A doctor has issued a serious warning to anyone who bites their nails after one woman contracted a 'deadly infection'.
Karen Peat, who hails from Scotland, took to Facebook to reveal just how dangerous the common habit can be, sharing images of her friend's seriously swollen finger.
In the post, Karen explained that her mate was rushed to Glasgow Royal Infirmary where they had emergency surgery on the infected finger after initially seeking advice from two pharmacists.
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Accompanying the stomach-churning pics, she declared (via the Mirror): "A message to nail biters out there STOP!!!
"Someone I know who prefers to remain nameless who bites their nails ended up having to get rushed to Glasgow Royal Infirmary today for emergency surgery because they had bitten their nails down too far and had got an infection in the finger.
"This person had been to two chemists and spoken to two separate pharmacists over the past few days who had advised to use magnesium sulphate and keep it covered it still got worse and when finally went to the A&E this morning was told if left much longer it could have been fatal as the infection was travelling up the arm hence the emergency surgery!
"So please please stop biting your nails!!"
Why do people bite their nails?
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Dr Claire Merrifield, GP and medical director at Selph told Tyla that nail biting, or onychophagia, is a type of self-grooming behaviour and the reasons behind it are unclear.
"Some experts believe that it is associated with anxiety or nervousness, but some studies don’t support this," she shared.
"It seems to be the result of boredom or working on difficult problems rather than anxiety."
What are the health risks associated with biting your nails?
"Nail biting can cause problems with the teeth in extreme cases and it can also make you more prone to getting ill as it’s hard to keep your fingers constantly clean before biting," Dr Claire warns.
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"One of the main dangers of biting your nails is damaging the skin and soft tissue around the nail bed, leading to infections around the nail."
Why was the woman's infection so dangerous?
Dr Claire explains that Karen contracted a 'very serious deep infection' that had spread.
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"Most of the time, when we have infections on the skin or around the nails, they clear up by themselves or we can use simple soaks or over the counter medication to treat them," she continued.
"Sometimes, infections go too deep to be treated by creams or even by antibiotics, they can form an abscess which needs to be drained in order to heal.
"Deep seated or spreading infections can get worse extremely quickly and in very serious cases, they can lead to a whole body infection that can be life or limb threatening."
How common is something like this?
According to the doc, minor infections around the nail bed, or paronychias, are very common in people who bite their nails.
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However, it is very rare for a paronychia to progress to a really serious infection that requires surgery or hospitalisation.
"It would be more common in people who had a compromised immune system or diabetes," Dr Claire noted, before advising: "If you have an infection that’s not getting better, spreading or starting to make you feel unwell with fevers and shaking, it’s important to seek urgent medical attention."
Any advice to nail-biters who want to stop?
Dr Claire suggests keeping your nails 'very short so there’s nothing to chew on'.
She also recommends painting the nails with a bitter polish or using either gloves or a retainer as a physical barrier.
"This may help if it’s an occasional behaviour but for many people it’s a deeply ingrained habit," the expert continued.
"This can be helped by habit reversal so finding something else to do whenever the urge to bite strikes or certain psychological talking therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)."
Rhiannon Ingle