How to Stop Nose Picking: A Parent's Guide
Specialists refer to mucophagia as the ingestion of nasal mucus. While culturally this is considered disgusting and rude, in a 1995 study, 91% of those surveyed admitted to habitually picking their own noses, although curiously, only 75% of them believed it was a common practice.
'The only good germ is a dead germ' doesn't have to be true.
This interesting theory may explain why certain allergies and diseases have nearly quadrupled in recent decades. The premise is that children raised in a germ-free and dirt-free environment are less able to build a natural resistance to illness. Even worse is the growing trend of overdoing antibiotics in children, as they wipe out beneficial intestinal flora. Scientific evidence suggests that both practices contribute to an increased vulnerability to disease in older age.
Excessive obsessions with hygiene can be linked to allergies, intestinal problems, and cardiovascular problems. If you're healthy, exposure to bacteria and viruses can serve as natural vaccines that strengthen your body. If you don't experience healthy exposure to germs in your environment, you can end up sick.
Only in this way will you be sure that when your body really needs to take antibiotics, they will be effective.
And you, which side are you on?
Theories for all tastes.
Most doctors do not recommend it and suggest using a tissue instead of a finger. Risks can include infection, spontaneous bleeding (in up to 25% of those who practice this activity), and even, in rare cases, perforation of the nasal septum. Fortunately, nose picking does not affect the sense of smell because the nerves are much higher up in the nasal septum canal. As if that weren't enough risk, and due to the special structure of the blood vessels in this area, it is possible to develop an infection in the area that could affect the brain, although this is a highly probable outcome. Another very different theory is that of Austrian pulmonologist Friedrich Bischinger, who claims that children who stick their finger inside their nose and then eat the resulting spoils will have a healthier and more wholesome life, and he even recommends that parents encourage their children to do these things, instead of scolding them when they do it, because it can be counterproductive. “If exposure to bacteria in snot can help strengthen your immune system, then you should consider consuming it… or at least not scold a child when you find them with their finger in their nose.”
The hygiene hypothesis
'The only good germ is a dead germ' doesn't have to be true.
This interesting theory may explain why certain allergies and diseases have nearly quadrupled in recent decades. The premise is that children raised in a germ-free and dirt-free environment are less able to build a natural resistance to illness. Even worse is the growing trend of overdoing antibiotics in children, as they wipe out beneficial intestinal flora. Scientific evidence suggests that both practices contribute to an increased vulnerability to disease in older age.
Excessive obsessions with hygiene can be linked to allergies, intestinal problems, and cardiovascular problems. If you're healthy, exposure to bacteria and viruses can serve as natural vaccines that strengthen your body. If you don't experience healthy exposure to germs in your environment, you can end up sick.
How to avoid becoming a cleaning freak
If the hygiene hypothesis were true, (and there is a ton of research that confirms it is) trying to keep your environment nearly sterile could actually increase your risk of acute and chronic diseases. It's not about being a slob, but you can avoid being "too clean" and also strengthen your immune system:- Letting kids get dirty. Let them play on the floor and get dirty (and remember that if your kids eat their snot, it's not the end of the world either; after all, they're part of the 91%).
- Avoid using antibacterial soaps and other antibacterial cleaning products, which eliminate the microorganisms your body needs to maintain proper immune system function. Regular soap and water are all you need to wash your hands. Antibacterial chemicals (like triclosan) have been shown to be toxic and have been found to promote the growth of resistant bacteria.
- Avoiding unnecessary antibiotics. Remember: Viral infections are immune to antibiotics, as they only work against infections caused by bacteria.
- Consuming local food products, or organic food free of hormones and/or antibiotics.
Only in this way will you be sure that when your body really needs to take antibiotics, they will be effective.
And you, which side are you on?
