Researchers from Australia revealed in a study that picking the nose and plucking one's hair may carry an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and dementia.
The study was prepared by researchers from Griffith University in Australia, and was conducted on mice, and was published in the journal Scientific Reports last February, but it has gained media attention these days, with a press release issued by Griffith University about it on Friday.
The university said its researchers showed that the bacteria can travel through the olfactory nerve in the nose to the mice's brain, where it creates signs of Alzheimer's disease.
chlamydia pneumoniae bacteria
The study showed that the bacterium Chlamydia pneumoniae uses the nerve running between the nasal cavity and the brain as a pathway to invade the central nervous system.
After the bacteria were transmitted, cells in the brain responded by depositing beta-amyloid protein, a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease.
Co-author Professor James St. John said: "We are the first to show that chlamydial pulmonary can go directly to the nose and into the brain where it can cause Alzheimer's-like diseases. We have seen this happen in a mouse model, and the evidence is likely to be in humans as well." .
The olfactory nerve in the nose is exposed directly to the air and provides a short path to the brain, bypassing the blood-brain barrier, a route used by viruses and bacteria as an easy path to the brain.
Do not pick up the nose
The team at the center is already planning the next stage of the research, aiming to prove the same pathway found in humans.
"We need to do this study in humans and see if the same pathway works in the same way," St John said. "It's research that many people have suggested, but it's not yet complete. What we know is that these same bacteria are in humans, but we haven't determined how they got there." to there".
Do not pluck nose hair
Prof. St. John suggests some simple steps to take care of the lining of your nose and reduce the risk of developing late-onset Alzheimer's disease. "Picking your nose and plucking hairs from your nose is not a good idea, we don't want to damage the inside of our nose. If you damage the lining of the nose, you can increase the number of bacteria that can to get to your brain.
He pointed out that smell tests may also have potential to detect Alzheimer's disease and dementia, because the loss of the sense of smell is an early indicator of Alzheimer's disease.
He suggested that smell tests when a person reaches 60 could be useful as an early detection.
"Once you're over 65, your risk factor goes up properly, but we're also looking for other causes, because it's not just age, it's environmental exposure as well. We think bacteria and viruses are critical."
What is Alzheimer's?
Alzheimer's disease is a disease in which there is a progressive impairment of mental function, characterized by degeneration of brain tissue, including loss of neurons and the accumulation of an abnormal protein called amyloid beta-amyloid, and the formation of neurofibrillary tangles, according to the MSD Guide website.
The disease took its name from the German Dr. Alois Alzheimer, who described it in 1906, after he noticed anatomical changes in the brain of a woman who died of an unusual mental illness, and symptoms included memory loss and speech problems.
Alzheimer’s usually affects people over the age of 60, and it begins in the form of mild symptoms such as forgetfulness and problems using language, but as it develops, the symptoms worsen, as the patient may no longer be able to identify his family members, or face difficulties in speaking, reading and writing, as well. He may forget how to do simple, routine tasks like brushing teeth and how to comb his hair.