It’s normal to be annoyed by the boogers in your nose and how they keep reappearing all the time but actually, they are your body’s first line of defense against many unwanted foreign particles!There are a lot of important functions our noses perform, apart from letting you breathe in oxygen, to protect you from various germs, bacteria, and viruses before they can affect our normal body function. As surprising as it may seem, one of these functions is forming boogers!The human body produces lots of different types of mucus from the mucous membranes in various parts of our body. The respiratory tract, made up of the nose, throat, and lungs, also produces its own mucus to keep the airways wet and slimy for easy passage of air. The nasal mucus, more commonly known as snot, is a slimy fluid inside the respiratory tract of humans, which contains lots of antibodies to protect us from infections. This mucus is quite sticky and traps any unwanted materials that might come into the nose when a person breathes in the air. These may be dust, dirt, pollen, bacteria, viruses, allergens, and any other harmful substances that could negatively affect the respiratory system, and the overall health of a person by causing a dangerous infection or disease. Mucus covers the lining of the nose as well and keeps it moist so the inside of the nose doesn’t dry and get injured, which can lead to germs and other particles getting in the bloodstream and infecting the body right away. Thus, as gross as it may seem, nasal mucus and boogers do a lot to keep your body healthy.If you want to read similar content, you can check out our articles on what do all cells have in common? And why do we have eyebrows?What are boogers and what are they made of?Boogers are not much different from nasal mucus or snot. When this snot has trapped dirt, dust, pollen, bacteria, and germs, it hardens and dries out as it starts to move out of the nose and towards the nostrils. Thus, boogers are nothing but dried-out mucus.Mucus mostly consists of water, and the main job of this strange substance is to catch all the pollen, germs, and bacteria that could get inside the airways through the nostrils when you breathe in the air. This will get rid of all those tiny particles so that they do not reach the lungs through the respiratory tract. Thus, it tries to get rid of them by either sneezing or coughing them out of the body. When the mucus tries to get out of the nose, it is thicker from being filled with small germs and dirt, and it dries up due to its proximity to open air and forms a booger. When you sneeze, boogers can leave your body. If the mucus containing the germs gets into the lungs, it is coughed up and swallowed, after which the acids of the stomach can destroy the germs and get rid of them. Moreover, the tiny hairs in your nose called cilia help push the boogers into your throat so that they end up in the stomach if they are not sneezed out of the body.Why do we have eyes boogers and nose boogers?The reasons why you get eye and nose boogers are a bit different. While a nose booger is produced to push the germs out of the body to keep out viruses and bacteria, eye boogers are formed because the mucus produced by the eyes and eyelids cannot drain into the tear drainage system.It is normal to spot some eye boogers in the morning after waking up from sleep. This is because the eyes constantly produce mucus, which is mostly made up of water, to keep the eyes moist and prevent them from drying. When you are awake, constant blinking of the eyes makes this mucus go into the tear drainage system but when you’re asleep, this liquid could accumulate on the corners of your eyes and get dried up overnight to form eye boogers.A common misconception is that when boogers are yellow or green, it means that your body has a serious underlying medical problem but that is not the case. The color of the booger may look yellow or green sometimes when the antibodies in your snot are trying to fight the germs and bacteria that have entered your nostrils to prevent an infection.How do you prevent boogers?Simply said, there is no sure-fire way to prevent boogers entirely. You can only make sure that when you do feel the need to pick at your nose, you do so gently and carefully.It is important that the lining of your nose remains wet enough for the snot to be effectively moved out of your body. If your boogers are becoming so thick that they start to annoy you, it might be the case that your body is not getting enough hydration. Warming up your snot with a hot, steamy shower, herbal teas, or chicken soup can also help clear up your nose. However, when you are sick with a cold, this can increase the levels of snot or mucus your body produces to get rid of the excess germs that have entered your body. This is usually a sign that your immune system is working hard to make you healthy again. Thus, it can lead to a runny nose. In case of a cold, it is best to have a tissue nearby in case you have to sneeze or blow your nose and dispose of the tissue after using it. Your snot or boogers may also be bloody if the germs get into your nose and cause an abrasion. If you have an abnormal amount of snot and you do not notice a sign that you might be sick with a cold, it would be best to reach out to your doctor for some medical advice or treatment.Is it ok to pick your nose?Picking your nose can lead to a lot of problems. Thus, it is always advised that you do not pick your nose at all.Picking your nose can make the walls of your nose extremely dry and thus, more vulnerable to any cuts or injuries your fingers or nails can accidentally spread to them. This can make you more susceptible to an infection or cold as the linings of your nose would not be able to produce the required amount of mucus properly, unable to clear the way for unwanted particles to enter your airways. Moreover, excessive nose-picking can lead to boogers being formed more frequently, making you want to pick at them again and again. Blowing and cleaning your nose gently with tissues every once in a while is the most recommended method to avoid the gross feeling caused by a dried-up booger.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for where do boogers come from? Basic human body facts for kids, then why not take a look at why do crickets chirp? Know fun facts about cricket’s chirping, or why do dogs like peanut butter? Is peanut butter really a protein treat?
It’s normal to be annoyed by the boogers in your nose and how they keep reappearing all the time but actually, they are your body’s first line of defense against many unwanted foreign particles!
