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Crohnies with nail biting habit?

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 3/11/2008 11:06 AM (GMT 0)
I just wonder how many of you suffer from chronic onychophagia/nail biting? I have that nasty habit since childhood. As nail biting is a form of mild self mutilation (reaction to stress, anxiety, etc), perhaps CD as an auto immune disease (our own body fighting agaist itself) is somehow linked to our unconsience negative image of ourselves. Sorry if my post sounds stupid, but I wish to if there are crohnies with the same problem as mine. Thanks
Posted 3/11/2008 11:46 AM (GMT 0)
Hi I have been niting my nails for as long as I can remember

Posted 3/11/2008 5:13 PM (GMT 0)

I know many people that bite their nails and do not have Crohn's Disease.

I have not heard of a correlation  between the two but I am sure there is something out there in cyberspace linking the two.

Interesting question.  Thanks
Kitt

Posted 3/11/2008 6:41 PM (GMT 0)
i have never been a nail biter.

Posted 3/14/2008 1:51 PM (GMT 0)
I bite my nails & my wife is constantly yelling at me for it
Posted 3/15/2008 3:40 AM (GMT 0)
I don't believe that chronic nail biting contributes to the acquisition of Crohn's Disease--but I've wondered for a long time if it doesn't exacerbate the disease. I bite my nails like crazy, and I tend to swallow the nail bits. If husks, seeds, nuts, and peels can irritate the intestinal wall and stimulate inflammation, I'm sure that little bits of hard fingernail do the same thing. I've always wondered if any studies (or any doctors) have addressed this issue. Thanks for bringing up a quirky but interesting subject that I've never seen mentioned by anybody.

Posted 3/15/2008 5:02 AM (GMT 0)
I used to bite my nails.
Now I just put on some lovely clear nail polish on and the nails look beautiful and strong.....Until I scrape off the shellac with my teeth
and spit it out. Ewwwww. I know. I have wondered if I will die from dry nail polish poisoning one day.
So far I am ok.
I guess if nail biting is our worst habit we are doing well.
I have a very nervous uncle who bites his nails, then when they are ragged and bleeding he moves on to his toenails!
Posted 3/15/2008 1:44 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you all for replies. I know it is rather awkward issue. I used to have artificial nails, and strangely, I did not have an urge to bite my nails. But after a while, I got vitiligo around nails as result/my reaction of/to artificial substances. Anyway, vitiligo is another autoimmune disease, so I think some people like myself are prone to autoimmune diseases. In that sense, nail biting as a nasty habit of attacking your own body might be connected with a selection of diseases that happen to a person.
Posted 3/15/2008 4:44 PM (GMT 0)
YEP, I bit, chewed and swallowed my fingernails up until I was 14 when I picked up the nastier habit of smoking. I developed Crohn's disease at 33 years of age.
Posted 3/15/2008 5:03 PM (GMT 0)
When I was little I used to bite my nails. But when I became a teenager I made myself stop because I had a friend who had such pretty nails that I wanted the same for myself. I no longer bite my nails, in fact I have acrilyic nails now. Its my own nails, but with acrilyic on top to keep them strong. When I am stressed I will "chew" on the a little. I just think its stress. And I have had Crohns since I was 18, now 50. I too picked up the habit of smoking, but I quit in 2000.
Posted 3/15/2008 8:47 PM (GMT 0)
I used to bite my nails as a child and on into my early 20's. What stopped me was getting engaged. I wanted my ring to look good on nice manicured nails. Ha ha. Now, after almost 10 years of marriage, I have continued to take good care of my long, pretty nails. The only time I bit them again was when I had our son 7 years ago and was in severe pain with HELLP syndrome. Then again when I had my first bowel obstruction about 3.5 years ago. I had another about 6 weeks ago but managed to keep my hands out of my mouth this time. It's a very hard habbit to break! Kind of like smoking....which I quit 3.5 years ago. I must toot my own horn on that one!
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