Throat Clearing!!!!

[StantonHyde]

A co-worker came down with a cold several weeks ago. She is still clearing her throat CONSTANTLY!!! I even asked about it last week--"Are you aware how often you clear your throat? Are you still sick or do you think it's becoming a habit?" (I have known/worked with her for 18 years) Oh no, she says--I still have so much gunk to clear, etc.


ARRRRGGGHHHHHH!!!!! I am putting on my "meeting headphone" so muffle some of the sound. This is driving me BATTY.

Ok, breathe, holiday rant over :-)

[Kestrel]

Oh gosh, this would drive me crazy too! Is this someone sitting near you while you're trying to work? I would make sure we took lunch at different times, maybe even see if I could switch my work hours to be near them less - it would be so distracting!

Can you run a fan or some other white noise?

[candaceb]

I am so there with you. Sniffling and throut clearing go hand-in-hand. I can never understand why people don't get the fact that if they sniffle, the crud is going to land at the back of their throat and then they have to clear their throat.
I have self-diagnosed misophonia. I talked about it with my therapist because it seemed to be getting worse with COVID. She has me doing headspace-like activities and also using a fidget as a distraction - especially fidgets that make "clacking" noises.

[doberbrat]

I'm with you. So disgusting - also people who snort and snuffle all day with allergies. Just blow your nose already.

[mom2binsd]

As a SLP, throat clearing is like scratching, while it may feel like it's doing good, it's just making it worse and could lead to further vocal cord trauma (I have worked with people who developed nodules on their vocal cords from habitual throat clearing). It's also so annoying to listen to, I feel your pain!

[hbridge]

Just a reminder that some throat clearing is actually a tic, often associated with Tourette's. Even then, it can come and go, so it might seem to come out of nowhere.

Not that it is not annoying to listen to all the time, but sometimes it is completely out of a persons control.

[StantonHyde]

Just a reminder that some throat clearing is actually a tic, often associated with Tourette's. Even then, it can come and go, so it might seem to come out of nowhere.

Not that it is not annoying to listen to all the time, but sometimes it is completely out of a persons control.

This is totally not a tic. This person had a cold and is still going with it.

And mom2binsd--this person is a professional opera singer!! She should know better. arrrrggghhhhh.....Off to plug in my head phones to white noise or classical music.....

[o_mom]

I'm with you. So disgusting - also people who snort and snuffle all day with allergies. Just blow your nose already.

With post-nasal drip, you can blow all day long and nothing comes out. It just drains down the back. Blowing does nothing to help it.

[lizzywednesday]

My friend Jim, who is a voice teacher, recommends sticking out your tongue when you cough to clear phlegm.

(I recommend doing it in the restroom.)