From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nose-picking (rhinotillexomania when compulsive), is the act of extracting dried nasal mucus and/or foreign bodies from the nose with a finger. A very common habit, nose-picking can or may be used as a body-focused repetitive behavior or obsessive compulsive disorder, which can become a medical issue. The accepted medical terminology for this stage of nose-picking is rhinotillexomania. Most cases do not meet this pathological threshold.
Despite being such a common habit, it is a mildly taboo activity in most cultures, and the observation of the activity in another person commonly provokes mixed feelings of disgust and amusement.
Nose-picking is an extremely common habit, with some surveys indicating that it is almost universal, with people picking their nose an average of about four times a day. A 1995 study into nose picking, requesting information from 1,000 randomly selected adults, gathered 254 respondents. It defined nose-picking as "the insertion of a finger (or other object) into the nose with the intention of removing dried nasal secretions". Of those who responded, 91% said they were current nose pickers (but only 75% of these believed everyone did it) and two people claimed to spend between 15 to 30 minutes and one to two hours a day picking their nose.
The mucous membranes constantly produce wet mucus that is exposed to the air. Once dried, the mucus typically causes a sensation of irritation that leads to the compulsion to dislodge the itch by picking.
The main issue about nose picking is social acceptance: as with defecation, urination and belching, nose-picking should not be seen in public, although most people occasionally do it. Generally, Nose-picking is viewed as disgusting in most western nations. Mucophagy, the act of eating the extracted mucus, is considered to be even more disgusting, and is often portrayed in comedies. In shows and movies, the disgusting person or the bully is often caught nose-picking. To be caught nose-picking is generally considered humiliating.
A popular saying in many English-speaking countries is, "You can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose, but you can't pick your friend's nose." An unusual popular culture reference may be found in the 1968 Mothers of Invention song "Let's Make The Water Turn Black." The song tells a true story of an adolescent acquaintance of composer Frank Zappa who habitually saved his own extracted mucus on the pane of his bedroom window.
Nose-picking may carry a number of medical risks, thus some doctors recommend against it and encourage the use of a tissue instead. Risks may include nasal infections, occasional nosebleeds (in 25% of those who pick their nose, considering that most of the population picks their nose occasionally) and in rare cases perforation of the nasal septum or self-induced ethmoidectomy. Nose picking, however, should not affect the sense of smell, as the nasal cavity where the olfactory nerves are located is too high up to reach. Also, due to the special nature of the blood supply to the nose and surrounding area, it is possible for retrograde infections from the nasal area to spread to the brain, although this scenario is unlikely to arise from normal rhinotillexis. For this reason, the area from the corners of the mouth to the bridge of the nose, including the nose and maxilla, is known to doctors as the "danger triangle of the face."
It has been widely reported that Friedrich Bischinger, a lung specialist at Privatklinik Hochrum in Innsbruck, claims that nose-picking combined with nasal mucus eating is beneficial for the immune system.
