For medical professionals only
Please don't "buckle" everywhere
If you want to choose a national "sport", then it is not "digging your nostrils".
Children's attachment to the nostrils is sometimes stronger than that of adults, plugging wireless headphones into the nostrils, talking to the snot, stuffing the thumbs into the nostrils, challenging the limits of the nostrils, and children who like to dig up the snot and then eat it are not in the minority...
But happiness is always short-lived, digging nostrils is not only easy to make the nostrils larger, affecting the appearance, but also may be due to excessive force, digging out nosebleeds, and even causing infection.
There is a 5-year-old boy in Changsha who has nostrils and shows nostrils, "hard work" on his nostrils every day, resulting in bacterial infections, suffering from "cellulitis", and the whole face is swollen like Ultraman.
Image source: Screenshot of Weibo
Cellulitis is a type of bacterium caused by Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, etc., causing extensive, diffuse, purulent inflammation of the skin, subcutaneous tissue, subfascial, intermuscular space, or deep loose connective tissue. If not treated in time, further symptoms of systemic poisoning, sepsis and so on may occur.
Why does everyone love to pick their nostrils?
India has a nostril digging survey conducted in primary and secondary schools, the results show that almost all of the 200 people surveyed have the habit of nostril digging, an average of 4 times a day, 7.6% of adolescents more than 20 times a day.
As an organ in the center of the human face, the nose bears a very important responsibility - breathing. Outside air enters the nasal cavity through the nostrils, and the nasal mucosa in the nasal cavity plays a role in the sense of smell and warming, humidifying and purifying the air.
Normal people's nasal cavity secretes about 500 to 1000ml of mucus a day, and most of the mucus will enter the pharynx with the back of the nostril (yes, you eat snot every day, but don't worry, the composition of nasal mucus is mainly mucinin and inorganic salts).
There is also some of the mucus remaining in the nasal cavity that adheres to the dust, bacteria, etc. in the air, and gradually dries over time - the snot is born.
After air-drying, the nasal stool adheres to the nasal cavity, and there will be an itchy feeling with the air flow of the breath, and if the snot is too large, it will also affect the breathing. Psychologically, the mucous membranes in the nasal cavity are richly distributed with peripheral nerves, and stimulating these nerves can produce strong excitement, which is transmitted to the brain and secretes dopamine and endorphins, which is addictive.
In short, nose-digging enthusiasts are found all over the world and are suitable for all ages. There are also people who analyze the personality of the nose digger according to the posture of the nose digger:
People with index fingers – usually sharp and decisive;
With the little finger - considered pretentious, vassal-style;
Thumbs up – mostly rude, competitive, and unconcerned about the feelings of others;
The person who directly attacks the nostrils with two fingers – greedy, manipulative, ambitious, outgoing.
Although the nose is refreshing, it should also be moderate
With the root of the nasal bridge as the apex, the connection with the two corners of the mouth forms a dangerous triangle, which is distributed with a large number of blood vessels and is connected to the skull by the cavernous sinus. Therefore, once the triangle area is infected, it may pass in front of the face, above the eyes, and under the eyes and enter the skull, causing intracranial infection and may even be life-threatening.
There are a large number of bacteria on human hands, such as Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, etc., and the action of digging out the nostrils will bring these bacteria into the nasal cavity and induce various nasal inflammations. Compared with adults, children's nasal mucosa is more fragile, and if it is stimulated by the outside world, it is easy to break, resulting in infection. Long-term damage to the nasal mucosa can also lead to a vicious cycle that reduces the defensive ability of the nasal mucosa and increases the risk of nasal infection.
If you dig your nostrils too hard, you will sometimes "see red". Due to the humid environment of the nasal cavity, it is difficult to fully recover after bleeding, and for people who love to dig their nostrils, the newly scabbed nostrils are also an irresistible temptation.
What should I do if I don't dig my nostrils and my nose itches?
Some children like to dig their nostrils, which is caused by itching in the nose, and allergic rhinitis, chronic rhinitis, hay fever, etc. can cause itchy nose. If there is inflammation in the nasal cavity, unhygienic fingers entering the nostrils will aggravate the inflammation, resulting in more and more serious itching, and then causing the child to repeatedly rub and dig, causing a vicious circle.
When you find that your child has the habit of digging out your nostrils, in addition to stopping it, you also need to ask the reason for it, if your child keeps saying that his nose is itchy, it is best to take him to the hospital for examination.
In fact, the nostrils do not need to be cleaned frequently, and the mucus secreted by the nasal mucosa is a defense line against external invasions, so there is no need to clean the nostrils every day when there is no strong discomfort. Secondly, after the nasal mucosa is stimulated, the secretion will be more vigorous, the nasal feces will be dug more and more, and excessive nose digging may also lead to edema or even damage to the nasal mucosa.
Since you can't "dig", try other ways:
1. Nasal lavage: There are various nasal washers on the market, in addition to the cleaning function, nasal washing can wash away the sinuses and relieve nasal congestion, which is loved by rhinitis patients.
2. Cotton swab cleaning: you can use a wet cotton swab to gently clean the nasal feces in the child's nasal cavity, under normal circumstances, the nasal feces are very tolerant to be brought out; if the secretion is more viscous, you can use a cotton swab soaked with olive oil to apply the nasal mucosa, if the secretion is dry, you can first soften it with normal saline, and then help it drain.
3. Small forceps: For dry secretions that are not easy to clean, you can also use tools such as small forceps to gently clip them out.
There are also children who dig their noses is a habit and psychological problem. If it is just a habit that can be corrected through daily training, do not put too much pressure on the child, I really can't help but clean my hands first, and then gently handle it. Psychological problems are mostly reflected in children with attention deficit disorder, anxiety and nervousness can also cause children to frequently pick their noses, these two situations in addition to the treatment of causes, you can also use habit reversal training to correct the habit of digging nostrils.
Resources:
[1] Don't just cut it! The boy's nostrils were swollen like Ultraman's Jiangsu News
[2] Changsha 5-year-old boy digs his nostrils and causes his face to swell like Ultraman! Doctors urgently remind: beware of bacterial toxins spreading to the brain Xiaoxiang Morning Post
[3] After reading this article, can you still happily dig up your nose? Wuhan Children's Hospital Wuhan Maternal and Child Health Hospital
This article was first published: Pediatrics Channel of the Medical Professions
Author: Yuzu
Editor-in-Charge: CiCi