Nose picking likely ‘partially’ to blame for Alzheimer’s disease: scientists

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A review of dozens of published studies into the mechanisms behind neurological diseases has collected strong evidence that people who frequently pick their noses are at a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

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“Neuroinflammation in Alzheimer’s disease might be partially caused by viral, bacterial and fungal pathogens entering the brain through the nose and the olfactory system,” they wrote in the report.

Chronic nose-picking, medically known as rhinotillexomania, introduces germs into the sensitive nasal cavity that cause inflammation in the brain, which has been linked to the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.

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Such infections can exist seemingly without symptoms on the outside but may cause inflammation below the surface, leaving behind harmful plaques of protein that contribute to the development of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s.

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