AIBU to ask someone to stop sniffing

[PhoneyToney]

I was on a tour of a local attraction and one of the guides was sniffing every 10 seconds or so.

I was brought up to consider sniffing as rude and wasn't allowed to do it around my parents.

I found the sniffing to be unpleasant and distracting. I tried to ignore it but couldn't and after 10 minutes or so with no end in sight I asked them to stop. They said they had a medical condition ( I don't remember what ). I didn't say anything further - I didn't know what to say. They reduced the frequency and left soon afterwards.

Was the sniffer BU? WIBU to ask them to stop? What if they just had a cold? What if they had been farting or had tourettes?

Blow your nose to your hearts content, sniffing is so aggravating

@DtPeabodysLoosePants how could l forget genital rearranging?!

I am an unashamed sniffer.

1. Sniffing is better for the sufferer, as it doesn't force mucus etc the wrong way, irritating the lining of the nostrils and throat, and adding unnecessary pressure to the blood vessels.
2. Sniffing is better for non-sufferers, as it doesn't result in forcing germs outwards rather than inwards (sniffing is part of a process of sending the germs down to stomach acid to be wiped out).
3. I personally find nose blowing noises to be just as rank as sniffing noises, so there is no gain either way.

My preferred method is to gently squeeze and dab my nose with a tissue to prevent anything coming out. I have found my colds clear up much more quickly since I eschewed the tyranny of nasal-lining, sinus aggravating nose blowing!

To all of you people who would happily get out a tissue in front of everyone and blow your noses - you are the ones who are being disgusting. If you want to loudly snort slimy infectious mucous out of your face please do it away from others.

And as others have pointed out, blowing your nose is a) bad for you and b) often doesn't even help.

I'd find someone sniffing every ten seconds unbearable but I would try and move away to the back of the tour group, definitely wouldn't say anything as I think that's ruder

Every ten seconds!!

Im genuinely confused about why people think blowing your nose is bad for you, Surely keeping bacteria riddled mucus in your nose can't do it any good and if swallowed is likely to upset the lining of the stomach?

I have allergic rhinitis and yes I sniff. Nose blowing would make it much worse. Not much I can do about it.

But delightful to see the rude arseholes out in force here.

Excessive blowing of your nose can irritate the tissues.

EL8888

The lining of the stomach that sits in powerful acid all day long? Yeah, no, it can handle it.

Mucus is designed to overwhelm viruses, and the cilia sweep it backwards down to the stomach. That's what it has evolved to do. It's not hurting it, it's using the exact function as it was intended.

Whereas creating a closed chamber and forcing air forwards increases the pressure inside the nasal cavity, and forces the mucus in the opposite direction, where it won't be obliterated by acid on egress.

It's not a hard or fast rule, but a combination of sniffing, dabbing and blowing the nose is better than just forcing everything to go in the wrong direction.

Sniffing is rude? Fucking hell what kind of alternate reality do some of you live in?

I asked them to stop. They said they had a medical condition ( I don't remember what ). I didn't say anything further - I didn't know what to say.

I’m glad you didn’t say anything further, you were staggeringly rude to begin with

Imagine shaming someone with a medical condition like that in the first place, what kind of person does that?

If I have a cold, it doesn't matter how often I blow my nose, it will keep dripping. Even if I blew it once every minute. It's not rudeness, it's being unwell. YADBU.

@thecatsthecats but if it the wrong direction then why does it run out? Do you have some evidence based research around this?

I am flabbergasted by the number of people who think that sniffing is good manners. Are they the same people who fail to teach their children to say "please" and "thank you"?

i am flabbergasted by the number of people who think that sniffing is good manners

Are you reading a different thread or something?

No one’s saying that. They’re saying that lots of people have medical conditions/disabilities that mean they sniff a lot and can’t do much about it.

@EL8888

It's not just about research, it's literally established fact of bodily function: www.innerbody.com/anatomy/respiratory

Excess mucus can overwhelm the function of the cilia, but blowing is not the only way to handle it, and can cause harm: www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/shortcuts/2018/oct/12/blow-pick-or-swallow-a-definitive-guide-to-clearing-a-blocked-nose

Sniffing aids the function of the nasal cavity - it's an intuitive action.

Like I say, I prefer to dab or squeeze my nose into a tissue to remove excess. Blowing as suggested in that article is also helpful - certainly not the disgusting honking people do!

Blowing your nose too often can cause extremely painful dry skin too. if someone has a chronic condition I can completely understand why they sniff instead!

You were out of order.
My dad has Tourette’s and the main tic is a constant sniff.
This may be annoying to people around him but it is DEBILITATING for him, hugely embarrassing, isolating, and people like you calling it out make him very ill for weeks.

Some people don’t have the choice to behave exactly as YOU see fit.

Use your brain next time. The world doesn’t revolve around you. Try to see the bigger picture sometimes.

someone constantly sniffing would probably annoy me to some extent, but I dont think its rude and I wouldnt have said anything, because thats far ruder and potential to upset.

If I sniff, its not because i need to blow my nose. If I blow my nose, it makes me have a massive sneezing fit.

"LaurieMarlow
Are you reading a different thread or something? hmm
No one’s saying that. They’re saying that lots of people have medical conditions/disabilities that mean they sniff a lot and can’t do much about it."
Actually if you read the thread you will find that many people do not think that sniffing is socially unacceptable and that many Mumsnetters sniff.

You didn’t sniff around your parents? Ever? Even if you were ill?

Personally, whilst I do find constant sniffing a bit annoying, I’d never ask someone to stop as they’re likely aware they’re doing it and are embarrassed, but can’t stop due to a medical condition.

I think it’s more rude to demand that they stop. How mortifying for them!

@thecatsthecats from a healthcare perspective then it is very much about evidence-based. Otherwise it is basically deemed to be here say

well hopefully OP learned something....

many people do not think that sniffing is socially unacceptable

That’s not the same as saying it’s ‘good’ manners.

However the manners point seems a total anachronism. Lots of people sniff because they can’t help it, lots of people sniff because it’s better than the alternatives.

Declaring it rude is like being stuck in some bizarre, ignorant, hyacinth bouquet bubble.