Biting your nails might seem like a minor bad habit. The frequency of the habit might lead you to believe that it’s no big deal. However, it might surprise you to know that there are some truly nasty (and dangerous) infections that can result from biting your nails.
Here are five common infections that are even riskier for nail-biting:
1. Staphylococcus aureus
You might have heard of staphylococcus bacteria before. Medical professionals often refer to it as a staph infection – and it’s not a joke.
Staphylococcus aureus is a type of bacteria frequently found in the nails of nail -biters, according to BetterHealth Untreated, this bacteria can do all these things:
Cause the growth of boils or abscesses on the skin
- Causes respiratory infections
- Cause symptoms like those of food poisoning (in fact, it’s a common culprit in food poisoning, according to the CDC)
2. Escherichia coli
More commonly known as E. coli, this nasty bacterium is one that’s often implicated in outbreaks of illness across the United States. It’s commonly found in the lower intestines and is present in feces according to WebMD. Many of the E. coli contaminations come from not washing your hands.
Even if you wash your hands carefully after you use the bathroom, you can still end up with E. coli underneath your nails. If you then put your fingers in your mouth to finish off that hangnail, you run the risk of moving the bacteria into your body.
One strain of E. coli, known as enterohemorrhagic E. coli, can be life-threatening.
3. Herpetic whitlow
Herpetic whitlow is caused by the same herpes simplex virus (HSV) that causes cold sores (Approximately 40% of all adults have oral herpes and carry the herpes virus). If you stick your fingers in your mouth, you risk transmitting the virus to your fingers. Once it’s there, it can cause:
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