10 Nervous Habits that Hurt Your Health Nervous habits are often more annoying to the people around you than to yourself,but some types of fidgeting and fussing can do real harm.Here,expects reveal the reasons why nail-biting,hair-twirling,and other seemingly harmless habits can be hazardous to your health You bite your nails. Its one thing if you nervously bite your nails only during scary movies,but when it becomes a regular habit,it can damage both your nails and the skin around them,says Michael Shapiro,a New York City-based dermatologist. Germs from the mouth get transferred to the skin,and vice versa. Bacteria under the nails may also be transferrect to mouth,causing infections of the gums and throut,Dr.Shapiro says.Painting your nails may discourage you from chewing.No dice?Try tape to break the habit. You twirl and pull your hair. Twisting and twirling a piece of hair around your finger can lead to damage to the root over time,says Ariel Ostad,a dermatologist based in New York city.This can result in temporary or permanent areas of hair loss as well as infection Dr.Ostad says.Obsessive hair pulling may be a sign of a psychiatric impulse control condition called trichotillomania,which requires psychotherapy and medication. You crack your neck. Twisting your head forcibly to one side releases gases built up in the foints between wertebrae and creates a popping sound.Although this may feel good,repeatedly cracking your neck can make the surrounding and more susceptible to injury,says Michael Cleiber,a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and affiliate assistant professor a Florida Atlantic Universitys Charles F.Schmidt College of Medicine in Boca Raton. In addition,this excessive motion on the faut joints themselves can cause wear within the joints and may result in arthritis over time.In rare cases neek cracking may trigger a stroke,says Dr.Gleiber You touch your face. Repeatedly touching your face or picking at acne can damage the top very thin microssopic lauyers of the skin,says Jessica Krant,board certified dermatologist and founder of Art of Dermatology Medical Center in New York City.If you bleed,you may have just created a permannent scar,she says.Do not pick at pimples or itchy areas.Treat them gently with topical creams and plenty of moisturizer You grind you teeth. Clenching and grinding your teeth(bruxisin) when youre under stress can weak havoc with your oral health.Grinding can cause teeth to crack or break,which may require repair with crowns or root canals.It can also result in damage to the jaw joint in the form of temporomandibular foint disorder,says Justin Philipp,who has a dental practive in Chandler Ariz.People clench or grind their teeth as a response to stress.However,most cases are a result of pathology such as misaligned or missing teeth and a bad bite.Treatments include orthedontics to improve the bite and even Botox infections in the muscles,which can reduce the amount of force and therefore the potential damage You suck on hard candies. Sucking on hard candies bathes your teeth in sugar,which can lead to cavities,says Philipp.Bacteria feed off the sugar,which creates a perfect environment for tooth decay.Chomping down on hard candy can also rish damaging teeth or dental restorations,says Jack Ringer,president of the American Acedemy of Cosmetic Dentistry.Sucking on candies in moderation is fine provided the candies are sugarless and low in acidity Dr.Ringer says. You lick or bite your lip. Nervously licking your lips exposes them to your mouths digestive enzymes,says Whitney Bowe,a New York board-certified dermatologist.There enzymes chew away at the skin and can lead to dermatitis and cheichitis (inflammation),which make lips appear dry and crackedshe says.Biting your lips when under stress can cause the development of fibromas,firm flesh colored growths,they can require surgical removal,says Coyle S.Connolly,dermatologist and president of Connolly Dermatology in New Jersey.Relax in a healthier way with these expect-approved stress-busting solutions. Your gnar on the inside of your cheek. Like biting your nails,cheek-chewing can also become a nervous habitOften the inside of the cheek gets swollen and it then becomes easier to continue biting the same spot say Ringer. Even after it heals the habit continues Over time this can result in chronic inflammation, possible bleeding and soarring of the area.
Posted on: Fri, 25 Jul 2014 08:06:09 +0000
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