Nail-Biting- A Major Cause Of Nail InfectionsNail-biting is one of the most common bad habits in people. This unappealing habit is found among men, women, and children of all ages. And though it looks like fairly harmless, the result can be chronic nail infections at times. Nail-biting is not only an irritating practice, but also emerging as a primary reason in several nail infections. Nail biting can cause several infections. These include bacterial as well as fungal infections. It has been observed that people who bite their nails are more prone to fungal infections. This is because when you bite your nails, you tend to injure it by biting your cuticle or the skin around the nail. This results in several bacteria and harmful fungi entering your nail bed. Later on, when the skin joins and this void gets filled, the fungi are trapped inside and then start the process of infection. These fungi may circulate throughout the body and may cause you serious health troubles.
Nail biting can cause you several other infections as well. Some of the minor infections are: * Reddening of the skin: When you bite your nails, a part of the surrounding skin may peel off due to the bite. This may lead to pain in the nail or finger. Sometimes, bacteria may cause a minor infection. this may lead to redding of the skin around the nail. * Deep biting of cuticle may cause your nails to bleed. When you bite your nail, it often happens that the skin gets cut deep. In that case, it may cause your skin to bleed, and becomes an inlet for * Long term nail-biting can also result in retarded growth. * When you bite your nails, the cut may become deep. At times it so happens that you end up touching certain unclean and infected objects with those hands. As a result, the bacteria and the fungi on these unsterilized and uncleaned objects get transferred to your nail's damaged cuticle. * Nail-biting also causes you stomach infections. If you are a regular nail biter and have the habit of eating the nails you bite, These infection causing bacteria and fungi may get accumulated in your stomach. This may result in to some serious stomach infections. The results can also be chronic. However, there are a few steps that can help you to reduce the chances of contracting these infections: * Trim your nails regularly. Keep them clean. If your nail growth is rapid, trim them weekly to avoid the chances of biting. * If you have cravings for chewing nails, try and chew chewing gums. This will help you get rid of this nuisance Nail biting can cause you serious infections. However, thee simple steps can help you get rid of this problem, or at least reduce the chances of infections caused due to nail biting. |