Biting nails is unhealthy

It is a habit that we get caught up in absent-mindedly: Chewing off our nails or nibbling on the fingers as our minds wander off in deep thought.

It turns out this is unhealthy. A medic at New York’s Weill Cornell Medical College has revealed that this habit increases the chances of contracting certain types of infections.

According to nail disorder expert Richard Scher, a dermatologist at the institution, a family of bacteria like salmonella and E.coli flourish under nail tips where conditions are conducive for their survival.

Speaking to Time Magazine, Richard alluded to the fact that habitual nail biters are generally unhealthier, compared to those without the habit.

“It will come as no surprise that all sorts of germs lurk under your nails,” Scher said.

Inside the mouth and stomach, the bacteria can cause gastro-intestinal infections that often lead to diarrhoea and acute stomach cramps.

One of the bugs that is highly transmissible through nail biting (or unhygienic hands) is HPV, also known as wart virus.

When the virus gets into contact with subcutaneous tissues inside the mouth, it can cause warts and gum diseases.

In May 2011, a team of scientists from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health swabbed graduates’ hands before and immediately after a ceremonial gathering to identify any pathogenic bacteria lurking in their palms.

“A single handshake offers only a small risk of acquiring harmful bacteria,” said Dr David Bishai who led the study.

“If you eat or drink something without washing your hands, or if you touch your own nose, mouth, or eyes after shaking someone’s hand, you can introduce whatever germ was in their hand, and now your hand, into the portals of your body,” he added.

In another recently published study titled Fist-bumping Reduces the Transmission of Bacteria by About Four Times Compared to Shaking Hands,’ Dr Thomas McClellan, a plastic and hand surgeon in Morgantown, West Virginia, argues that MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus), a difficult-to-treat, antibiotic-resistant bacterial infection prevalent in hospitals, is transmitted in obscured handshakes between patients and their family members.

According to him, fist bumping is a better option of greeting compared to shaking hands, since some dangerous bugs reside in the hands.

Apart from the increased risk of infections, Richard says that constant biting of nails can lead to poor teeth arrangement, with the teeth shifting out of position or becoming oddly shaped.