Dad Nearly Dies After Biting His Nails

A father-of-two is “lucky to be alive” after he contracted an infection from biting his nails.

Luke Hanoman, 28, from Southport, UK, nearly died after dismissing his flu-like symptoms for two weeks, oblivious to the sepsis infection running through his body, shares Yahoo 7.

The father of two had developed sepsis after biting the skin down the side of his nail, culminating in four days under 24-hour medical supervision where told he was fortunate to have survived.

Mr Hanoman began developing a fever, was having cold sweats and severe shaking but refrained from seek medical help.

It was only until his finger began to swell considerably and his mother found him uncharacteristically sleeping in one day that he was rushed to hospital.

“I was close to septic shock. They told me I was lucky to be alive,” he revealed to The Mirror.

“Eventually they got to the infection in my finger and all of this puss came out.”

Mr Hanonman, who has two sons aged five and six, revealed he never knew his bad habit could have such drastic consequences.

“I used to bite my nails all the time. It was a nervous thing. And one day I bit the skin down the side of my nail. It hurt a bit but I didn’t think anything of it.”

He now wants to use his ordeal to raise awareness of sepsis for those, like himself before his diagnosis, who know nothing about the illness.

He has warned others not to ignore similar symptoms to his, saying his decision to push on working and wait for his illness to pass could have cost him his life.

About 500 children around Australia and New Zealand are treated in intensive care each year after developing sepsis. Between 5 per cent and 20 per cent of them die from the condition.

Signs and Symptoms of Sepsis

Common symptoms of sepsis are fever, chills, rapid breathing and heart rate, rash, confusion and disorientation.

However many of these symptoms, such as fever and difficulty breathing, mimic other conditions, making sepsis hard to diagnose in its early stages.

If you are worried please question your doctor for further testing!

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17 Comments

- - meedee said
  - 10 Aug 2022
    10:21 am
Sepsis is very serious and can start from any small break to the skin. I got this from a March Fly bite.

- - shilto02 said
  - 18 May 2018
    2:31 pm
I think the bigger point to this story is that sepsis can develop from even a minor infection (like broken skin around the nail but also anywhere else on the body). It’s not just from biting nails. I hope people aren’t just worried about biting their nails but also take the time to remember the signs and symptoms of sepsis in case it arises from other infections too.

- - rovermum said
  - 07 May 2018
    1:39 pm
This is quite frightening. I do this all the time and sometimes it really hurts and weeps for a couple of days. This is enough to make me stop. I think it’s a nervous thing and often I don’t realise I’m doing it or have done it until it hurts or bleeds. Rethinking this now.

- - rachel1970 said
  - 07 May 2018
    6:44 am
My daughter bites her finger nails and, revoltingly her toe nails. She has had two infections, one really bad on her toe. I thought the last stint would make her stop but it didn’t. I think I will have to let her read this article. She’s now 13, my little grot.

- - musicmum said
  - 06 May 2018
    11:30 pm
He did not nearly die from biting his nails, it was from ignoring the infection in his finger, not keeping it clean and having a weak immune system, a little tea tree oil would have killed the germs.

- - mom101628 said
  - 04 May 2018
    10:47 pm
How lucky is this young man. This is something not many people would think of, and I know so many who bite their nails or the flesh around them. Good warning.

- - nadine_hill said
  - 03 May 2018
    12:51 pm
Wow! Who would have thought this could happen from biting your nail – a very lucky man indeed!

- - mom160421 said
  - 03 May 2018
    12:48 pm
It is so important not to ignore health problems no matter how trivial they seem.

- - Cookfromscratchmum said
  - 03 May 2018
    12:25 pm
All I can say is : thank God I am still alive I have had this bad habit since primary school and still have it I bite my nails all the time especially when I’m stressed but I am kind of OCD when it comes to cleaning and washing hands with antibacterial that explains why I haven’t contracted any germs yet .this article is a real eye opener thank you.

- - tessie said
  - 03 May 2018
    10:34 am
My brother used to bite his nails down to the quick. Thankfully he’s gotten out of this habit.

- - mom93821 said
  - 03 May 2018
    7:00 am
Biting nails is just so revolting!

- - mom206279 said
  - 03 May 2018
    6:16 am
Very lucky man!

- - Ellen said
  - 03 May 2018
    4:09 am
Wow, I didn’t know either that biting nails could have such drastic consequence !!

- - mom199367 said
  - 02 May 2018
    10:21 pm
What a scary thing to happen! My husband bites his nails – a sometimes nerves and subconscious act. I have read him this article in hope to raise awareness with him.

- - BellaB said
  - 02 May 2018
    7:24 pm
I bet he doesn’t bite his nails anymore!

- - mom112217 said
  - 02 May 2018
    4:10 pm
Who would have thought this would happen!

- - mom90758 said
  - 02 May 2018
    4:02 pm
Horrendous!