What habit can be called bad? If we take a broad approach to the answer, then these are those actions that damage not only health, but also image. From this point of view, the habit of picking your nose is truly harmful: not only does it increase the risk of introducing an infection into the body, but those around you will have a completely unflattering opinion about someone who likes to publicly examine their nose. What reasons make an adult pick his nose and how to overcome this tendency?
Why do people pick their noses?
The habit of picking one's nose originates in childhood, when at about two years old the child begins to enthusiastically explore his "depths." For a child, this is one of the forms of knowledge of his own body, which gradually fades away as he grows up.
In older children, nose picking can often be a sign of increased anxiety, stress, and emotional tension. In such cases, it is necessary to visit a child psychologist or neurologist, because ordinary tugging and remarks will not help rid the child of this habit. In rare cases, nose picking may indicate serious complications of a neurological or psychological nature, as well as certain genetic diseases.
Thus, nose picking can be:
- Physiological need. This is a desire to get rid of discomfort caused by the presence of foreign particles in the nasal cavity: lumps of mucus, small debris and dust that settle on the nasal mucosa during breathing (so-called boogers). Usually, such “picking” is not intrusive, and as soon as the nasal cavity is cleared, the person no longer feels the desire to put his fingers there again;
- Psychological dependence. Here everything is more complicated than in the first case: a person picks his nose not because of the desire to clean it, but because of an irresistible desire. In the most severe cases, psychologists talk about rhinotillexomania. This is the name for painful aggressive picking of the nose until bleeding or other damage to the cavity. However, very few people who like to pick their nose cross this line: most often this process remains nothing more than an unaesthetic habit;
- A symptom of a genetic disease or psychiatric disorder. In such cases, treatment tailored specifically to the individual patient is necessary. To be fair, it is worth noting that picking the nose in such patients is usually the least of the problems.
In cases where nose picking is an annoying habit that is not associated with genetic or psychiatric disorders, it is quite possible to cope with it on your own.
If you want to give up a bad habit, you first need to admit to yourself that you have it and you want to get rid of it. Then analyze what makes you constantly pick your nose. Perhaps you simply have nothing to do with your hands, or this process calms you down. Or maybe you recently suffered from a disease that caused itching and irritation of the nasal mucosa or increased mucus production? If the last assumption turns out to be correct, you first need to visit a specialist who will help you select appropriate medications and give recommendations, otherwise it will be very difficult to get rid of the urge to pick your nose.
What else should you pay attention to?
- The space where you live and work. Dry air, especially during the heating season, dries out the mucous membranes of the nasal cavity. As a result, a person experiences itching and irritation, which, as a result, makes him want to pick his nose. Therefore, try to ventilate the room more often and humidify the air in it, which can be done either with the help or simply by placing containers of water. These do not have to be bulky basins or unaesthetic jars: water can be poured into original vases or decorative aquariums.
- In cases where ventilation and humidification of the air do not help to avoid dry nose, you can irrigate the nasal cavity with special moisturizing sprays based on sea water.
- Clean your nasal cavities properly. This should be done in the mornings and evenings, rinsing them with warm water. For greater effect, you can add a little salt to the water: this will not only clean your nose more thoroughly, but will also relieve swelling, strengthen capillaries, and improve blood circulation.
- Control yourself. Whenever you realize that your finger is in your nose, immediately remove it from there. Don't let the habit turn into a reflex, otherwise very soon you will start picking your nose in public.
- Keep your nails short. This will significantly complicate the process of removing mucus and other formations from the nose.
- Keep your fingers busy with something that will calm your nerves and distract you from a bad habit. Activities such as handicrafts (sewing, knitting, embroidery), music, carving, etc. will perfectly cope with this.
Nose picking is strongly associated primarily with children. However, unfortunately, there are many adults who are susceptible to this habit. It is possible to wean yourself from this activity, but it will require some self-control and effort, just like getting rid of any other addiction.
