Why do we gryzom nails

30% of people are constantly biting their nails, but the reason for this is still not exactly known. Many people think that a nail-biting excitement speaks or anxiety, but studies have shown that this is not true. People bite nails out of boredom, hunger, irritation, or while working on challenging. And sometimes, just because it's nice.

"Although then finger can hurt, the process itself, when we bite the nail or cuticle, gives us pleasure ", - says Foose Tracy (Tracy Foose), a psychiatrist at the University of California San Francisco. This theory emerged after the animal behavior studiesStress induced grooming in the rat-an endorphin mediated syndrome. . During the experiment, scientists gave rats the hormone endorphin, which reduces sensitivity to pain. Thereafter, the rats less "washed." If endorphin specifically blocked by drugs, rats usually cleaned itself.

Such animal behavior suggests that cleaning and care is associated with pleasure. So, when we bite fingernails - and this kind of care - we too enjoy.

That explains why we gryzom nails in stressful situations or at work: it soothes us. This theory is also supported by studies linking the habit of biting his nails with perfectionismThe impact of emotions on body-Focused repetitive behaviors: Evidence from a non-treatment-seeking sample. . People biting nails - it is usually those who are trying to plan everything and quickly loses patience when you have to sit idly by. Nail biting may be helping these people to cope with boredom and irritation.

Some researchers believe that this bad habit may well be caused by a genetic predisposition. According to dermatologists at Cornell University, one third of people biting nails, confirms that someone in their family so too doesOnychophagia: A nail-biting conundrum for physicians. . This can be seen in the twins almost always bite your nails, both the child and not just one.

It is not entirely clear why this habit appears at an early age. Maybe kids just easier to have a bad habit because they prefrontal cortex responsible for decision-making ability, still in the development stage. "A child can easily pick your nose in the street, and the adult brain will simply say" no "," - gives the example of Tracy Foose.

In 2012, the American Psychiatric Association carried habit of biting his nails, as well as other pathological habitual actions, such as skin picking (dermatillomaniya) and pulling out the hair (trichotillomania), to the obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). OCD can manifest itself in the need to wash hands frequently, or in a certain way to arrange things. Pathological habitual actions and OCD have similarities: in both cases, the natural behavior becomes exaggerated. However, not all psychiatrists agree with this classification.

Not that it matters to which it attributed category habit of biting his nails, most importantly, it can lead to real health problems.

Above all, it harms our teeth and even the jawsOnychophagia (Nail biting), anxiety, and malocclusion. . Secondly, it is simply unhygienic. 'Under the nail crowd huge numbers of bacteria, - says Tracy Foose. - There may be including E. coli. When we bite your nails, these bacteria get inside the body and this can give rise to various problems with the gastrointestinal tract, including nausea and diarrhea. "

In the mouth, we also have a lot of bacteria, some of which can cause infectious diseases of nails. In addition, in this way can be transmitted herpes and warts.

There are many ways to get rid of nail biting: someone does not remove the gloves, winds fingertips with tape or plaster, paint nails special bitter varnish or even enjoyed instrumentWhich gives a small discharge current to wean ourselves from bad habits. All this can help, but perhaps the most effective way - is to replace this habit other. If the need for nail biting is related to stress, try to reduce stress ball or meditation. Also, someone can help to calm reading your favorite book or chat with pets.