Nail biting is one of the most gross habits that is said to be embraced by almost half of the world population. It is usually attributed to stress, nervousness or boredom and it can also be a result of the genetics.
While we all try to get rid of our bad habits like quitting to smoke, stress eating, nail biting and what not, there are some ill habits that are more detrimental than the others. The onychophagia which is the scientific name of nail biting affects people from all age groups.
Biting the nails can seem to be harmless but it can lead to some nasty health effects that can also, on rare occasions, lead to sepsis which is a life-threatening condition.
Some of the problems that nail-biting gives rise to can be gross while others happen to be downright scary. Here are some of the reasons why you should immediately abstain from biting nails. Just take a look.
- Germs Thrive Under Your Fingernails – Even if you wash the hands frequently it is quite challenging to get all the dirt and the germs from under the nails. So, if you bite your nails then you can well imagine what your body is exposed to. Your chances of ailments enhance to a great extent when you let those germs get into the body when you bite your nails. That is why you should try to get rid of the habit of nail biting as soon as possible.
- This Can Cause Nasty Infections – If you bite a piece of the nail that is too big, a portion of the sensitive teeth beneath the nail can get exposed. As a result of that, it offers free and unabashed entry to the pathogens and the bacteria thriving in the mouth. The mouth contains a plethora of bacteria and you can infect yourself because of that. Paronychia is one common infection form and it can give rise to pain, redness and the puss filled lumps. This type of an infection can persist for a few weeks at a time according to the research. Paronychia is most commonly caused by biting the cuticles which are the narrow skin crescents that rim the lower portion of the nail.
- Your Nails and Fingertips Can Get Destroyed – Continuous biting of the nails can destroy the bed of the nail and lead to the permanent damaging of the nail. If you pick away at the skin surrounding the nail, then staph infections can also develop in the area around the fingertips.
- It is Bad for the Teeth – Apart from chewing, there are no other ways that your teeth should be used. Biting the teeth on a regular basis can cause the teeth to shift out of place. This can call for the retainer or correctional braces. Nail biting can also damage the enamel of the teeth or break the tooth. The germs can also irritate the gums and infect them. Even bad breath or halitosis can be caused by the bacteria lingering on the fingers. That is why it is always advisable to shun this practise.
- Facial Warts Can Develop Because of Nail Biting – Facial warts can be a reason why you should never bite the fingernails. According to the research, the HPV causes these warts that get into the body through a scrape or cut caused by nail biting. To make the matters worse, if you touch the face with the fingers that are contaminated you can spread the warts to even your face.
- This Can Also Make You Grind the Teeth – If you bite your nails on a regular basis you are susceptible to teeth grinding at night and that can lead to the serious dental damage and it can lead to loss of teeth eventually.
- It Can Enhance Your Risk of Toxic Poisoning – If you use gel polish, then nail biting can turn out to be a toxic practice for you. There are plenty of toxins present in the nail varnishes and the gel polishes consist of chemicals that can wreak havoc on your body when you ingest it. Even though the low amounts of toxicity won’t be able to cause any harmful effects, the long-term effects are still not known.
The above are some of the reasons why biting the nails is a practice that you should get rid off -the sooner the better. This is what most of the reputed dentists at the best dental clinic recommended if you want to retain your nails as well as your teeth and don’t want to get sick often.
