I'm a bit embarrassed to admit to something like this. But I have done it all my life and I am wondering if it is safe to do.

I still pick my nose... and eat the boogers... sorry. I know it sounds gross. But its just a huge habit I have. Not a nervous thing or a stress thing or anything like that. I just can't help myself. I have done it since I was little and despite all my family and teachers telling me to stop I don't. I don't do it in front of anyone anymore. Because I know I will just be laughed at. But I am wondering if its safe to do?

In the scientific and medical communities, the technical name for using one's finger to extract boogers is rhinotillexis, and doing so compulsively is termed rhinotillexomania. The act of eating the resulting harvest is called mucophagy.

There is an Austrian doctor who has gained notoriety by advocating the picking of one's nose and the consumption of the resulting bounty, particularly in children. Dr. Friedrich Bischinger, a lung specialist working in Innsbruck, would have us believe that people who pick their noses with their fingers are healthier, happier, and more in tune with their bodies. His argument stems from the notion that exposing the body to the dried germ corpses helps to reinforce the immune system. The good doctor feels that society should adopt a new approach to nose-picking, and encourage children to take up the habit.


However there is a down side...

Picking your nose can be a dangerous pursuit. If the skin inside the nose is broken while picking away, the veins in that region are situated in such a way that sometimes an infection can migrate inward to the base of the brain and inhibit the blood flow, a serious condition known as cavernous sinus thrombosis. Because of these risks, the triangular area of the face from the corners of the mouth to the bridge of the nose is referred to in the medical community as the "danger triangle of the face."


Ultimately, it is up to you. There are dangers. But no one can tell you what to do with your own body.

Not to mention it is considered particularly gross in most circles :D

Here is a link I think you may find useful. It is a little odd because this guy says its good for you so.. I dunno'
I know that many people pick their nose ,when I pick mine ,I put it on a tissue but I have known people who put it anywhere.
Kidzworld :: Picking Your Nose | Eat Snot | Booger | Austrian Study | Research | Nose-Picking | Health (http://www.kidzworld.com/article/4361-is-picking-your-nose-and-eating-it-good-for-you)