HOW BAD IS NAIL BITING?

 

                                              Nail biting is a habit of biting your fingernails or toe nails. It is an oral compulsive habit seen in children and adults. It is an impulse control behavior that involves compulsively damaging ones physical appearance or causing physical injury. Impulse control disorder is a class of psychiatric disorder described by impulsivity means failure to resist a temptation. Nail biting is recognized as a result of nervousness, stress, hunger or boredom, all of which are products of anxiety.

SIDE EFFECTS OF NAIL BITING

1)   Paronychia:

• Biting nails can lead to broken skin on the cuticle (outer layer of skin). When the cuticles are broken and exposed, they are more prone to bacterial or viral infections such as Paronychia.
• The pinworms or bacteria from mouth or environment enters the cuts and cracks of the skin around the nails, and causes infections called paronychia.

 

2)    Big-headed fingers:

• Biting the finger nails leads to red painful fingertips. Sometimes the nail biters bite their nails too deeply that leads to extreme pain or bleeding means the fingertips of the nail biters can get swollen and the nail bed gets damaged and it is referred to as Big-headed fingers.

3)      Gum infections:

• Nail biting causes damaged teeth or broken teeth.
• The germs and bacteria from underneath nail nter your mouth and causes broken or damaged teeth which in return leads to severe gum infections.

4)      Cuticle picking:

• Onychophagia is a disorder which involves continuous biting, chewing, picking of one’s fingernails and cuticles around them.
• By continuously picking or biting the area around the fingernails (i.e. cuticle),it  leads to bleeding and painful whenever you touch any object that results in painful red lesions.

5)      Psychological effects:

• Nail biting may cause self-consciousness or lack of confidence and embarrassment, which may lead to worry, stress and anxiety and may, in turn, cause more nail biting.

REMEDIES FOR NAIL BITING

• Many people bite their nails due to stress, bore and anxiety. whenever you feel worried about something take some steps that put you in a relaxed state like deep breathing exercise, cool bath, listening to soft music.
• Keeping your hands and mouth in some activities as playing musical instrument, playing a sport or video games, crunch a chewing gum in mouth.
• Keep your nails well trimmed and manicured regularly.
• Try the products that are aimed to give bitter taste to your nails as mavala nail treatment stop, Stops Nail Biting Deterrent 7.5ml,etc. when you put your fingers into your mouth to bite them they give a horrible taste and gradually you will reduce nail biting.