Another tabloid cover another nose pick. The ever-popular photograph of a famous celebrity caught in the act, forever to be scrutinized by the media. One day upon looking at the cover of one of these magazines I couldn’t help but to think “Is it worth it? Did you really need to pick your nose?” Which led me to another thought… Is picking your nose beneficial at all. So I decided to write a blog post about the benefits, or not so beneficial effects, of nose picking.
While I found it absolutely disgusting, the first article I came across was about a test ran by a Canadian academic. He believed that there were health benefits to picking your nose and than eating your mucus… gross. His argument stated that picking the mucus out of your nose and then eating it, allowed small amounts of germs back into your immune system, thus actually helping your immune system. Who would have thought eating boogers helped you stay healthy?
A different article talked about the benefits of just getting the mucus out of your body but not necessarily eating it. It brought up the point of it being a social frowned upon, similar to farting or burping in public. While they all may be poor choice of conduct in public they are all very healthy for your body. This article discussed what boogers really are: a build up of dust and germs. Therefore getting those out of your body are perfectly sensible and are good to do! The same article even discusses that you feel better after getting boogers out of your nose, and how it could lead to more comfort in your nose and actually help you relax and sleep better. If you are able to clear out your nasal passages you are more likely to breath better while falling asleep and thus are much less likely to snore!
The message of this article: Pick your nose and tell others to pick theirs too.
Are there negative sides of picking your nose? in a general search for negative effects of nose picking, the only thing I found to be an issue were nosebleeds caused from cuts in the nose by fingernails. If you ick your nose but cut the barrier of your nose, then your immune system could be disrupted and you would have an issue. (via Dr. Oz) So if you have long sharp nails… You may want to find a different alternative
In the end it turns out that picking your nose is actually something people should be doing more often. While eating ones on mucus does seem a bit disturbing, studies have shown that something in the make up of snot can actually help ones immune system. Maybe some day picking your nose will no longer make you a social outcast, but for now… don’t do it in public!
http://neerizzle.hubpages.com/hub/Picking-Your-Nose-Is-Healthy
http://www.wellbuzz.com/dr-ozs-advice/dr-oz-gross-habits-is-picking-your-nose-bad-for-you/
While I agree with both of your statements that blowing your nose into a tissue is by far a more publicly acceptable choice when it comes to getting rid of mucus, that doesn’t cover the health side. Yes if it were just about getting the mucus out of your body, then a tissue is by far the better choice in public. If you want to reap the benefits of the “health” that comes from mucus, you would have to put it back into your body, which is actually the grossest aspect of it all.
Well this is….interesting. I’m trying to keep an open mind to the possibility of picking one’s nose to be beneficial, but I have to ask, is there not a better or more sanitary way to get rid of boogers? For instance, couldn’t one just blow their nose or use a tissue to grab whatever may be causing them discomfort rather than grabbing it with their fingers? WikiHow provides a options and diagrams of other ways to remove mucus from your body, can’t one of these ways be more sanitary than the digging for gold process?
If you asked anyone you know they would probably tell you that they think picking your nose is absolutely gross. The social connotation related with picking your nose really changes what people are willing to admit about their habits. I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve been driving and look over at the car stopped next to me to see someone digging for gold in their nose. I think you made a really good point about the fact that picking your nose is basically good for you, just a little bit gross. I guess when you think about it maybe using a tissue would be a good way to meet in the middle.