Have you wondered why do people bite nails? Although the real reason hasn't yet been discovered, here is one simple explanation of why so many of us might actually choose to pursue this disgusting habit of gnawing off the tips of our fingers.

    Chronic Onychophagia

    If you are wondering what that is, that is the clinical term for nail biting. It affects 30% of children and 45% of teenagers （me included）.

    A person bites their nails when they are nervous, stressed, hungry or bored and this is very subconscious because nail biting starts as a child but as we grow up this nervous condition is triggered back and to cure nail biting – finding the nervous condition is the only way to satiate it.

    A lot of the nail biting is linked to a physical, emotional or mental disorder. Those nail biters will know that when they face stress or boredom, their hands subconsciously go to their mouth and they start biting it without realising they actually are.

    Some people say that nail biting is also linked when a person is in deep thought. People say that biting nails is related to oral fixation. This means that a person is always holding a craving to put something in their mouth to stimulate it. This may start when a child is very young at about up to 18 months.

    This could be a possible explanation for nail biting. A lot of the times, you will find that if you are a nail biter, you tend to do other things like bite the ends of pens or pencils while at work because you are in thought which could mean that there is a chance of you getting stressed.

    Nail biting can be cured and some people believe reducing anxiety levels will decrease nail biting. Others have different methods like using bitter tasting chemicals and paint them on nails like nail varnish and things so that it leaves a bitter taste in the mouth. Nail biting should ideally reduce greatly when adulthood approaches although extreme conditions of anxiety may provoke it again.

    你知道为什么人们喜欢咬指甲吗？虽然还没有发现其真正的原因，不过这里有一个简单的解释，可以告诉我们为什么如此多的人可能有咬指甲这种恶心的习惯。

    慢性咬指甲癖

    你想什么什么是慢性咬指甲癖吗？慢性咬指甲癖是对咬指甲这种习惯的临床术语。这种症状影响到30%的儿童和45%的青少年（包括我）.

    当一个人感到不安、紧张、饥饿或者烦躁时，他们就会咬指甲。这是一种潜意识的行为，因为咬指甲这种行为开始孩提时代，但是当我们长大而这种紧张感觉再来时，这种习惯机会出现。治愈这种习惯的唯一方法就是发现这种紧张的感觉，然后满足它。

    很多的咬指甲癖是与生理、情感或者精神失调有关的。这些咬指甲癖患者知道当他们面临压力或者焦躁时，他们的手就会不自觉的送到他们的口中，而他们自己却没有意识到自己在做什么。

    一些沉思时也会不自觉的咬指甲。他们说咬指甲是为了固定思路。意思就是一个人总是控制一种渴望来把一些东西放进嘴里刺激它。这种习惯可能开始于你非常小的婴儿到18个月大的时候。

    这儿有种可能对咬指甲癖有缓解作用的方法。很多时候，当你发现你是一个咬指甲癖者，在工作时你可以试着咬其他譬如铅笔或者钢笔笔端，因为当你沉思一件事情时，这件事可能会让你紧张。

    咬指甲癖是可以治愈的，一些人以为降低焦虑的程度就可以减少咬指甲的次数。其他人还有不同的方法，例如，在指甲上涂抹有苦味的药剂或者在指甲上涂上有亮泽的护甲油或其他东西，以便使咬指甲癖者在咬指甲时在口中留有苦味。当我们成年时，咬指甲的习惯会彻底减少，只有在及其焦虑的情况下才会被激发重现。