How can I deal with this

[hometime]

I work in a very quiet office. One of my co-workers has an irritating habit of constant throat clearing and coughing. It's driving me mad. The last few days have been worse as she also has a cold so the noise is unbearable. I could be patient but know that when this 'cold' has cleared up it's just back to being driven mad.

I just cannot face another day of it so will have to ring in sick tomorrow.

It's getting to the point that I am going to ask to be moved but I don't want to upset anyone.

Has anybody got any advice as to how to approach it?

My friend does this, drives me nuts, I have pointed it out to him but he is in denial and totally oblivious, claims he doesnt do it. Why dont you invest in some cough sweets and suggest your colleague takes them to help with their cough/snort. Hopefully they may take the hint.

She is also my boss but there is a personel dept and people higher up. It's just not something I can say casually to the person.

I know it sounds really trivial but when you have to sit 35 hours a week with it, it's not. I sometimes go to the loo, and cry because it's affecting me so much.

i worked in a 2-person office with somebody who had a habit of exhaling really loudly and dramatically when she was stressed/concentrating/had finished something. it got to the point where as soon as she started i would be on edge, waiting for the bomb to drop, stress levels through the roof... did my head in. left after a year -not just because of that! but i feel your pain...

I feel your pain too. I share a two-person office with someone who eats loudly (and with her mouth open) and who mutters constantly, and reads out loud.

I feel murderous sometimes, and I have started applying for other jobs because of it. I'd give anything to work in a large noisy open-plan office.

(Omaoma, I think I'm prone to loud exhaling - mostly because I'm so uptight about my colleague. I hope it's not you! )

well AP the worst thing was i DID start to subconsciously copy her habit! had to make a real effort to stop, it's SO undermining for the other person espec if you're their superior... i think that iPod wearing whenever possible is the only way forward - is that a possibility hometime?

Someone in my office spends 20 minutes at a time clicking their mouse while playing some stupid game on facebook which involves running a cafe or something stupid like that.

I take ear phones in and listen to the radio through the computer. I can still hear the coughing over it unless I blast the volume and give myself a headache in the process.

I have even applied for another job tonight online, but I love the company and the work so don't want to change.

I do the loud exhaling through sheer stress too.

I really sympathise with you. My son does this all the time and it can drive you crazy. However my son has tourettes syndrome. He is mostly totally unaware that he is doing it and is often really surprised when we tell him or when we turn the telly up to mask the noise. I was just wondering if maybe she has this or some other kind of tic disorder. Not that that will help you cope with the noise. Maybe ask her if shes aware shes doing it? Have you spoken to her about it? Does it annoy other people?

Yes, it does annoy others, I have plucked up the courage to ask them. The others don't have to work full time so can just about tolerate it.

I do think it's a tourettes tic. But recently accompanied with the cold, it so much worse, that I cannot bear it.

I guess it's a mild annoyance in other settings but to sit in a quiet office, trying to work, well I'm at a loss to know what to do, except leave the best job I've ever had . Or kick up a fuss and upset someone who may be totally unaware of this problem.

Kimtwin, hope you can help with your son. I know I pick my nails which is a bad habit but at least it's quiet.

I used to sit opposite someone in an open plan office who made so much noise eating and he seemed to be permanently eating (or chewing gum. With his mouth open). And he slurped everything. Even baked potatoes. In the end I asked to be moved. The previous person to sit opposite him asked to move in the end as well, so he was a known problem! In my previous job there was a coughing/hacking person (was allergic to animals and had a dog and 3 cats ) who would cough his lungs up several times a day and then spit the resulting gunk in the bin. It was truly awful. It's amazing how these things get to you! Slurping man I used my ipod, ranted to people a lot and then finally moved. Coughing boy we spoke to his line manager as it was just disgusting. It's amazing how much these things annoy you! Today I could hear someone breathing who was on the other side of the office.....

Rant over!