Why do some people bite their nails? Understanding Onychophagia

General
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Everyday we see most of the people around us eating their nails, some due to stress, anxiety and some out of habit. Nail biting is termed as Onychophagia. It is a common habit seen in both sex and at any age; be it children and adults. While many people consider it harmless, frequent eating can affect both the oral and general health due to a bidirectional relationship of their own.

Repeated nail biting can damage the surrounding skin like cuticles. With the damage of skin, risk of infection can also increase as damaged skin gives free entry to the micro-organisms. It may also lead to chipped teeth, small cracks in enamel,jaw discomfort or changes in the way that maxillary and mandible teeth meet over time.

It can be managed by keeping nails trimmed, identification of the trigger points, in persistent cases, behavioural therapy may be recommended.

What are some ways you know to reduce this ?

MBH/PS

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Things from which a child is afraid of are the methods for getting rid of this habit, and it needs time and regular use of different methods.

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identifying triggers is often the first step toward breaking the habit.

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Identifying the trigger point and then correcting the habit is the most important and crucial part.