Answers to Questions Kids Ask! - Where "Why?" Turns to "Wow!"
Picking your nose may rank up there with spitting and burping as good old-fashioned (and repulsive) fun. But for those who know noses, that unspeakable habit does involve health risks you just can’t blow off. Not surprisingly, it all begins with your fingers–and doorknobs, and phones and all the other little things you touch every day. These objects are crawling with bacteria from the hands of every other person who has made contact with them. So if one of your fingers touches a germ-covered knob and then winds up way in your nose, you’ve just been given a bunch of bacterial hitchhikers a free ride into your body. Since the inside of your nose is dark, warm and moist, you can bet these microscopic buggers will make themselves right at home and multiply. And this, of course, can make you miserable and sick.
So what if your nails sometimes wander up your nostrils? If they’re always trimmed and polished, it shouldn’t matter, right? Well, manicured or not, fingernails can cut the interior of your nose and invite even more risk of bacterial infections. In one notable incident, a forceful young nosepicker broke a blood vessel and needed an operation to stop the bleeding.
Share this Question with Your Friends!
Link to this question!
What's the difference between the flu and a common cold?
There are very important differences between the flu and common cold, so take note! Having a cold usually means having a stuffy nose and sore throat, along with a mild-to-moderately…
Why are some words considered "bad"?
Some words are considered “bad” because they offend others. They are words that refer to impolite things, like body parts or bodily functions and most people don’t like to hear…
Why do bees make honey?
Adult bees make honey to feed larvae (baby bees) and themselves. Worker bees convert the flower nectar they eat into honey in their esophagi (their throats). Other animals, such as…
Why do I get sleepy after Thanksgiving dinner?
Sometimes people blame that after-dinner drowsiness on the turkey. Turkey meat contains an amino acid called L-tryptophan, and this compound helps makes you sleepy. But you’d have to eat turkey…
Do fish breathe water?
Yes, fish essentially breathe water through their gills, but they don’t use the water to make energy, but the oxygen that is dissolved in the water. In essence, fish are…
Word of the Day
fervent:fervent: having or showing great warmth or intensity of spirit, feeling, enthusiasm, etc.
Born on this day
March 11, 20141885 - Sir Malcolm Campbell
1952 - Douglas Adams
1923 - Louise Brough
1923 - Terence Alexander
1932 - Lord Nigel Lawson
1947 - Alan Yentob