Video: awkward finger in nose moment in front of 30,000 spectators
How to stop picking your nose: getting rid of rhinotillexomania
We continue our story about bad habits, which can rightly be called addictions or manic desires. You have probably already become acquainted with an extremely harmful tendency - the habit of twisting and pulling out hair, which we have described in detail. Today we will talk about another unpleasant phenomenon - nose picking.
Such a human action is an extremely repulsive sight, perceived by others as a person’s lack of culture. The urge to pick your nose is a behavior that is harmful to health, since such a hobby can lead to serious damage to the mucous membrane of the nasal passages. Nose picking is a distinctive feature of humans from other representatives of the animal world, since not a single animal is given the opportunity to pamper itself with such a procedure.
The subject's habit of enthusiastically picking his nostrils with his finger and removing dried mucus from the nasal passage is a pathological deviation. Such excessive enthusiasm indicates that the “poking maniac” has quite serious psychological problems, and often mental disorders. To denote the painful passion for picking the nose, a special medical term has been introduced - rhinotillexomania.
The need to regularly insert your finger into the nasal passage is a habit that is not only characteristic of young children. The need to pick your nose is a very common condition among adults. At the same time, not only ill-mannered and uneducated people suffer from rhinotillexomania, but also completely literate, erudite and accomplished individuals. Businessmen and politicians, doctors and teachers, oligarchs and aristocrats pick their noses.
Research conducted by American scientists showed a very informative picture: more than 90% of people from time to time feel the need to clean their nose with their finger. A survey showed that 25% of people indulge in this hobby every day. More than 2% of respondents devote at least two hours a day to this procedure. At the same time, some respondents eat the extracted product.
The habit of picking your nose is a phenomenon that dates back to childhood. But when a person has matured, this manic addiction does not disappear, but, on the contrary, manipulation is carried out more often and more energetically. And not a single adult can pinpoint exactly why his hand reaches for his nose. Surveys have shown that this procedure brings considerable pleasure to many rhinotillexomaniacs. We will discuss later why a person acquires an obsessive need to pick his nose.
What causes rhinotillexomania: the origin and purpose of the habit
A person's first acquaintance with exploring his nostrils with a finger occurs in early childhood. At the same time, no one teaches the child how to perform such manipulation. On the contrary: caring parents scold the child for enthusiastically picking his nose, and introduce him to the rules of good manners, handing colorful and bright handkerchiefs into his hands. However, in most cases, attempts at exhortation, persuasion and punishment do not have much effect. The baby continues to get rid of dried mucus using his fingers.
This phenomenon has a completely logical explanation. The need to keep the nasal cavity clean and the desire to promptly clean contaminated passages is a physiologically determined need necessary to ensure proper breathing and fight harmful microorganisms. Since our ancestors did not have available means for cleaning the nose, there were no preparations for washing the passages, they had to remove the dried contents with their own hands.
The memory of such a hygienic procedure is firmly imprinted at the genetic level. In addition, nature made sure that this manipulation must be carried out by man. To do this, the creator provided a reward in the form of pleasure from picking his nose. The human nose, like any other living creature, is a very sensitive thing. Irritation of the huge number of receptors located in this organ causes various sensations: both pleasant - in the case of picking, and painful - when the tissue is damaged. That is, the picking procedure is a unique way of getting pleasure.
There is another hypothesis that confirms the “benefits” of vigorous nose picking. According to some scientists, irritation of the nerve endings located in the human nose stimulates brain activity. This is why many people automatically pull their finger to their nose when they think about a problem and make a choice in favor of one solution or another. That is, this procedure, from this point of view, is intended for better concentration of attention and strengthening of thinking functions.
The respondents admitted that very often they pick their noses, thinking about what purchases are best to make in the store. Other people addicted to rhinotillexomania have said that they start cleaning their nose when they think about the economic and political situation in the state. Third parties perform this exercise when they need to make a decision regarding their personal life.
