The Gross Habit You Should Definitely Avoid in the Winter
You do it, we do it, everyone does it. But here’s why we all need to stop. (Photo: Getty Images/CSA Images/Printstock Collection)
Let’s be honest: You pick your nose. It’s not just speculation — it’s a fact. According to research published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 91 percent of people have admitted to doing some form of nose-picking (and that’s just people who copped to the practice).
Sometimes it’s due to excessive dry air or a blocked nasal passage, and sometimes it’s just because of boredom. Whatever the reason, nasal irrigation happens. But experts say this seemingly harmless habit can actually put you at risk for infection.
“The nose is one of the main passageways for germ transmission into the body and given the number of contaminated surfaces our fingertips come into contact with every day, you can put yourself at risk of infection,” says hand hygiene expert Jim Arbogast, PhD, vice president of hygiene sciences and public health advancements at GOJO Industries, the company that invented Purell.
Related: 7 Germaphobe Habits Everyone Should Follow
Since the inside of your nose is a mucous membrane, you’re essentially giving germs the best opportunity to make you sick when you pick your nose by depositing them in that sensitive area. Arbogast points out that more than 80 percent of infectious diseases are transmitted by our hands, which is why it’s so important to keep them away from the eyes, mouth, and nose.
Winter is an especially bad time to pick, since cold and flu germs are everywhere, says Gunter Rieg, MD, an infectious disease physician for Kaiser Permanente Southern California. If you touch a surface that isn’t clean — which most of us do regularly — and then pick your nose, your odds of getting sick skyrocket. In fact, one recent study from Japan found that people who frequently touched their nose and eyes had a greater chance of developing an upper respiratory tract infection. “One can assume that nose-picking carries an even higher risk,” says Rieg.
Unfortunately, winter is also when we’re most tempted to pick. Cold weather and low humidity indoors can dry out nasal passages and create blockages that, well, have to come out somehow.
Related: The Gross Truth About How Often We Actually Brush Our Teeth
Tempted to pick? Consider this as well: Picking your nose can also increase the chances that you’ll make other people sick, too. Many infectious pathogens, like viruses that cause the common cold, flu, and measles, are secreted through the nose, Rieg explains. And bacteria such as MRSA, which can cause pneumonia, can also be found in the nose.
If you pick your nose and don’t wash your hands immediately afterward, you can spread those germs to other surfaces you touch and, consequently, other people.
So even though there’s no question that the world would be a less-germy place if we would all just stop picking our noses, let’s be real: It’s unlikely we’ll quit doing it cold turkey. If you must pick, Arbogast recommends wrapping your finger in a tissue first or trying to get out the blockage by blowing. Then, wash your hands thoroughly to be sure you won’t transfer any germs to others.
