A common act of grooming can cause a life-threatening medical condition, an NHS doctor has warned.
Dr Karan Rajan says you should "never pull out your nose hairs" in a video he uploaded on his Instagram account.
He explained the common habit presents hidden dangers, reports The Star.
Dr Rajan said: "You have two types of nose hairs. You have microscopic cilia, these filter mucus and send it to the back of the throat where it ends up in the stomach, and vibrissae, the big ones you want to yank out."
The doctor told people not to pull out their thick vibrissae nose hairs – even if they find them unsightly – and instead opt for a trim.
He says: "These [nose hairs] keep out large particles from making it into the back of the nose. If you pluck these big boys, germs around the follicle can get inside, causing infection."
Showing a diagram of a woman's nose and mouth, he continues: "Because of the danger triangle, it can cause brain infections. That's because the same veins that carry blood out of the nose meet up the veins that carry blood out of the brain.
"So if the germs end up back there in the brain, it can cause inflammation in the brain, sometimes resulting in brain abscess. This is incredibly rare but can cause serious problems for people with weak immune systems. So next time, just trim it."
According to the NHS website, the risk of developing a brain abscess is extremely low in England but it is a life-threatening condition and should be treated as soon as possible.
Brain abscess can develop after skull fractures, ear infections, sinusitis, dental abscess, or even pneumonia-causing bacteria or viruses spreading into the brain via the blood.
Dr Karan is also active on TikTok and has a YouTube channel about medicine.
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