Children's nail biting has always been the most unpleasant phenomenon for parents, in fact, many adults also have this problem. Many people think that nail biting is just an unhealthy personal habit, in fact, it is a disease in essence!
Often uncontrollable nail biting, clinically known as nail biting addiction. Nail biting habit refers to the obsessive-compulsive disorder of nail deformation or paronychia caused by repeated biting. Patients often bite their nails unconsciously, especially when they are nervous or uneasy. The free end of the nails is damaged, and there are also manifestations such as bleeding under the nail, anti nail and nail softening. In serious cases, paronychia occurs.
How is nail biting caused?
1. Bad habits
Generally, nail biting begins to appear during the age of 5-10, which is a common bad habit in childhood, and also a vent of internal tension. Some people get rid of this bad habit as they grow older and their self-control gradually increases, but many people keep this habit till they are adults.
2. OCD type
As a symptom of obsessive-compulsive neurosis, most of the patients received wrong education or were affected by bad environment, or were in a state of intense work for a long time, resulting in personality disorder. Some of the patients were related to genetic factors. Most patients are impatient and impulsive. They often bite their nails unconsciously or uncontrollably.
What are the typical symptoms and hazards of nail biting?
When the whole nail is gnawed, the surface of nail often has no luster, transverse groove or ridge, and there are also subungual hemorrhage, spoon shaped nail, nail softening, nail atrophy or accompanied by paronychia and abscess. Some obsessive-compulsive patients can feel happy and comfortable when biting nails. It can also cause digestive tract infection and intestinal parasitosis, affecting children's nutrition and development.
Severe patients may be complicated with paronychia, and the paronychia may be inflamed, painful, and septic.
How to treat nail biting?
The main treatment is to correct the bad habits, if necessary, medication.
1. General treatment
Correct the patients' habit of biting nails, strengthen the care and psychological guidance for the patients, encourage the patients to establish the confidence to cure the disease, eliminate the mental tension, and actively participate in collective activities to transfer their attention to the disease.
2. Drug treatment
For smaller children, suggestive therapy can be used, such as rubbing berberine, chloramphenicol, chloroquine and other bitter drugs on the skin around the nail to make them afraid, and gradually stop biting the nail. However, once the drug is imported, it may cause adverse reactions such as nausea, vomiting, rash and so on. For patients with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder, diazepam and other sedatives can be taken in proper amount, and nausea, vomiting, vomiting and so on should be paid attention to Poor appetite and other adverse reactions.
3. To correct children's bad habits, we should pay attention to mental health
We should cultivate good habits, frequently cut nails, and pay attention to hygiene. Once we find out the bad behavior of biting nails, we should not criticize and scold. We should understand the psychological state and situation of children, find out the various factors of tension and dissatisfaction, and try to eliminate them in time.