Another suspected cause of rhinotillexomania is long-term nervous tension in a person. Many contemporaries are in a state of chronic stress and experience enormous physical and mental overload. This leads to the fact that the nervous system works at the limit of its capabilities. To prevent disruptions in the well-coordinated functioning of the body, a person needs complete rest and relaxation. Since the vast majority of ordinary people simply do not know how to relieve mental stress and eliminate muscle tension, the psyche “throws” at them a simple solution - to pick their nose. The validity of this hypothesis is confirmed by the statements of nose-picking enthusiasts, who report that after such exercise they feel more calm and relaxed.
From another point of view, picking your nose is an indicator of a meaningless and aimless pastime. A person performs this procedure when he is bored and has nothing to do with himself. Regular scratching in the nasal passages may indicate that a person is tired of his gray and monotonous existence, but he does not see ways to change his reality. Picking your nose indicates that a person does not have clear goals and does not understand what he wants to achieve in life. This is a sign that the subject is at a crossroads and does not know which way to move forward.
The habit of picking your nose may indicate that a person craves “cleansing the soul.” The tendency to pick is often observed in those people who feel guilty and understand that they were wrong. Since asking for forgiveness from an offended person requires courage, it is much easier to achieve “mercy” in another way. Picking your nose is nothing more than a procedure to get rid of thoughts about your own guilt.
The tendency to regularly pick your nose also indicates that a person is experiencing a clear attention deficit. Due to the unsatisfied need for love and respect, a person has a desire to attract the attention of others in any way. Since the psyche of a mature person remembers well that the procedure of picking the nose, performed in childhood, always attracted the attention of parents, it creates such an irresistible need in an adult.
The habit of frequently picking your nose may indicate that the subject has a chronic pathological condition - attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Such a person is characterized by impulsiveness; she is not able to control her behavior and carry out actions that meet existing requirements. Patients with this disorder are careless, inattentive, careless and frivolous people. They do not realize that their actions and actions can have negative, harmful and life-threatening consequences,
The need to pick your nose may indicate a serious illness - Smith-Magenis syndrome. Smith-Magenis syndrome is a severe genetic disorder, the occurrence of which is caused by a defect in the 17th chromosome. The syndrome is recorded in early childhood. Children suffering from this disorder are characterized by stereotypical behavior. They tend to put everything in their mouth, including their own hands. They are characterized by teeth grinding. They often rock their torso continuously. They twist and turn objects aimlessly. Sick children are characterized by frequent outbursts of anger. They are characterized by impulsiveness, distractibility, disobedience, and aggression.
How to get rid of the habit of picking your nose: eliminating the addiction
Despite the fact that many sufferers of rhinotillexomania understand the uselessness and unattractiveness of their bad habit, it is quite difficult to get rid of their habit of picking their nose. The thing is that any habit is fixed at the subconscious level, and it is quite difficult to consciously manage the processes stored in this layer of the psyche. However, if a person is determined to overcome his disgusting need and is ready to work on himself regularly and for a long time, then it is possible to overcome rhinotillexomania.
The first step towards freeing yourself from a bad habit is to determine exactly what causes the need to pick your nose. To do this, we carefully study our inner world. We honestly admit to ourselves what we lack in life: the attention of others, love, recognition, respect. We are trying to understand what causes our mental stress. Let us admit what events cause us to suffer from remorse. We determine what we would like to change in our life. We must learn what causes us anxiety or other negative experiences. Determine under what circumstances our fingers are drawn to our nose.
The second step towards liberation from rhinotillexomania is transforming the negative factors in our thinking into neutral or positive moments. On this path we have two options. The first is to avoid or completely exclude from our existence phenomena that irritate us. For example, we can change jobs if our nervous tension is caused by an unhealthy atmosphere in the work team. The second way is to change your attitude towards the factors that interfere with a happy life. For example, if we are tormented by a feeling of guilt because we inadvertently offended a friend, we can sincerely apologize to her and mutually develop a program to improve our relationship. It should be remembered that in our lives almost all circumstances that we perceive as negative factors can be neutralized or completely eliminated. 
