Can nose-picking really contribute to dementia and Alzheimer's disease? An expert explains

Didn't your competent? doctor warn you about this a year ago? Oh, you don't have a competent doctor, do you?

Warn Nose Pickers in Your Life! New Research Shows Picking Your Nose Might Increase Risk of Alzheimer's and Dementia January 2023 

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 Can nose-picking really contribute to dementia and Alzheimer's disease? An expert explains

Could picking your nose be bad for your brain? According to one report, it could be possible. However, an expert says, there's no need to panic if you engage in the bad habit.

A recent review paper published in the journal Biomolecules explored the potential relationship between nose-picking and the development of dementia and Alzheimer's disease, which may be related via neuroinflammation.

Recent evidence suggests that neuroinflammation, or the swelling of nervous tissue, including tissue in the brain, may play at least a partial role in Alzheimer’s disease. According to the paper's authors, beta-amyloid, a protein believed to be a factor in causing Alzheimer's, may be produced by the brain in response to certain pathogens.

One way for these pathogens to get into your nose and interact with your brain? A dirty finger up the nostril.

While the idea of a simple action that, let's be honest, many of us partake in could potentially contribute to something as serious as Alzheimer's sounds scary, the conclusion should be handled with some skepticism.

Here's what we know.

Does picking your nose cause Alzheimer's?

Heather M. Snyder, Ph.D., vice president of medical and scientific relations at the Alzheimer’s Association, explained to USA TODAY that the report did not present new evidence obtained through an experiment, but was rather an overview of previously published studies in a growing area of Alzheimer’s research.

Specifically, the study of potential microbial/viral contributions to Alzheimer's, or the idea that the presence of certain microorganisms or viruses could play a role in the development of the condition.

The authors of this specific paper suggest, but do not prove, that microbes or viruses may enter the brain through the nose and could possibly be linked to the development of dementia or Alzheimer's. However, there is currently no definitive evidence of a cause-and-effect relationship, said Snyder.

"Alzheimer's is a complex disease with many contributing factors. There are likely multiple causes that contribute to the underlying biology of the disease," she said. "Increasingly, we know the immune system plays an important role in the underlying biology of Alzheimer’s – there are an increasing number of clinical trials targeting immune-related mechanisms."