Nosepicking And Alzheimer’s Could Be More Connected Than We Think

The National Library of Medicine says about 90% of Americans pick their nose. While some will say it’s just a dirty habit, medicine does recognize rhinotillexomania (nose-picking) as a disorder.

But the latest news isn’t about nose-picking. There may be a link between nose-picking and Alzheimer’s Disease.

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Researchers are investigating if picking you nose introduces bacteria and trauma in your nose that leads to the formation of amyloid plaque that is the hallmark of Alzheimer’s.

Read a summary of a 2022 Griffith University study here.

Even though over 7 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s, science is still unclear about what causes the disease. Recent studies have focused on where the nose and brain meet. The sense of smell is one of the first to go with Alzheimer’s, and a smell test has proved a good early test. The latest research is centered on how the brain reacts to bacteria entering the body through the nose. The theory is that the brain reacts to new pathogens by creating a protein that ultimately sticks to nerve endings and interferes with how the brain transmits and receives information.

How do new pathogens and bacteria get into the brain? Through your nose. It’s on your fingers when you pick your nose, or it can get in through the scar tissue when you pull out your nose hairs.

In light of the results of a few new studies, doctors are advising using proper nasal hygiene. That means not picking your nose or pulling your nose hairs.

Or, if you can’t stop, wash your hands.