To get rid of the need to pick our nose, we must fill our lives with bright colors. We must schedule our day so that we do not have time for boredom and blues. Our hands must be constantly busy with some kind of creative work. We can do beading or knitting. We can draw friendly cartoons or try to capture the beauty of nature on canvas. We can study the art of make-up or become a nail designer. We have the power to invent culinary masterpieces: peel, chop, sculpt, crumble something. Representatives of the stronger sex can also find something to their liking. Designing models of airplanes and ships, wood carving, making icons and backgammon are quite worthy activities.
Another condition for getting rid of the habit of picking your nose is to make it a habit to regularly rinse and clean your nose. Today, pharmacies offer various solutions of purified sea water, the use of which ensures the normal condition of the mucous membrane of the nasal passages. These drugs help thin mucus and ensure its normal outflow from the nasal cavity. If we are annoyed by endlessly running snot, scientifically called muconasal secretion, it is advisable to eliminate the cause of the abundantly secreted mucus. To eliminate a runny nose and nasal congestion, the doctor may prescribe decongestants - anticongestants. If our runny nose is a manifestation of an allergy, the doctor may recommend irrigating the nose with antihistamines.
Another effective way to get rid of the habit of picking your nose is to put gloves on your hands. We make it a rule that during the cold season we always go outside, wearing mittens or gloves on our hands. In warm seasons, women can get nail extensions, the presence of which will simply make nose-picking uncomfortable.
How to stop picking your nose? Don’t forget to thank yourself and reward yourself for showing courage and working on yourself to overcome a bad habit. Every time we resist the temptation to pick our nose, we should amuse and please ourselves with something. To do this, we are thinking over a reward system. For example, if during the day we were able to do without examining our nasal passages, then in the evening we have every right to enjoy watching a good movie for two hours, instead of the mandatory cleaning of the floors. If we refrain from picking during the week, then on Sunday we can have a festive lunch with eating a delicious cake.
The main rule: be persistent and patient. Don’t expect that you can get rid of a bad habit in one day. Remember that it takes at least three weeks to completely get rid of rhinotillexomania. We should not reproach ourselves and give up on our endeavors if we accidentally lost our temper and picked our nose. We need to forgive ourselves for our mistakes and move forward.
Nose picking- the human habit of removing dried nasal mucus from the nostrils with a finger. Moderate picking is not considered abnormal, but excessive picking may indicate a psychological or psychiatric disorder. The term rhinotillexomania (lat. rhinotillexomania). Prolonged picking can cause nosebleeds and more serious damage.
“Picking your nose” is also a metaphor for any meaningless and aimless pastime.
Physiological basis
The nose performs an important physiological function in breathing and smell. Its inner surface is covered with epithelium, on the surface of which there is mucus. In addition to olfactory receptors, the nose has a lot of sensory endings. Foreign particles or dried mucus entering the nose irritate sensitive receptors and cause a sneeze reflex. The body needs to keep the nasal cavity clean. In this sense, nose picking is a physiologically justified procedure.
Nose picking as a medical symptom
Many medical sources consider nose picking as one of the symptoms of deviation from normal behavior in children. In particular, this activity is considered a sign of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Nose picking is also observed in cases of more serious abnormalities, such as Smith-Magenis syndrome.
Doctors distinguish between nose picking and nose picking associated with a psychiatric or psychological disorder. The term often used to refer to painful picking rhinotillexomania.
American scientists Jefferson and Thompson studied the prevalence of nose picking among the population of Wisconsin. They developed a questionnaire which they sent out by mail. The questionnaire gave a scientific definition to nose picking: “Insertion of a finger (or other object) into the nose with the intention of removing dried nasal secretions.” It turned out that about 91% of respondents pick their nose. However, only 75% of them believed that almost everyone picks their nose. One of the respondents devoted 2 hours a day to picking. Two injured their noses. Some also bit their nails (18%), picked their skin (20%) and pulled out their hair (6%). The researchers concluded that in most cases, nose picking is just a habit, but in some it goes beyond pathology.
