Study: Picking Your Nose Can Lead to Alzheimer’s!

No, this is not a joke. (Yes, this is another travel-day PSA.)

Top o’ the morning, me hearties.

I am still traveling and have not finished the next installment of The Distributed Nation. Still, there is no way I am going to leave you empty-handed.

My wife, who has a nose for news, shared some important information with me, and I thought I should pay it forward and share it with you:

It’s widely reviled as a habit but now new research, published in the American Journal of Medical Sciences, suggests that picking your nose could also increase your risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease.

Studies suggest that germs transferred from the fingers to the nose may travel to the brain, causing inflammation, which could in time damage brain cells, potentially contributing to Alzheimer’s disease.

The report also suggested that nose-picking could damage the lining of the nose, making it easier for harmful organisms to enter the bloodstream, causing ­further inflammation and increasing the risk of dementia.

I looked through the rest of the article, and it’ snot long on other details on this particular area of research, so I dug around and also found this:

The research, published in Nature Scientific ReportsTrusted Source, shows that by damaging the nasal cavity in mice, bacteria can enter the brain through the olfactory nerve.

Once in the brain, certain bacteria stimulate the deposition of amyloid beta protein, potentially leading to the development of Alzheimer’s disease(AD). Amyloid beta forms plaques that are thought to be responsible for many of the symptoms of AD, such as memory loss, language problems, and unpredictable behavior.

I am trying to think of some funny things to say about this, but I am coming up dry. Perhaps I can pick your brains for a few humorous quips…

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C’mon, don’t leave me hanging, bro.