Although some people consider it a
"nervous habit" — a category that includes thumb sucking, nail biting, hair
twisting, and tooth grinding — nose picking isn't necessarily a sign that the
child is overly anxious.
Kids usually pick their nose because it has something in
it that doesn't feel right.
The most zealous nose pickers tend to be children with
allergies, because the heavy flow of mucus and its subsequent crusting give
them a "something's up there" feeling that makes it difficult to
leave their nose alone.
Certain environmental conditions also make kids more
likely to pick; if your heating or air-conditioning system is drying out your
preschooler's nasal passages, for instance, she's more likely to have a
nose-picking problem.
What to Do:
Nose picking would be completely harmless except for one
thing: germs. Germs on the fingers can lead to small skin infections inside the
nose, and fingers that have been in a nose are a great way to spread colds and
flu.
Remedying dehydration or
congestion is the surest way to stop nose picking; meanwhile, teaching the
child to use a handkerchief or tissue instead of her fingers may be the easiest
way to deal with it.
In
addition, try these tactics:
Address her allergies: The child is at the age now when either allergies or colds seem
to keep her in a constant state of mucus production. The most common allergens
affecting young children are dust mites, animal dander, pollen, and molds.
Keep her hydrated: If one lives in a dry climate or if heating or
air-conditioning seems to be drying out the child's nasal passages, offer her lots of fluids during the
day, or try a humidifier in her bedroom
at night.
If she'll stand for it, a saline (not
decongestant) nasal spray may also help her nose and then wipe out her nostrils
with a hankie. This solves the germ problem and will stand her in good stead in
social situations.
Keep
her hands busy:
"Sometimes a child who picks her nose just needs to do something with her
hands," says Janis Keyser, a parenting educator.
She suggests looking at whether the child has enough down
time, or whether she's spending an inordinate amount of time in passive
activities, such as watching television. "We've moved children away from
fine motor tasks, but as a species we have a need to work with our hands,"
says Keyser.
Preschoolers love creating things with play dough (make
your own out of flour, water, and salt — experiment with proportions until you
get a texture you like), playing with blocks or simple building sets, solving
puzzles — or helping you with whatever you're doing, like folding laundry,
making lunch, or doing the dishes.
Bite
your tongue:
While one can gently remind the preschooler that nose picking is unhealthy and
impolite, nagging or punishing her when she picks her nose won't help.
Techniques such as putting adhesive bandages on her
fingers to make them harder to slip into her nostrils will seem like unjust
punishment to a preschooler for something so innocuous.
Check things out: If the preschooler's exploring her nose so intensely
that she's drawing blood, or if the habit seems to be one of a constellation of
nervous behaviors (she's sucking her thumb, picking her nose until it bleeds, and
having trouble sleeping, for example), consult her pediatrician or a children's
therapist. It could be a sign of anxiety or other emotional problem that she
needs help with.
Ignore
it: If you've
done all of the above and the child still picks her nose occasionally, the best
bet is to keep her fingernails short and snag-free — and to do the best to
ignore the picking.
Wash
her hands: One
can't keep a preschooler's hands clean all the time, but washing them a few
times a day and keeping her nails trimmed so that dirt doesn't build up behind
them will cut the germ load.
Teach
her to use a handkerchief: Whether you give her a cloth handkerchief to carry in her pocket or
just keep handing her tissues, now's the time to teach the child to blow her
nose and then wipe out her nostrils with a hankie. This solves the germ problem
and will stand her in good stead in social situations.
Homoeopathic Repertorial References
Mind; GESTURES, makes; grasping or reaching at something; picks at;
nose and lips or one spot
2
Arum-t; 2 Cina; Arg-m; Ars; Aur-m; Cham; Con; Hell; Kali-br; Lach; Merc; Ph-ac;
Phos; Tarent; Ter; Thuj; Zincum met
Mind; GESTURES, makes; grasping or reaching at something; picks at;
nose and lips or one spot; bleed, until they
2
Arum-t; Arg-m; Cina; Con; Hell; Ph-ac; Phos; Zincum
Nose; PICKING nose
3
Arum-t; 3 Cina; 3 Teucr; 2 Con; 2 Lyc; 2 Phos; 2 Sil; Aur-m; Ba-tn; Cop; Hell;
Hyper; Lac-c; Lach; Lap-c-b; Lil-t; Mag-m; Nat-p; Nit-ac; Nux-v; Petr; Ph-ac;
Rumx; Spig; Stict; Sulph; Sumb; Symph; Ter; Thuj; Zinc
Nose; PICKING nose; bleeds, until it
3 Arum-t; 3 Cina; 2 Con; 2 Lach; Phos; Sil; Spig
Nose; PICKING nose; constant desire for
2
Con; Cina; Hell; Lil-t; Mag-m; Rumx; Stict; Sulph; Symph; Ter
DR. SUMIT GOEL M.D. (Hom)
DR. AMITA AGARWAL BHMS