Excessive nose picking or meningitis

　　Recently, foreign media reported that excessive nose picking may cause bacterial meningitis and other diseases. Previously, there were also media reports that an 8-year-old boy in Shenzhen usually liked to pick his nose, and sometimes his nose would bleed. At first, the family didn’t pay much attention to it, but later they found out that the child had a lump in his nasal cavity and had a high fever. In the end, the child was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis. The reason was that the child often picked his nose!
　　Why Does Nose Picking Cause Bacterial Meningitis? Why do many people enjoy picking their noses so much? How to deal with nasal discomfort scientifically?
　　Zhang Juan, Chief Physician of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University, introduced that the nostrils are also called nasal cavity, which is located between the base of the skull and the roof of the mouth. It is a cavity surrounded by bone and cartilage. The nasal septum is divided into left and right sides, and the inner surface is covered with mucous membrane. Zhang Juan said that the physiological functions of the nasal cavity include breathing passages, filtering dust, regulating chest negative pressure, heating and humidifying the air, and maintaining the sense of smell and sound resonance.
　　When many people feel that there is a foreign body in the nasal cavity, they like to dig it out with their hands, especially when the foreign body is not easy to come out, they will use more force until the foreign body is dug out. For some people, picking their noses has long been a habit for them. Even if there is no foreign body in the nasal cavity, they will involuntarily poke a few times from time to time.
　　Zhang Juan pointed out that the behavior of nose picking seems harmless, but in fact there are many hidden dangers. First of all, it is easy to damage the nose hair. Frequent nostril picking will cause the nose hair to fall off, or the hair follicles of the nose hair will become inflamed, which will reduce the blocking effect of the nose hair on dust and bacteria, reduce the defense ability of the nasal cavity, and allow dust and viruses in the air to easily invade.
　　Second, nose picking may cause traumatic epistaxis. The nasal mucosa is rich in capillaries. Frequent and forceful picking of the nostrils with fingers can easily damage the nasal mucosa and cause bleeding. Especially in spring and autumn, when the climate is relatively dry, the capillaries of the nasal mucosa are relatively fragile, and nose picking is more likely to cause nasal bleeding.
　　In addition to causing nasal infections and nosebleeds, frequent nostril picking can easily induce sinusitis, otitis media, and pharyngitis due to the connectivity of the ear, nose, and throat.
　　The earliest recorded history of nose-picking in humans appeared in 4000 BC. On the murals of ancient Egypt, you can see the picture of picking the nose. Why have people been fond of picking their noses since ancient times?
　　In this regard, Cao Dagang, a member of the Chinese Popular Science Writers Association and a senior psychological teacher, believes that this may be related to the physical pleasure and emotional satisfaction that nose picking can bring to people. Many people sum up the feeling of picking their noses as “it’s cool to dig for a while, and it’s cool to dig all the time”. “Physiologically speaking, the nasal cavity, as our breathing pathway, is very afraid of being blocked. When there is a foreign body in the nasal cavity, it will affect normal breathing to a certain extent, and it will also produce a sense of insecurity psychologically. The behavior of picking the nose can not only It makes people feel unobstructed breathing, and can satisfy the body and mind. This is because there are very rich blood vessels and nerves under the nasal mucosa. As long as the action of picking the nostrils is not too hard, it will make people feel like fingers are caressing the nasal cavity Average.” Cao Dagang explained.
　　”But some people will pick their noses uncontrollably, which may be a compulsive behavior in an anxious state.” Cao Dagang said that such behaviors may be because people cannot cope with current or future anxiety events, leading to There is anxiety in my heart, so I take this behavior to escape. In this case, self-adjustment should be carried out in time, and the help of a psychologist can be sought if necessary.