My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Relationships

Constant throat clearing aaaaagh

26 replies

peanutnutter · 02/08/2016 07:52

My lovely DH clears his throat constantly and I mean constantly. I have counted not obsessed and it's at least 10 -15 times a minute. Sometimes to the extent that if we are watching a film I have to pause and rewind as we miss part of the story. When he does it it's very loud and incredibly annoying my tolerance is very low atm. Just needed to get that off my chest rather than kill him Grin

OP posts:
Report
apatheticfallacy · 02/08/2016 08:00

Argh! You have my sympathy. I am currently suffering DH's constant sniffing but at least that will improve once his cold is over. Is it a new tic?

Report
peanutnutter · 02/08/2016 08:06

Sadly not fallacy it's been 26 years but got worse as he's gotten older. I also have an aversion to noise which doesn't help. I share your pain.

OP posts:
Report
peanutnutter · 02/08/2016 08:07

It's like living with someone who is always on the verge of making a huge announcement Wink

OP posts:
Report
ElspethFlashman · 02/08/2016 08:13

FIL had that. Drove me spare, it was so frequent that he'd do it before a sentence, mid sentence and then at the end of a sentence.

And then every five minutes in silence anyway.

Theres no way he knew he was doing it. And he certainly had no respiratory issues. So I Concluded it was an involuntary tic (like Tourettes or similar even though it wasnt Tourettes obvs) and it didnt annoy me as much after that.

Report
CodyKing · 02/08/2016 08:25

Could be a nasal drip - doctors can sort it - it's not good for people who work with him either

Report
peanutnutter · 02/08/2016 08:29

Cody he is now retired so it's only me that hears it. Doctor's? This is a man we are talking about. However if I mention I feel out of sorts (which is very rare) he immediately says "you need to see a doctor about that" Give. Me. Strength.

OP posts:
Report
Milzilla · 02/08/2016 08:33

I have this - it's an involuntary tic. Lots of people have told me it annoys them but when I actively try to suppress it, it makes it much worse.

I've tried many things over the years to get rid -nope, still going strong 30 years later 😧

Report
HowToChooseAUserName · 02/08/2016 13:42

it's an involuntary tic

Hypnosis? May help with relaxation.

Also does he have a medical problem that under lies it - eg. excessive mucus production?

Report
JanetWeb2812 · 02/08/2016 16:46

There is fairly rare condition known as Oesophageal Diverticula which can cause just such symptoms.

Report
Milzilla · 02/08/2016 21:39

Hypnosis didn't help..

Report
Justtrying · 02/08/2016 21:49

Dh does this when he comes to bed every night then 3-4 times in 20 minutes, normally just as I'm dropping off again. Once asleep snores like a chimney for the first few hours. We are both trying to lose a bit of weight so hoping it will improve. But 15 years in its tiring.

Report
IcedVanillaLatte · 02/08/2016 22:00

DP. Oh God, DP.

He is a constant stream of noises. He does this combination of a burp and a hiccup. He coughs. He sighs. Repeatedly. Then denies it. He groans and grunts. He belches. He CLICKS HIS TONGUE AND IT DRIVES ME NUTS. He has Random Pavarotti Disease (see: Rex the Runt). He sneezes so loudly it really, genuinely hurts my ears. I've trained him to say "AGOANASNEE" before he shoutsneezes. I have just enough time to clap my hands over my ears. I can't count how many times I've dropped my phone on the ground because it's absolutely imperative that I cover my ears. Hundreds. He sniffs. He clears his throat. He CLICKS HIS fingers repeatedly when he's looking for something. He moves in a noisy way and he Breathes. Everyone else breathes. He Breathes. He insists on resting his leg on my lap, then he starts slooowly rotating his foot. When I tell him he's doing it, he denies it and instantly stops. Sometimes he just rotates the big toe. It's almost sinister.

Report
IcedVanillaLatte · 02/08/2016 22:05

You type "clicks his" in block caps once and your phone thinks you want to do it forever

Report
Shadowracer · 02/08/2016 22:14

It's a combination of habit and tension,
Get him to become aware of it, and get him to take a sip of water every time he wants to 'throat clear'.
Basically every time he 'ahem's' he's banging vocal folds together, and then the folds produce more mucus as a protection measure, and bingo he'll want to 'ahem' again to clear the extra mucus.
It will be hard for him to break this habit. And it takes approx three weeks to change/ break a habit!

Report
Milzilla · 03/08/2016 05:08

Helpful info here: [http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Tics/Pages/Introduction.aspx]

Report
Milzilla · 03/08/2016 05:09
Report
peanutnutter · 03/08/2016 07:16

Thank you all. I suspect it's a combination of habit and a dry throat. I doubt it will cease as he's done it since we met 26 years ago. It's just more annoying since he is home 24/7. I will try and remember that it's not IBS (irritable bastard syndrome) but that he can't help it. Smile

OP posts:
Report
edisonsjeans · 04/08/2016 22:04

My son does this...turned out he had a very severe dust mite allergy. Maybe send your husband for some tests of common household irritants?

Report
Joactib · 19/09/2021 11:53

I’m so glad I found this thread!!! I can’t cope with it anymore!! If I mention it it makes him cross at me as he says he can’t help it! I can’t sit in the same room/ there is nowhere I can sit in actual peace and quiet. If I go to my bedroom I hear it in the room below me- it actually makes an echo. Maybe this is something I could get help with if he won’t? Is there any type of therapy to help me cope with it? X

Report
nzeire · 19/09/2021 12:31

IBS

Dying 😂

Report
Opaljewel · 19/09/2021 19:48

It could be a reflux cough. I found myself doing that a lot. Got some medication from the doc and it's helped. Does it get worse when he eats and drinks?

Report
TheFoundations · 19/09/2021 20:50

@peanutnutter

Thank you all. I suspect it's a combination of habit and a dry throat. I doubt it will cease as he's done it since we met 26 years ago. It's just more annoying since he is home 24/7. I will try and remember that it's not IBS (irritable bastard syndrome) but that he can't help it. Smile

But he can help it. He can find out what's causing it and sort out a solution.

Have you tried shouting 'STOP CLEARING YOUR THROAT!!' very loudly in his ear every time he does it?

Have you actually told him that it's driving you demented? It sounds like a very ingrained habit/issue, but if he wants to not drive you demented, he would try to do something about it.
Report

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

Happenchance · 19/09/2021 20:53

It could be a food intolerance. I have a friend who constantly clears his throat if he eats dairy.

Report
Happenchance · 19/09/2021 20:54

Zombie thread!

Report
TheFoundations · 19/09/2021 20:54

I get sinus drips if I eat too many floury things. There's definitely lots of routes he could explore here.

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.