It is one of those things that seems harmless until you start looking at what it could expose your body to.
Most people probably remember being told as kids not to pick their nose, and it turns out the reason might go beyond basic manners.
And honestly, most people do it at some point. Many keep it private, but everyone has seen at least one person out in public, like on a train, fully committed and digging around like it is no big deal.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describes it as “a type of bacteria that can cause respiratory tract infections,” which means it can affect how you breathe and how your airways function.
This type of bacteria is known to cause common infections such as ear infections, sinus infections, and sore throats.
But the CDC also warns it can sometimes lead to more serious illnesses, including bronchitis, laryngitis, and pneumonia, which can be harder on the body and take longer to recover from.
While that does not mean one automatically causes the other, it has raised questions that scientists continue to explore.
In 2022, researchers at Griffith University in Australia carried out a study using mice.
The goal was to better understand how bacteria might move through the body and what effects that could have over time.
From there, the bacteria was able to move deeper and eventually reach the brain in the mice studied.
Once bacteria makes it into the brain, researchers believe it may trigger changes linked to Alzheimer’s disease.
In this case, certain bacteria may stimulate the buildup of amyloid beta protein, which is often associated with the development of Alzheimer’s.
These symptoms can include memory loss, trouble finding words, confusion, and unpredictable behavior that can affect daily life.
Neuroscientist James St John said about the research when it was published (via New York Post): “We’re the first to show that Chlamydia pneumoniae can go directly up the nose and into the brain, where it can set off pathologies that look like Alzheimer’s disease.”
Still, St John made it clear that this is not something that happens overnight. He explained further to Medical News Today:
“We also think that it might be a long, slow process. So we don’t think that getting the bacteria in the brain means that you will get dementia next week.”
“Instead, we think the bacteria set off a slow progression of pathologies that may take decades before resulting in symptoms.”
It examined the theory that neuroinflammation linked to Alzheimer’s disease could be partly influenced by pathogens entering the brain through the olfactory system, which is the sensory system responsible for smell, and that nose picking may play a role in that pathway.
“Among all the entry routes, the improvement of hand hygiene might be an easy prevention step, as learned from the COVID-19 epidemic.”
“One of the lessons learned from COVID-19 is the value of hand hygiene through frequent hand washing and the use of hand sanitizers, and we suggest these routine hygienic procedures be mandatory routine procedures for the incurable nose-picker.”
