Compulsive throat clearers

[91TTZ]

Yeah, I'd think that if he wanted to work here and he genuinely had a problem, they could accomodate this by moving him to a corner of the office where it wouldn't bother anyone. But as it is now, he's in the middle of the office.

Just because he can't help it doesn't mean that other people should be forced to put up with it. While it's not completely his fault, it's certainly not my fault, so why should I have to deal with it? Why if I had a problem where I was always gassy and stunk up the office? Should I inconvenience everyone and expect them to put up with it just because I can't help it? That would be unrealistic.

 

[skace]

Originally posted by: 91TTZ
That's not the only problem in the world, but I'm sitting about 10 feet away from him and I have to hear it every minute. I've heard people clear their throat in a way that wasn't disgusting, but this guy sounds like he's hocking up a loogie, you can really hear it.

I had to deal with a guy like this for ONE afternoon and almost went insane. I can't imagine telling someone to deal with it as its nearly impossible in a quiet office environment unless you have the fortune to be able to listen to music all day. Most people don't have any problem listening to someone clear their throat once in awhile. But when someone is doing it in a chaingun fashion, it gets gut wrenchingly disgusting.

 

[CasioTech]

Originally posted by: 91TTZ
There's a new guy at my job who sits a few cubicles over. He's a compulsive throat clearer. About once every minute he needs to clear his throat in a very loud and disgusting manner. It will be quiet in the office and then you hear this sound which can only be described as being similar to the sound that a dog makes when it barks under its breath (if you have a dog you'll know what I mean).

At first I thought he just had a cold or something but after the weeks and now months passed I realized that he just does this out of habit. It's extremely annoying. It sounds like he's hocking up a loogie each time, and it has a nasal element to it as if he's clearing mucus out of his nose and throat at the same time. The sound is also identical each time so this guy has it down to a routine. Every minute or so the silence breaks with a loud, "Mmmm-hmccckkkth"

He seems nice enough so I don't want to say anything, but at the same time after hearing it all day I want to go over there and give him the blanket treatment like in Full Metal Jacket.

Tourettes?

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

Originally posted by: brigden

Originally posted by: Nik

Originally posted by: brigden
That habit is obnoxious, annoying, and unecessary. Don't be a pussy and say something to him.

Actually, for some people, it is necessary.

I would ask him if it were necessary. If it was, I would ask to move cubicles.

Very diplomatic solution :thumbsup:

I, on the other hand, would nail him over the head with an aluminum folding chair, then vault off the top corner of the cubicle, elbow first

 

[91TTZ]

Originally posted by: Nik

I, on the other hand, would nail him over the head with an aluminum folding chair, then vault off the top corner of the cubicle, elbow first

LOL

 

[meltdown75]

hey we have a thraot clearer here too. thankfully, today he's out of the office doing some field work. every minute or so, A-HEM. it's like he's playing games with the same naggy loogie in his throat all day.

he also compulsively snaps his fingers whenever he walks somewhere, makes extremely loud & gay-sounding groans when he stretches every 10 minutes, and has an extremely nasal & annoying voice.

his nickname is "Giant Flamer" - and everyone calls him that to his face. older workers simply call him "Giant".

 

[mobobuff]

I clear my throat a lot, but it's because I have asthma and my throat gets crap in it sometimes. I don't make "loogey" noises or "sinus" noises though, mostly it just sounds like an old car trying to turn over. It's a lot better than feeling like you're slowly suffocating.

 

[DragonMasterAlex]

Originally posted by: Juice Box
*AHEM* yeah...i....*AHEM* hate those people *AHEM*...

LOL. Yeah, buddy! Some of us just generate more snot than others, what are we gonna do?

Jason

 

[13rian]

Originally posted by: brigden

Originally posted by: Nik

Originally posted by: brigden
That habit is obnoxious, annoying, and unecessary. Don't be a pussy and say something to him.

Actually, for some people, it is necessary.

I would ask him if it were necessary. If it was, I would ask to move cubicles.

:thumbsup:

 

[joecool]

Originally posted by: Amused
Some people do it because of sinus problems. Others because of acid reflux irritation.

Would you rather they choke to death on the phlegm?

what he said. i have this problem and i HATE it and i'm very aware of how distracting it is but sometimes i get this gunk that it takes a good 4 hours to clear out. believe me, your lucky you just have to listen to it and experience it yourself.

 

[iamme]

*gurgle*

 

[newParadigm]

peeps with allergies have to do that a lot because they constantly have mucus dripping down thar throat. I speak from experience.

~new

 

[infinitereality]

Bringing this back from the dead so I can vent. I sit across the hall from not 1 but TWO annoying habits. I've nicely nicknamed them Sniffles and Snotty. Sniffles I actually shared an office with for a month or 2, until I asked to move. This lady sniffles every 30 seconds, ALL DAY LONG. First day I shared an office with her, I got off and went and bought a box of Kleenex and gave to her the next day. She never once used it or even opened it. I finally asked my boss if I could be moved.

Snotty on the other hand, constantly feels the need to clear his throat. He doesn't try to keep it quiet, it's LOUD and it's not phlegm related. He does it over and over and over again, and then after he does, he snorts up snot and the cycle repeats. He knows he does it, yet doesn't do anything about it. no medicine, no blowing his nose, nothing. He'll do it while talking or sitting at his desk. It drives me insane. No doubt it's habitual for him, if we're all in a meeting for an hour, he MAY do it once. There's just no need to constantly do it and not at least attempt to fix it.

 

[Chapbass]

I'm sick right now, sitting in a meeting with a bunch of people, and have to keep clearing my throat. Its embarrassing, but they just have to deal with it .

