CLEVELAND — Admit it — you've done it or you still do it, but can picking your nose actually lead to dementia or Alzheimer's disease?
That's the theory Australian researchers are suggesting in a new paper published in Biomolecules. Experts looked at the potential correlation between the habit and neuroinflammation — or the swelling of nervous tissue, including brain tissue. A dirty finger is certainly one way pathogens can get into the body and potentially the brain.
"Aging is the No. 1 risk factor for Alzheimer's," Dr. Charles Duffy, director of the Brain and Memory Center at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, explained. "[These researchers are] suggesting that infectious agents that are in the environment do have access to the brain through the nerves of the smelling system that poke through the upper reaches of the sinuses, and a lot of people think that things might get in that way. So wash your hands, that's a very good recommendation."
The report did not present new evidence from an experiment, nor did they prove a connection. It's a theory that may be plausible, but so far there is proven no cause-and-effect relationship at this time.
Researchers have spent years trying to figure out the cause of dementia, and many believe there may not be one single cause, although aging is certainly the main risk factor. However, so are genetics, lifestyle, environmental exposures, and other medical issues such as metabolic syndrome.
Metabolic syndrome is the combination of obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol. When those things are not under control, they have been linked to triggering the development of Alzheimer's.
Bottom line: Picking your nose is unsanitary and socially unacceptable, not to mention a dirty finger is a good way to spread bacteria and viruses and definitely make you sick. Try using a saline rinse the next time your nose boulders are bothering you, and keep tissues handy.