pakistan and the Hamad Medical Corporation in Qatar.
It follows research by other scientists, including a team from Australia, who also warned of a link between nose-picking and Alzheimer’s.
They called for simple measures, such as regular hand washing, to reduce the risk of nose picking, calling it a “simple prevention step” for the disease.
“One of the lessons we have learned from Covid is the value of hand hygiene through regular hand washing and use of hand sanitizers,” they wrote.
“We propose that these routine hygienic procedures be made mandatory for the incurable nose-picker.”
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia worldwide, affecting an estimated 6.7 million Americans aged 65 and older.
The exact origins of the disease are still being investigated, but scientists have pointed to the buildup of amyloid plaques and tangles of a protein called tau in the brain.
Other suggestions are that it could be linked to damage and scarring of blood vessels in the brain, which could reduce blood flow and cause small, undetected strokes that can trigger the disease.
Research shows that nearly every American picks their nose daily, removing dried mucus from their nasal cavity an average of four times a day.
