Alzheimer’s disease is expected to increase nationwide in the coming years. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, there is a significant shortage in the dementia care workforce, as per new data. (Getty Images)
(NewsNation) — According to a new report in People magazine, picking your nose might increase your chances of getting Alzheimer’s disease.
A protein called beta-amyloid is believed to cause the progressive dementia of Alzheimer’s disease. A recent report in the peer-reviewed journal Biomolecules suggested that beta-amyloid may be produced in the brain as a defense mechanism to pathogens introduced through the nasal cavity, including by inserting a finger into the nose.
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The report’s writers suggested that “neuroinflammation in (Alzheimer’s disease) might be partially caused by pathogens entering the brain through the olfactory system.”
It is not suggested that nose picking is the sole or primary cause of Alzheimer’s, or that stopping the habit will prevent it. However, it is advised to stop or, if that’s too difficult, to wash your hands frequently, as per the report.
“One of the lessons learned from COVID-19 is the value of hand hygiene through frequent hand washing and the use of hand sanitizers, and we suggest these routine hygienic procedures be mandatory routine procedures for the incurable nose-picker,” the report added.