How deeply does the act of digging out the nostrils really penetrate people's hearts?
Just look at your memes
(The GIFs in this article are all from soogif)
And, people see people love like flowers
Also, the cute and invincible Republic of China
Even celebrities love to dig their nostrils
So here's the problem —
Why can't you stop digging your nostrils?
Does digging often make the nostrils bigger?
Truth: The earliest nose-digging probably dates back to BC
Biologist Darwin believed that walking upright was a sign of human birth.
Walk upright, hands free.
Thus, the finger has a new evolutionary direction.
One of them is – reaching for the nostrils.
The earliest recorded history of "nose-digging" dates back to 4000 BC.
On ancient Egyptian murals, you can see the nostrils.
(Image source: History of Nose Picking)
That is to say, humans have been "sniffing" for more than 6,000 years.
In the american "rhinologist" Roland Fret's strange book "History of Nose Digging"[1], he also lists the evolutionary history of the nostrils with a table -
It seems that for thousands of years, human nostrils have really been dug up and bigger.
Nose picking, clinically, has always belonged to the category of ENT. Although it is an unpopular field, there have been many nose digging experts.
In 1995, American scholars Thompson and Jefferson surveyed 1,000 people on the subject of "Have you ever dug your nostrils?" ”[2]
Sadly, only 254 people responded to them.
Of those, 91 percent admitted to having had their nostrils gouged; 1.2 percent said they would dig their nostrils at least every hour.
This is probably the first professional paper to systematically study nostrils.
In the field of nose picking, there have also been two Nobel Prize winners, but only the Funny Nobel Prize (2011).
They are Andreide and Srihari of the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuroscience of India.
They proved through surveys that half of the people have more than 4 noses per day; 4.5% claim to occasionally taste their own nose...
The aforementioned toilet reading "Medical Masterpiece", "History of Nose Picking", is currently recognized as the "Bible" of the nose-digging world. Author Fret defines nostrils:
"Nose digging is the technique of removing snot or snot from the nasal cavity, pinching it with your thumb and forefinger, kneading it into a small ball, and then swallowing it raw, applying it somewhere, or popping it out." (History of Nose Picking, p. 42)
Fret also strictly divided the nose picking process into 3 steps: one digging, two rubbing, and three bullets.
After digging out the treasure, there is a sequel.
In addition to the aforementioned tasting of snot, there are people who like to collect it on the wall or under the table.
(No picture here, because it's disgusting)
Truth: Mainly to alleviate discomfort, it may also be a small compulsion.
We did a survey and the results... See for yourself.
Anyway, after reading it, I just want to say to the 14% of people who "never dig their nostrils": I don't believe it!
After washing your face, will you dig up your nose and gaba by the way?
After blowing your nose, will you take out the residue by the way?
Take off the mask, will you habitually rub and cut?
To be a man, words can not be said to be too full!
Back to the point, why do people dig out their nostrils?
Is it to pay attention to hygiene, unclog the nostrils, and remove breathing resistance?
Or is it just for fun and finger coordination?
In fact, digging nostrils is mainly to relieve the itching of the nose and remove dirt from the nose, and some people just feel comfortable.
Over time, nostril digging has become a subconscious act, which is no longer governed by the conscious level, but is dominated by the subconscious.
Image source: Stand Cool Helo
Some people dig their nostrils to the point where their hands do not leave their noses, and they will even pull out their nose hairs and dig out nosebleeds. This behavior was named "rhinotillexomania" by the aforementioned American scholars Thompson and Jefferson.
Although the field of psychiatry has never recognized this disease, nor has the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) included this disease, it does make sense from a psychological point of view, and it can be considered a kind of compulsive behavior.
But the real pathological digging of the nose is very small, and most people only dig occasionally.
Truth: Absolutely! Especially increased risk of pneumonia!
Nostrils are dug, and there are many health risks!
In 2018, researchers at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine in the UNITED Kingdom found that nostrils were dug up to increase the risk of pneumonia [3].
Studies published in the European Journal of Respiratory Medicine the same year demonstrated for the first time that pneumococcus can be transmitted between hands and nose. Rubbing the nose with your hands or digging your nostrils can spread pneumococcus, especially when digging your nostrils, which are the most numerous and fastest [4].
