Nose-picking

Nose-picking is the act of extracting nasal mucus with one's finger (rhinotillexis) and may include the succeeding action of ingesting the mucus picked from the nose (mucophagy). This action is condemned in most cultures; societies try to prevent development of the habit and attempt to break it if already established. Mucophagy is a source of mockery and entertainment in the media.

However, some scientists argue that mucophagy provides benefits for the human body. Friedrich Bischinger, an Austrian doctor specializing in lungs, 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." 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 antibodies in relative safety."

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. A 1995 study into nose-picking, requesting information from 1,000 randomly selected adults, 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 people claimed to spend between 15 and 30 minutes and between one and two hours a day picking their noses.

Mucous membranes in the nasal cavity constantly produce a wet mucus that removes dust and pathogens from the air flowing through the cavity. For the most part, the 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 many cultures nose-picking is considered a private act akin to defecation, urination, flatulence, and belching. Mucophagy, which is eating the extracted mucus, may be considered more taboo, and is sometimes portrayed in comedies. To be caught nose-picking may be considered humiliating.

Rhinotillexomania

When nose picking becomes a body-focused repetitive behavior or obsessive–compulsive disorder it is known as rhinotillexomania. Most cases do not meet this pathological threshold.

Medical risks

The environment of the nose, and the dried secretions removed, contain many microorganisms. 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 microorganisms to other parts of the body or other people. When a person is not contagious, the act of picking and eating one's own nasal mucus can be therapeutic in that it may provide immuno-health benefits.

Picking one's nose with dirty fingers or fingernails may increase risks of infection that may include an increase in the diversity of nose flora (and thus infection or illness), or occasional nosebleeds. One case of rhinotillexomania resulted in perforation of the nasal septum and self-induced ethmoidectomy. Nose picking, however, should not affect the sense of smell, as the nasal cavity where the olfactory nerves are located is too high up to reach.

Cultural references

The 1968 Mothers of Invention song "Let's Make The Water Turn Black" tells a true story of an adolescent acquaintance of composer Frank Zappa who habitually saved his own extracted mucus on the pane of his bedroom window. An episode of Seinfeld entitled "The Pick" deals with the social stigma of publicly picking one's nose. Harry, a character in Requiem for a Dream mentions enjoying picking his nose in the first chapter of the book.

See also

• Allergic salute (wiping of the nose with the hand)
• Neti (Hatha Yoga)
• Nasal irrigation
• Eating mucus

External links

• BBC home: The Truth About Nose-picking
• Toddlers and Nose Picking
• (In fact) Nose-picking favorite occupation of the Dutch (March 2007) (Dutch) Translated version
• Another article on same topic (August 2008) (Dutch) Translated version
• For an elaborate spoof, see "Nose-picking in the Pongidae and Its Implication for Human Evolution", said to be from the American Journal of Nasal Anatomy, (1987)