How One Man’s Nail-biting Habit Almost Killed Him

Medical ConditionsMay 17, 2018

You may think that death caused by a nail-biting habit sounds like an exaggeration but not for one 28-year-old man whose obsession with biting nails almost got him killed.

28-year-old Luke Hanoman began experiencing flu-like symptoms when he injured his finger while biting him nail

Nail-Biting Habit Turns into a Life-Threatening Condition

Nail-biting is one of the most common nervous fixation that affects most of us, but for some, it can become more than just a bad habit. 28-year-old Luke Hanoman from Southport, UK has been biting nails ever since he was a little kid, and despite trying many times, he wasn’t able to break his bad habit.

Like many serious nail-biters, Hanoman also chews on his cuticles and the skin around the nails, but on one occasion, the 28-year-old ripped off too much of his skin and bruised the side of his nail which became infected. In an interview with BuzzFeed News, the father of two children said that he would often bruise his fingers while biting the nails but it had never occurred to him that this dangerous habit could almost cost him his life.

Initially, Hanoman didn’t think much of the infected finger nail and assumed that it would eventually heal on its own, but soon he started experiencing strange flu-like symptoms which only became worse with time.

Strange Flu-Like Symptoms

It started off with a mild fever and cold sweats but the 28-year-old didn’t think that it could be anything worse than a viral infection. Soon, other strange symptoms such as chills, throbbing finger and lightheadedness began to show as the fever became more severe. The infection in his nail has gotten worse and his entire finger was painfully swollen.

Hanoman still didn’t listen to his body and continued to work throughout the week thinking that whatever flu-like infection he had would disappear with time. The 28-year-old was in desperate need of rest and recovery but he didn’t want to take a day off from work. Instead he came home early on Friday and went straight to bed, his entire body feeling weak and in severe pain.

Hanoman continued to sleep until 2 p.m. the next day but woke up feeling much worse than he was the day before. Concerned about her son’s growing symptoms, Hanoman’s mother decided to call the National Health Service hotline to express the medical concern and get an expert’s opinion on the matter. After listening to Hanoman’s symptoms, the advisor told his mother that he needed to be taken to the emergency room immediately.

28-year-old was diagnosed with sepsis – an extremely dangerous immune response can lead to a sudden drop in blood pressure and death from organ failure

Diagnosed with Sepsis

After being rushed to a nearby hospital, the 28-year-old discovered that he had developed sepsis, a life-threatening condition where the body responds to an infection or injury by damaging its own organs and tissues. This extremely dangerous immune response can lead to a sudden drop in blood pressure and death from organ failure.

Sepsis is a common condition that affects almost 2 million people in the United States every year and most people who ignore the symptoms often suffer from organ failure – and even death. Each year 270,000 Americans lose their lives to this deadly immune response. According to a study, this disease is the leading cause of death among patients who are already admitted in hospital.

Medical director of Sepsis Alliance, Steve Simpsons, says that although the condition is not extremely common in people with nail-biting habit, a small infection in the nail or finger can lead to catastrophic events that eventually result in organ failure and death. In Hanoman’s case, the minor infection in his fingernail spread to the rest of his body and triggered a septic shock which caused severe damage to his tissues and internal organs.

Sepsis can happen to anyone who suffers from an injury or infection, but the condition occurs more commonly in elders or people with a weaker immune system

Why Early Diagnosis of Sepsis is Crucial

Treatment with antibiotics at an early stage of the disease is extremely crucial to avoid life-altering health consequence. If sepsis patients delay treatment, the disease can get much worse and their bodies no longer respond to antibiotics.

Simpsons calls it a viscous cycle of tissue damage and inflammation which is triggered by the patient’s own immune system. Although Simpsons wasn’t responsible for Hanoman’s treatment, the doctor said that it was miracle that the 28-year-old was still alive despite ignoring severe symptoms for many days.

Sepsis can happen to anyone who suffers from an injury or infection, but the condition occurs more commonly in elders or people with a weaker immune system. Nail-biters are recommended to be cautious with skin injuries around the nail bed or cuticle. If any soreness or redness is experienced in affected areas, seek medical help immediately to prevent the infection from getting worse.