Nose picking linked to dementia: Report
- Certain protein believed to be a cause of progressive dementia
- Study: Protein produced as defense against pathogens entering nasal cavity
- Researchers suggest at least washing hands frequently
Alzheimer’s disease is expected to spike nationwide in future years, and according to new data released by the Alzheimer’s Association, there is a significant shortage in the dementia care workforce. (Getty Images)
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(NewsNation) — In the latest example of “Everything Your Mother Told You Was True,” it turns out that picking your nose isn’t just socially unacceptable. It might also increase your chances of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
According to a new report in People magazine, a protein called beta-amyloid is believed to be a cause of the progressive dementia characterizing Alzheimer’s disease. And according to a recent report in the peer-reviewed journal Biomolecules, beta-amyloid may be produced in the brain as a defense mechanism to pathogens that are introduced via the nasal cavity by, among other things, inserting a finger into the nose.
As a result, the report’s writers suggested that “neuroinflammation in (Alzheimer’s disease) might be partially caused by pathogens entering the brain through the olfactory system.”
The report doesn’t suggest that nose picking is the sole or primary cause of Alzheimer’s, or that dropping the habit is going to prevent it. But it can’t hurt to stop, or if that’s too difficult, the report suggests, at least wash your hands frequently.
“One of the lessons learned from COVID-19 is the value of hand hygiene through frequent hand washing and the use of hand sanitizers, and we suggest these routine hygienic procedures be mandatory routine procedures for the incurable nose-picker,” the report added.
