We bet you have at least one disgusting habit that no one knows about. It will be this picking your nose when you are alone with yourself, grinding your teeth with anger or squeezing out pimples that seem to be asking for it in front of the mirror - it is not so important. All of the above (and more) seriously affects your health. And you don't even know what terrible consequences such seemingly everyday trifles can lead to. But we, of course, will tell you about it right now.
Teeth grinding
Dr. Mark Burhenne of AsktheDentist.com tells Business Insider that grinding teeth, also known as bruxism, can contribute to decaying teeth, fillings and even porcelain columns. And he regularly encounters these not very pleasant scenarios in his own practice. “Some of my patients even injured their tongues due to the fact that small particles of teeth remained in the mouth,” says Burchen. "And one of the worst cases is when a patient wakes up in the morning and finds that one of the front teeth is missing, as it just crumbled during the night."
Best Health Magazine adds that the involuntary rubbing of teeth against each other can also cause gum recession (tooth root exposure) and, in extreme cases, lead to swollen lymph nodes, ear, neck and back pain.
Squeezing acne
Some types of acne are difficult to treat, so even Hollywood beauticians cannot deal with them. However, popping acne is not the best solution anyway. “If you touch the inflamed skin with long, dirty nails or not very clean fingers, it will lead to even more inflammation,” explains dermatologist Joshua Zeichner. "Plus, if the skin barrier is compromised, the risk of infection becomes as great as the risk of scarring."
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The expert notes that in the most difficult cases, the infection can spread throughout the face, provoking a soft tissue infection (better known as cellulitis), which will require immediate medical attention.
But is it really impossible to squeeze acne? You can, only very, very carefully. First of all, it is permissible to touch only pimples with an accumulation of pus inside. And this should be done in disposable cotton gloves or a freshly disinfected gadget to remove blackheads (a metal stick with a "loop" at the end). After the procedure, it is necessary to treat the area of action with salicylic acid, and after 10-15 minutes, apply a soothing lotion or gel to the skin.
The habit of biting your nails
“Constant biting on nails and cuticles can increase the chances of developing infections,” warns Joshua Zeichner. The most common problem in this case is paronychia - inflammation of the periungual ridge, in which both one and several fingers may appear in the affected area. In this case, according to experts, the fingers will become red, soft and swollen, and pus will begin to form near the nails. Experts from the American Academy of Family Physicians recall that chronic paronychia can cause cuticle breakdown, impaired nail growth, and even separation of the nail plate from the skin.
Nose picking
Erich P. Voight, otolaryngologist at New York University, tells Business Insider that you shouldn't put your fingers in your nose to clear it, whether someone is looking at you or not. … “Poking your nose can introduce microbes onto the mucous membrane, as well as provoke the appearance of bleeding abrasions that will contribute to the development of these microbes,” he says. Well, such behavior will only situationally clear the nose, in fact, it will only increase the amount of mucus.
Statistics show that some children brush their nose so hard that they end up with bleeding rather than free breathing. This, experts explain, is because there are arteries in the front of the nose. In addition to nosebleeds, nose picking can lead to a perforated or hole in the nasal septum, reports the Osborne Head & Neck Institute. This, in turn, will seriously hamper breathing, so the problem will have to be solved with the help of surgery.
For the sake of information, let's talk about the worst possible scenario: when picking your nose, there is a chance of contracting more serious infections, such as thrombosis of the cavernous sinus, which in extreme cases can lead to blindness.
Barefoot sports
If you've ever gone to the gym barefoot, you're probably a very brave person. And while everyone knows it's not recommended, in a recent poll of 1,000 women, roughly 32% admitted to doing it. So even if you are not worried about wet feet slipping on the floor, you must be careful with bacteria on the floor that can cause plantar warts and fungus. In other scenarios, MedlinePlus reports, you may experience allergic flaking of the skin, itching and burning between the toes.
