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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think you should blow your nose?

28 replies

m4rdybum · 29/08/2017 16:30

Currently sat at my desk browsing Mumsnet and clothes shopping working very hard.

Colleague opposite me is stuffy in the nose department.

Instead of blowing his nose, he keeps doing one or two big sniffs....

... THEN SWALLOWING THE MUCUS!!

I can hear it going down his throat and I actually think I'm going to vomit. Would it BU to punch him in the throat?

OP posts:
Mrscropley · 29/08/2017 16:32

Here's hoping he drowns in his own phlegm!!
Queasy even texting the word phlegm tbh. . .

jelliebelly · 29/08/2017 16:33

Try offering him some tissues - men are rubbish at providing their own!!

Sunshinegirls · 29/08/2017 16:34

I nearly vomited reading your post. I couldn't cope! Please punch him in the throat if that is actually an option.

FallingOrbit · 29/08/2017 16:54

I work outdoors and blowing ones nose consists of closing off one nostril at a time with a finger and blasting the snot out of the other. It lands where it lands. It's known as the farmers hanky :)

Allabitmuchisntit · 29/08/2017 17:44

That's disgusting. I will never understand why people just don't blow their bloody noses!!!!
Polite approach offering tissues first.
If that doesn't work, it's a definite throat punch.

squiz81 · 29/08/2017 18:00

Definitely offer tissues!

mommybunny · 29/08/2017 18:04

Can I play devil's advocate ask what is probably a really stupid question? I've never been able to get a real answer from Google.

When you sniffle and suck the snot back up your nose and swallow it, where does it end up? I would assume it ends up in your stomach. If that's true, why is that worse than it ending up on a tissue and thence soaking through to the nose-blower's hands (which are very unlikely to be washed immediately), or on a handkerchief that goes back into the nose-blower's pockets?

Hunkle · 29/08/2017 18:05

Arghhhhhhhhhhhhh

Sniff
sniff
sniff
sniff

Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

It really fucking annoys me

Lottapianos · 29/08/2017 18:35

This drives me CRAZY! Makes me want to scream 'dear god can you not hear yourself??!' And it's even worse in Autumn and Winter.

ChristmasFluff · 29/08/2017 18:59

I remember reading that Claudius, the emperor of Rome, used to sniff incessantly, and that it was actually better to do this because blowing your nose inflames the tissues and blocks your nose more. Not sure this applies when it is running copiously though.

mailfuckoff · 29/08/2017 19:01

Different cultures believe that blowing your nose is very rude and the only polite thing to do is hawk it back into your body. Could it be a cultural thing?

mommybunny · 29/08/2017 19:42

I guess what I'm saying OP is that it's possible that in fact YABU. I agree the sound of sucking back snot is extremely unpleasant and distracting, but if he's doing that he is much less likely to be spreading whatever germs he's got and making you sick - he's keeping them all to himself. Can you think of it that way?

Very grateful if someone could confirm/rubbish my theory.

Original poster
m4rdybum · 30/08/2017 13:37

When you sniffle and suck the snot back up your nose and swallow it, where does it end up? I would assume it ends up in your stomach. If that's true, why is that worse than it ending up on a tissue

Would you eat your bogies? It's just bogies in liquid form!

I refuse to supply tissues to a grown man. I also don't have any

OP posts:
SockQueen · 30/08/2017 13:41

Urgh, DH does this, it seems he was never taught to blow his nose (his mum is a sniffer too). It's just so much more annoying hearing the incessant sniff!

vikingprincess81 · 30/08/2017 13:45

No, YADNBU!!!
The nose whistle is bad too - there's something in there causing the whistle, get it out! I like nothing better than a nice clear nose, and blow my nose, at the very least, every morning and evening and after being out in the cold, and when I eat something hot, and when I exercise, yes I have damage from repeated sinus infections when younger that causes my nose to run, a lot! If I don't sit and sniff there's no excuse for anyone else and always have tissues in pockets/bags/in my desk/in the car etc. No advice, just support!

vikingprincess81 · 30/08/2017 13:45

excuse me, I have to go blow my nose now

LadyLoveYourWhat · 30/08/2017 13:48

You do know that's what happens naturally to your mucus? The cilia in your respiratory system constantly propel it backwards and down your throat.

Happytobefree17 · 30/08/2017 13:50

Eww eww eww

I need to hide this thread 🤢

Original poster
m4rdybum · 30/08/2017 14:02

You do know that's what happens naturally to your mucus? The cilia in your respiratory system constantly propel it backwards and down your throat.

I still don't think its justification to eat it. Confused

OP posts:
allertse · 30/08/2017 14:13

It's far more hygienic to swallow it and let the stomach acid deal with the germs than blow it out and risk it coming into contact with the air or surfaces. Eating bogeys is gross because you have to touch them with your hands to eat them, not because they end up in your digestive tract.

I know its annoying to listen to but YABU.

AlmostAJillSandwich · 30/08/2017 15:04

Im a sniffer not a blower, blowing gives me headaches, ear pain and the feeling of eye pressure freaks me out. Its also difficult as i have a nose piercing.
Its his choice, yabu.

alltouchedout · 30/08/2017 15:14

I can't blow my nose. It just doesn't work. If I try it makes my eyes hurt and feel like they will burst, same with my ears, my head aches and I get dizzy, and still nothing comes out.
I hate the sound of people blowing their noses as much as the sound of people sniffing, tbh.

ConspicuouslyInconspicuous · 30/08/2017 17:03

Are you in my office today.............?

Makes me want to vom. I seem to be surrounded by a couple of males like this - thankfully all but one is on holiday at the moment.

mommybunny · 30/08/2017 23:19

THANK YOU allertse.Flowers

Fluffyears · 30/08/2017 23:53

I hate the sound of nose blowers it's horrible. Plus blowing snog into a hankie yeuch! I have allergies so have runny nose a lot blowing it doesn't help it still runs continually at times. If I blew it all the time it would end up chapped and start to bleed as I'd pretty much be just blowing my nose over and over for hours. So excuse me if I just sniff insteadz