Scientists Andrade and Srihari came to similar conclusions. They conducted a survey of two hundred students in city schools. Almost every one of those surveyed admitted that he picks his nose - an average of four times a day. 17% of respondents admitted that nose picking is a serious problem for them. In many cases, picking was accompanied by other bad habits, such as nail biting. Nose picking resulted in bleeding in 25% of schoolchildren. The researchers concluded that medical epidemiologists and nasal specialists should pay serious attention to this widespread problem. American scientist Mark Abrahams included a section about this work of Indian scientists in his book about unusual research, and the Ig Nobel committee awarded the authors the Ig Nobel Prize.
In some cases, the pathological habit of picking your nose can lead to serious damage. For example, American doctors reported a clinical case in which a 53-year-old patient who constantly picked her nose broke her nasal septum and damaged her nasal sinus.
Unverified information and hoaxes in the media
From time to time, articles appear in the press about scientists who have discovered the usefulness of nose picking. They are often based on unverified information.
For example, referring to an article in an English newspaper Sunday Times, they claim that picking your nose is useful, as this procedure stimulates brain activity. They say that American and English scientists explain the benefits by the fact that the nasal cavity contains many receptors, stimulating which can activate various body systems. For example, picking your nose can help you fight a cold faster.
A reported proponent of nose picking is the French scientist Bonnier, who believes that the nasal mucosa projects to various organs in the body. Thus, according to Bonnier, one can influence almost the entire body through the nose.
The news was widely circulated that a certain Austrian doctor, a specialist in lung diseases, Friedrich Bischinger ( Friedrich Bischinger) claims that those who pick their noses are happy and healthy. He seems to insist that this activity should be encouraged, since the finger is an excellent tool for clearing the nose. Bischinger also recommends eating snot, as it is good for strengthening the immune system.
Most of these reports can be classified as unverified information (which means that some of them may be true) or pseudoscience.
One of the Internet sites contains information, which is a hoax, about the habit of picking the nose of great apes.
Nose picking
Picking your nose with your index finger
Rhinotillexomania (rhinotillexomania) (syn. nose picking) - the human habit of removing dried snot from the nostrils with a finger. Moderate picking is not considered abnormal, but excessive picking may indicate a psychological or psychiatric disorder. Prolonged picking can cause nosebleeds and more serious damage.
“Picking your nose” is also a metaphor for any meaningless and aimless pastime.
Physiological basis
In some cases, nose picking can lead to serious damage. For example, American doctors reported a clinical case (AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 1997, 18(10):1949-1950) in which a 53-year-old patient who constantly picked her nose broke her nasal septum and damaged her nasal sinus.
In poetry
Descriptions of nose picking (usually with an element of irony) are found in literary works.
There is a snotty boy on the street.
One of the Internet sites contains information, which is a hoax, about the habit of picking the nose of great apes.
Bibliography of scientific articles
- Andrade C, Srihari BS (2001) A preliminary survey of rhinotillexomania in an adolescent sample. J Clin Psychiatry 62(6): 426–431. Preliminary assessment of rhinotellixomania in a group of adolescents. PREREQUISITES: Rhinotillexomania is a recently coined term to describe excessive nose picking. The literature on nose picking among the general population is sparse. METHODS: We studied nose picking in a group of 200 adolescents from 4 city schools. RESULTS: Almost all participants admitted to picking their nose. The median frequency of picking is 4 times a day. The frequency exceeded 20 times a day in 7.6% of respondents. About 17% believe that they have a serious problem with picking. Other habits such as biting nails, scratching certain areas or pulling out hair also appeared to be quite common. Three or more habits of this kind were simultaneously present in 25% of respondents. Several interesting observations were made in certain categories of pickers. CONCLUSIONS: Nose picking is common among adolescents. It is often accompanied by other habits. Nose picking should receive attention from epidemiologists and nasal specialists.
- Caruso RD, Sherry RG, Rosenbaum AE, Joy SE, Chang JK, Sanford DM (1997) Self-induced ethmoidectomy from rhinotillexomania. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 18(10): 1949–1950. Self-performed ethmoidectomy caused by rhinotillexomania. A 53-year-old woman with a long history of excessive nose picking (rhinotillexomania) presented with a ruptured nasal septum and damage to the ethmoid sinus.
