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Biting your nails is considered a rather harmful, not very aesthetic, but fairly harmless habit. However, the habit is far more dangerous and can even lead to finger amputation.
Biting nails can lead to severe infections and even finger amputation due to dangerous bacteria entering through wounds.
Key Takeaways
- Nail biting can cause serious infections beyond cosmetic concerns.
- Bacteria from saliva can infect fingers through small wounds.
- Infections can progress to bone damage and require amputation.
- Early medical intervention is crucial to prevent severe outcomes.
- Avoid biting nails; trim hangnails safely instead.
What the video covers
- Nail biting is commonly seen as a harmless but unattractive habit.
- The habit can be extremely dangerous and may result in finger amputation.
- Bacteria from saliva can enter the finger through small wounds caused by nail biting.
- A specific anaerobic bacterium can thrive in the airless environment inside the finger.
- The bacteria multiply rapidly, causing swelling, redness, and throbbing pain.
- Early infection might resolve on its own, but medical attention is recommended.
- If untreated, the bacteria can reach and destroy the bone.
- At advanced stages, surgery is required, often resulting in finger amputation.
- The video advises cutting hangnails instead of biting them to avoid these risks.
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
Speaker A
If your friends bite their nails, send them this video. The thing is, by biting your nail, you're playing an interesting game of roulette. With a one in 150 million chance, one of the bacteria in your saliva will enter your finger through a
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small wound. It has to be a specific type of anaerobic bacterium. Inside the finger, it will find the perfect environment: an airless environment.
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The bacteria will start multiplying rapidly, and soon there will be so many that the pressure in your finger rises. It swells and turns red, and you'll feel a throbbing pulse beating in sync with your heart. This condition might
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still go away on its own, but at this stage, it's better to see a doctor.
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However, if you decide to wait it out, the bacteria will reach your bone and chew through it like a termite through wood. At this point, most people give up and go to the hospital. The surgeon takes an X-ray, sighs heavily, and goes
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to get the tools. There's nothing left to save in the finger, so next time, just cut that hangnail off instead.
Topics:nail bitingdangerous habitsfinger infectionbacterial infectionfinger amputationhealth risksanaerobic bacteriahangnailmedical adviceinfection prevention
