Several scientists hypothesize that sticking a finger in your nose could be associated with a health risk.
Stop sticking your finger in your nose! It’s a bit of a classic for a parent. Behind this injunction that all children have heard one day, it is a question of making them break a bad habit, which not only is not very hygienic, but is also very frowned upon in society. A bad habit that could even have a strong impact on health since a recent study reports the potential link between picking your nose and the development of certain diseases.
The study in question, published in the journal Scientific reportsis the result of research carried out by nearly fifteen English and Australian scientists. It demonstrates that the bacteria called Chlamydia pneumoniaeinvolved in the development of pneumonia, can travel up the olfactory nerve that connects the nasal cavity to the brain, leading to the deposition of beta-amyloid proteins, which are thought to occur in the event of infection. However, these proteins are often present in very large numbers when a person has Alzheimer’s disease.
“We are the first to show that Chlamydia pneumoniae can go directly up the nose and reach the brain, where it can trigger pathologies that resemble Alzheimer’s disease” welcomed the neuroscientist James St John, attached to Griffith University in Australia, during its publication in 2022. With his scientific colleagues, they also noted that the bacteria took root very quickly in the central nervous system, and that the related infection occurred within 24 to 72 hours.
Although exciting for research into Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, the Australian-British study has so far only been carried out on mice. “We need to carry out this study on humans and confirm whether the same pathway works in the same way,” explained the scientist who co-supervised the study. But before knowing the results of this future research and knowing if a link between picking your nose and developing a form of dementia is established, there are already several medical reasons not to pick your nostrils.
The mucus that causes boogers is produced in particular to block the passage of viruses, bacteria and dust, but also toxic elements such as lead and asbestos, which are known to cause damage to health. Added to this is the risk of damage to the tissues present in the nasal cavity which would cause bleeding, particularly in children. There is therefore no age to remember that you should not stick your fingers in your nose.