IF YOU PICK YOUR NOSE, YOU SHOULD PROBABLY STOP NOW. THIS IS HOW DANGEROUS IT CAN BE.

Nose picking is a bit like pimple popping, scab scratching, or ear cleaning with cotton swabs. You know you shouldn’t, but sometimes you can’t help yourself.

Picking your nose is unlikely to cause you any serious problems. Still, these potential issues are especially problematic for people who are ill or have a weaker immune system:

• Infection. Fingernails can leave tiny cuts in your nasal tissue. Potentially dangerous bacteria can find their ways into these openings and cause infections. A study published in 2006 found that people who pick their nose are more likely to carry Staphylococcus aureus, a bacterium that’s responsible for what could become a serious infection.
• Spreading illnesses. Mucus catches dust, bacteria, viruses, and dust that you breathe in every day. You could share those germs if you pick your nose. One study found that nose pickers may spread the bacterium that’s responsible for a large amount of pneumonia.
• Nasal cavity damage. Frequent or repetitive picking can damage your nasal cavity. One study found that people with compulsive nose picking (rhinotillexomania) may experience inflammation and swelling of the nasal tissue. Over time, this may narrow the nostril openings.
• Nosebleeds. Scratching and digging in your nose may break or rupture delicate blood vessels. This can lead to bleeding.
• Sores. Nasal vestibulitis is inflammation at the opening and front part of your nasal cavity. It’s commonly caused by minor infection with Staphylococcus. This condition can cause sores that can develop painful scabs. Likewise, when you pick your nose, you may pluck nose hairs out of their follicles. Small pimples or boils can form in those follicles.
• Septum damage. The septum is a portion of bone and cartilage that divides the left and right nostrils. Regular nose picking may damage the septum and even cause a hole.