- Fontenelle LF, Mendlowicz MV, Mussi TC, Marques C, Versiani M (2002) The man with the purple nostrils: a case of rhinotrichotillomania secondary to body dysmorphic disorder. Acta Psychiatr Scand 106(6): 464–466. The Man with Blue Nostrils: A Case of Rhinotrichotillomania Associated with Body Dysmorphic Disease. OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY: To describe the type of self-harm associated with body dysmorphic disorder. METHODOLOGY: Single case. RESULTS: We studied a person who had developed the habit of pulling hair and picking mucus out of the nasal cavity. We describe this condition with the term rhinotrichotillomania to emphasize the combination of trichotillomania and rhinotillexomania. The only motive for such actions by the patient was an imaginary defect in his appearance, that is, dysmorphic disease. The patient was successfully treated with imipramine. CONCLUSION: This case suggests that some characteristics of the three diseases may combine to cause serious consequences. These patients may benefit from a course of tricyclides if other medications, such as serotonin uptake inhibitors, are not available.
- Jefferson JW, Thompson TD (1995) Rhinotillexomania: psychiatric disorder or habit? J Clin Psychiatry 56(2):56–59. Rhinotillexomania: psychiatric disorder or habit? INTRODUCTION: Some symptoms previously considered as bad habits are now recognized as psychiatric disorders (trichotillomania, onychopagia). We hypothesized that nose picking is one of these “habits”—a harmless activity for most adults, but a time-consuming, socially harmful, or health-threatening activity (rhinotillexomania) for some. METHODOLOGY: We developed a questionnaire on rhinotillexomania, sent it to one thousand randomly selected adults in Wisconsin, and asked them to respond anonymously. Returned responses were analyzed based on age, marital status, living conditions, and education level. Nose picking has been described using characteristics such as time devoted to the activity, level of irritation, location, assessment of one's own habit and the habits of others, method of picking, methods of discarding the product, motivating reasons, complications and additional habits and psychiatric abnormalities.
- Joubert CE (1993) Incidence of some oral-based habits among college students and their correlations with use of oral stimulants. Psychol Rep 72(3 Pt 1): 735–738.
- Mishriki YY (1999) A recalcitrant case of reflexive nose picking. Trigeminal trophic syndrome. Postgrad Med 106(3):175–176.
- Willekens D, De Cock P, Fryns JP (2000) Three young children with Smith-Magenis syndrome: their distinct, recognizable behavioral phenotype as the most important clinical symptoms. Genet Couns 11(2): 103-110.
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The simple habit of picking your nose may indicate a person’s psychological disorder. Scientists have found that in about 75% of people, nose picking is considered a habit, while in other cases it is considered a pathology. Where is the line between habit and pathology? What are the consequences of frequent nose picking?
Nose picking is considered a safe human habit for the time being. Scientists say that if you pick your nose a couple of times a day and devote no more than 5 minutes to “cleaning your nose,” this will not be considered a deviation from the norm, but excessive passion for this activity will be considered a sign of a psychological disorder.
American scientists Jefferson and Thompson conducted a study among the population of Wisconsin. It turned out that approximately 91% of respondents pick their nose. Approximately 75% admitted that they pick their nose every day; on average, they spend from 1 minute to 2 hours on this activity. The researchers concluded that in most cases, nose picking is just a habit, but in some cases it can become pathological.
The term rhinotillexomania (lat. rhinotillexomania) is used specifically to refer to painful picking. Some people are so involved in this activity that they simply do not notice that they have unknowingly damaged their nose - nosebleeds or more serious damage that requires surgical intervention. In these cases, scientists tend to think about pathology.
In medical practice, there are cases where constant nose picking has led to a hole in the nasal septum. There were also cases when a man liked to pick his nose with his finger so often that he deformed his nose.
So, a little bit of good stuff. But even moderate picking is not completely harmless. In 2006, a group of Dutch scientists found that picking your nose contributes to the spread of all kinds of bacteria. These bacteria can lead to a boil, an inflammation of the hair follicle. Think about how little time you spend a day “cleaning your nose”?
