Why is it bad to pick my nose?

Stinky, Yucky, Icky

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by Brian Griffin (whyzz writer) >> more about the author

BOOGERS, SNOT—whatever you call it—it’s that gross, icky, sometimes-green, slimy stuff that fills up your nose and drips out, unless of course you stick a finger up there and pick that stuff away. You’ve probably heard grown-ups say many times to “get your finger out of your nose!”

Here’s the thing about nose-picking: a lot of people do it. They’re just too embarrassed to admit it. Picking your nose is not actually too bad for you, but still there are a few reasons why you’ll want to reach for a tissue, instead of using your fingers.

Boogers and snot are really just something called “mucus” that our bodies make for a couple of reasons. The mucus in our noses is very important. It catches germs that we breathe in, and carries germs out of our bodies. It helps to keep you healthy! You really don’t want it on your fingers because it carries germs and you might pass those germs to other people—by a handshake, a hug, or even just touching something that someone else will touch. You can also catch some of your own germs back again!

Another reason not to pick is that the inside lining of your nose is very easily damaged. A fingernail can scratch it and make your nose bleed, and that can get infected.

The biggest reason people will say not to pick your nose is because most people think it looks gross! How do you feel if you see someone picking their nose?

The Nose Knows!

If your nose is stuffed, you may have a hard time smelling things. Smell is very important. It lets us enjoy the scent of flowers. It also helps keep us safe. If we smell smoke, we know there could be a fire, so we should get to a safe place.

Smell also has a big effect on what we taste. That may seem strange, but there is a pretty cool way to check it out. Ask a grown-up to help you with this. Find an apple and a pear. The grown-up can cut these into small pieces. Take one piece of each and mix them up so you don’t know which is which. Now, pinch your nose so you can’t smell (Remember to keep breathing through your mouth!). Put one of the pieces in your mouth.

Can you guess which it is? Try the other one, pinching your nose closed for that too. Do you know which was the pear and which was the apple? They both feel the same in your mouth, and our tongues can’t quite tell us all the information we need to figure out what the food is, but our noses can!

Next time you have a cold and you want to enjoy an apple, blow your nose first!