Biting your nails is a nervous habit for many people, ostensibly helping to relieve stress or anxiety. People handle their stress in many ways, including pacing, fidgeting, counting—whatever coping mechanism works for them. Many of these nervous behaviors are harmless, but nail biting might have more health risks than you think. According to Texas A&M University Health Center experts, biting your nails is bad for you and can expose you to certain diseases and ailments.
There are significant long-term health effects of biting your nails, according to scientists, beyond just short and stubby fingernails. Here are five reasons why you should stop chewing on your fingernails—for your own good.
Germs
There are many germs under your fingernails, even if you can’t see them. Even if you wash your hands frequently, it’s tough to fully remove all the microorganisms and dirt from underneath your nails. You don’t want to put all of that into your mouth. Exposing those germs and dirt to your body can increase your risk of illness. When washing your hands, be sure to wash thoroughly and clean your nails.
Increased Risk of Infection
A bad habit of biting nails can increase your risk of paronychia (nail infection). Symptoms include painful, red, swollen area around the nail, at the cuticle or wherever you have a nail injury. A bacterial infection can create pus-filled blisters as well. If you have any warts, which are viral, you can spread the virus to other nails by chewing on them.
More Hangnails and Ingrown Nails
By constantly biting on your nails, you may bite off more than you mean to, causing hangnails that can easily become infected. Regular moisturizing (and not biting your nails) can prevent this from happening in the first place. Ingrown nails usually occur on toenails, but biting your nails can cause nails to grow under your finger skin as well. Ingrown fingernails can be painful, leading to infection, and possibly requiring surgery to resolve.
It Damages Your Teeth
Your teeth have one specific usage—chewing your food. Nail biting can eventually cause your teeth to shift out of place, requiring braces or other correctional orthodontia. Biting your nails can break your teeth and damage enamel as well, with the germs even causing infection to your gums.
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| Biting your nails can cause a host of related health issues. Source: medlineplus.gov |
Toxic Poisoning
Another dangerous effect of biting your nails hides within nail polish, If you regularly paint your nails with gel polish, you should stop biting your nails as soon as possible. Regular nail polishes are full of toxins, and gel polishes are even more harmful when ingested. The small amounts of toxicity likely won’t do damage immediately, but over time could be dangerous.
Conclusion
It might help relieve your stress, but biting your nails is a bad way to manage anxiety. Finding a new—and safer way to keep your tension in check may be healthier in the long run—both mentally and physically.