There are many nasal hairs in the nostrils, like a "protective forest", which blocks the dust and bacteria in the air. When nostrils are dug or nose rubs, the pneumonia bacteria spread the most and spread the fastest.
Digging out the nostrils inevitably digs out the nose hair, which is equivalent to self-destructing protective forest! Not only reduces the resistance, but also easily makes the hair follicles inflamed, causing rhinitis and sinusitis.
Human fingernail seams are dirty and have thousands of bacterial viruses. The nails are hard and sharp, while the nasal mucosa is delicate and has a rich capillary network, which can dig up the mucous membrane and cause bleeding if you are not careful.
Centered on the nose, it happens to be the "danger triangle" of the face.
The blood vessels here are dense and complex, like the water network in Jiangnan. Bacteria go in, just like a fish into a big river, where to swim, which organ to harm, but we can't do it.
It also communicates with intracranial blood vessels and neural networks, and is a "short way" for bacteria to invade the brain!
Therefore, for children and the elderly and people with poor immunity, it is necessary to ensure hand hygiene, dig nostrils directly with less hands, reduce transmission as much as possible, and reduce the risk of pneumonia.
Truth: Sure, beheading is the end of it!
This is no joke.
According to the "History of Nose Digging", an English king in the 11th century issued a "nose exorcism ban", and those who dared to dig their noses publicly would be sentenced to capital punishment.
In order to avoid soldiers from being able to stop digging their nostrils and affecting their combat effectiveness, the British also invented the "lock nail gloves".
In 299 AD, Constantine the Great of the Roman Empire issued a decree stating that anyone found to have a finger in the nostrils, beyond the first knuckle, was immediately executed.
But in civilized society, of course, it is not necessary to dig a nostril and shoot it.
Or to be reasonable -
Snot is considered a "built-in air purifier".
The mucus in the nose warms, humidifies, and purifies the exhaled air; traps bacteria and dust and prevents them from entering the body. When the snot mixes with bacteria and dust, it is dry and hard, and it becomes snot.
So, try to dig out your nostrils as little as possible.
Quit digging your nostrils, only 3 things are most useful:
Control yourself!
Saying so much, I just want to tell you a truth: don't discriminate against the, it's really uncomfortable, you have to dig it, but you have to dig it scientifically.
1. Use a cotton swab dipped in salt water to clean.
Salt water has a good bactericidal effect. Use a medical swab to dip a small amount of normal saline and gently roll to clean the nasal foreign body.
2. Wash with a special nasal washer.
Place the saline into a nasal aspirator and wash it according to the instructions in the instructions.
3. Go to the hospital for rinsing.
People who have been plagued by nasal inflammation for a long time are recommended to go to the hospital and ask a doctor to help you rinse.
Truth: No evidence!
In addition to the funny book "History of Nose Digging", the author gave data that had no provenance, and we could not find evidence that digging nostrils would make nostrils bigger.
Therefore, the reason why your nostrils become larger may still be related to your genes (innate)!
Review expert: Xie Zhihai | Deputy Chief Physician, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University
bibliography
1. Roland Fret. History of nose digging[M].CITIC Publishing House:China,2018-11:4-43.
2.Jefferson J W, Thompson T D. Rhinotillexomania: psychiatric disorder or habit? [J]. The Journal of clinical psychiatry, 1995.
3.Gupta A, Dhingra A. Chronic Rhinotillexomania Leading to Unilateral External Nare Stenosis[J]. Cureus, 2018, 10(8).
4.Victoria Connor, Robyn Darbyshire，Picking nose can cause a deadly illness, [J]. European Respiratory Journal, 2018, 7 (21).
*The content of this article is a popularization of health knowledge and cannot be used as a specific diagnosis and treatment recommendation, nor is it a substitute for face-to-face consultation by a practicing physician, for reference only.
*The copyright of this article belongs to Tencent Medical Code, unauthorized media reprinting is prohibited, and illegal reprinting will be investigated for legal responsibility according to law. Individuals are welcome to forward to the circle of friends.
* Welcome to WeChat search and pay attention to the public account "Tencent Medical Code" to get more health science knowledge.