Nail Biting

Everywhere I go, I always come across a person with a horrible habit - Nail Biting!
I personally cannot see my self pick up such habit. This is mostly like due to the fact that I have been educated on the negative effects that may arise from this soothing habit!

This habit is usually detected early in life - most likely when you are a young child, where if you refuse to acknowledge the problem, it will continue on to adulthood.

There is only a few questions left to ask - Why do people bite their nails? What are the effects of this habit? And, how can they be stopped?

There are multiple reasons why people pick up such habit - Nevertheless, stress and boredom are number one.
Stress gives you the urge to exert force onto something, and whether you are conscious or not about it, you are taking out the stress onto your nails! Boredom is also a big key factor as to why you bite your nails. Face it, when you have nothing to do, you want and need to do something. For many people, while searching for something to do - they come across nail biting! Most of the time people are biting their nails sub-consciously, slowly becoming a dangerous habit!

Some effects of nail biting include:

• Red & Sore Fingertips.
• Cuticle Bleeding.
• Infections on your nail bed and your mouth.
• Dental problems, infection of the gums. It damages in the long term the teeth, making them more prone to develop caries.
• Nail deformation.
• In rare cases it can be a symptom of Obsessive Compulsive disorder, and this must be treated with medications.

In order to understand the serious issues that may arise with nail biting here are some explanations.

Nail biting can result in transmission of germs that live beneath the surface of the nail to the mouth. Many pathogens have the ability to live within the nail, with that being said, the nail biting habit can increase the chances to cause damage to the health.
A compulsive nail bitter may not stop at only the nail but also the skin around the cuticle and breaking the skin. Broken skin is susceptible to opportunistic infections from microbes and viruses. These pathogens can spread between the finger and into the mouth.
Nail biting can also be negative for the restricting it causes to the hands. A compulsive nail bitter may have restricted his/her ability to work (eg, writing, typing, drawing, playing stringed instruments, driving) because of damage done to the nail or surrounding skin.
A long habit of nail biting can cause wear off the enamel of the incisor teeth, which can generate cavities in these areas.

Here are some tips on stopping:

• Girls can always keep their nails with nail polish - which often serves as a reminder that they can not bite their nails. Another alternative is to use nail polish that contains bitter flavors.
• Another tip is to put pepper on the nails, so that when you bite it will sting your mouth. This will affect your habit, encouraging you to stop.
• Or, wrap your fingertips with adhesive tape, also works.

I hope you enjoyed ...