Nose picking when young, Alzheimer's disease in old age

In our daily life, many people have the habit of digging their nostrils, often unconsciously. A recent study by researchers at Griffith University showed that a bacterium could enter the brain of mice through the olfactory nerve of the nose, where it produced the sign of Alzheimer's disease. That is to say, you like to pick your nose when you are young, and you will have Alzheimer's disease when you are old.

According to the research, chlamydia pneumoniae invades the central nervous system by using the nerves between the nose and the brain as the invasion pathway. Cells in the brain then react by depositing amyloid, a marker of Alzheimer's disease. The study was published in the journal Scientific Reports.

Professor St John, who participated in the study, said: "We are the first to prove that Chlamydia pneumoniae can enter the brain directly through the nose and cause lesions similar to Alzheimer's disease there. We have seen this in a mouse model, and this evidence may also be terrible for humans."

The olfactory nerve in the nose is directly exposed to the air, providing a shortcut for the brain to bypass the blood brain barrier. This is the shortcut that viruses and bacteria smell into the brain. The research team of the center has planned the next phase of research to prove that the same pathway exists in humans.

In fact, frequent nostril digging is not only prone to Alzheimer's disease, but also can damage the capillaries in the nostrils and cause bleeding. The normal function of nose is directly related to the health of respiratory tract. The bad habit of digging nostrils often leads to atrophic rhinitis. Because of the atrophy of nasal mucosa and the decrease of secretions, the defense ability of the nasal cavity is reduced or lost, leading to a series of respiratory diseases. Nasal hair is often removed when picking nostrils, making the nasal cavity a portal for microbial invasion. At the same time, it can also cause infection of the anterior nasal cavity. In severe cases, it can cause intracranial suppurative infection, because the veins in the nasal cavity are connected with the veins in the skull cavity. So "picking and plucking nose hair is not a good idea."

So, how to reduce the frequency of picking nose excrement?

The doctor suggested wearing a mask when going out to prevent dust from entering the nose; At ordinary times, pay attention to drinking more water and eating more fruits with more water, so that the amount of nasal excrement will be less. You can also buy a nose cleaner, or use a clean cotton swab dipped in water instead of hands to clean your nostrils.