 

[lytalbayre2]

Maybe he is on some medication that has a side effect of needing to cough. I was once on a blood pressure medicine that did that to me. it was terrible. After about a month I figured out it was the medicine and went to the doc to switch it out.

 

[infinitereality]

He knows he does it, but isn't on medication. Heck, he won't even take sinus/allergy medicine to help with it since he "claims" that is the cause of it, though I know it's not. It's definitely habitual for him, a nervous tick or I honestly think a mild case of Tourrettes. He also feels the need to constantly stomp his feet, tap his pen on his desk, jingle change in his pocket, etc.

Sniffles just flat out isn't smart enough to use a Kleenex to stop sniffling constantly. Nice lady, but no joke, really just not that bright.

If either had a cold or allergies, only happened sometimes, or even attempt to fix the issue I could write it off but this is every single day and all day long. I'm excited to come to work when Snotty is off because I"m not forced to wear headphones all day long (which I can still hear him through, yep that loud). Don't get me wrong, I am part of the problem....repetitive noises drive me crazy in general, but they know they do it, yet don't attempt to fix it.

 

[Thebobo]

I hate that as well you know what I'm saying?

 

[destrekor]

I do it often. I'm self aware enough to know it could annoy people, and I try to keep it quiet, but it's a feeling that has to be addressed and I know of only one way to address it: mildly weird noises to try and clear the back of my sinus passages and throat, sometimes with a need to [try and] hack something up. If there's an obviously large amount of mucus to clear, and it feels to be closer to the front of my face, I'll use tissues. But you know, sometimes it's just not possible.

There was a time in my life where it was guaranteed I'd get at least one sinus infection a year, some of them quite miserable experiences with fevers that knocked me out, others less taxing but still annoying. I remember having xrays and my pediatrician saying it's just a fact of life for me, not much that can be done - the way my sinuses are shaped I guess. Also seems my eustachian tubes are not perfect either, probably not as close to flat as they must have been when I was a kid when constant inner ear infections, but enough that allergies or sinus inflammation can really muck up my hearing and inner ear pressure.

I don't doubt that a number of people with similar afflictions don't even know those details, they just know it's been an annoyance all their life. Perhaps they never had enough issues to warrant a deeper look like I had, and/or never connected the dots between constant infections and symptoms.

Have some consideration for those of us stuck with less-than-perfect sinuses. Some of us are more self-aware than others of course, and understand how it can gross people out and/or drive them nuts over time. We try to manage as best we can. One of my "coping" mechanisms is constantly having water on hand, or something else to drink. That helps a lot with that feeling in the back of the throat if it's more of a drainage thing, but obviously does nothing for the upper reaches of the back of the throat/nasal passages.

 

[Amused]

Whoa! 13 year old necro!

 

[MrRamon]

I'm a smoker and have this problem. An easy fix is for me to stop smoking. Shit annoys the hell out of me. The only thing that I can compare to trying to quit smoking is holding your breath underwater for as long as you can and then coming up for a breath. My brain is telling me that I need it as much as oxygen. smh

 

[infinitereality]

I do it often. I'm self aware enough to know it could annoy people, and I try to keep it quiet, but it's a feeling that has to be addressed and I know of only one way to address it: mildly weird noises to try and clear the back of my sinus passages and throat, sometimes with a need to [try and] hack something up. If there's an obviously large amount of mucus to clear, and it feels to be closer to the front of my face, I'll use tissues. But you know, sometimes it's just not possible.

There was a time in my life where it was guaranteed I'd get at least one sinus infection a year, some of them quite miserable experiences with fevers that knocked me out, others less taxing but still annoying. I remember having xrays and my pediatrician saying it's just a fact of life for me, not much that can be done - the way my sinuses are shaped I guess. Also seems my eustachian tubes are not perfect either, probably not as close to flat as they must have been when I was a kid when constant inner ear infections, but enough that allergies or sinus inflammation can really muck up my hearing and inner ear pressure.

I don't doubt that a number of people with similar afflictions don't even know those details, they just know it's been an annoyance all their life. Perhaps they never had enough issues to warrant a deeper look like I had, and/or never connected the dots between constant infections and symptoms.

Have some consideration for those of us stuck with less-than-perfect sinuses. Some of us are more self-aware than others of course, and understand how it can gross people out and/or drive them nuts over time. We try to manage as best we can. One of my "coping" mechanisms is constantly having water on hand, or something else to drink. That helps a lot with that feeling in the back of the throat if it's more of a drainage thing, but obviously does nothing for the upper reaches of the back of the throat/nasal passages.

This guy knows, just does nothing about it. He's not coughing or hacking up anything when he does it. No loogies or sounds like it, just a constant clearing his throat. When he does snort up snot, there is something though which is odd. He claims it's worse when he eats or drinks and is more frequent, but he does this junk all day long. every single day. If I have to clear my throat I keep my mouth shut, yet he does not, he goes full volume every single time.

It doesn't help he sits by the door in his office which is directly across from mine so I get full volume compared to offices around us. Just annoying he doesn't even attempt to do anything to suppress the sound or see a doctor. He did get tested for allergies few years ago and has a good many of them, but says he doesn't want to waste time to get allergy shots. I'm 39 and 7-8yrs ago I went through the few year process of allergy shots and while I had none of his issues, I don't get sinus infections anymore or have to take tons of medicine when they do flare up.

One thing he does is get steroid shot every few months. He is always amped up when he goes to get one, like it's a lifesaver. It does help him for a day or 2, maybe 50% less throat clearing but then it's back again full force. I'm positive this steroid shot only helps him in his mind, doesn't do any real good.

 

[eng2d2]

I was in a table during a seminar and the guy cleared his throat every five seconds the whole 2 hours. It was a difficult two hours. .

 

[infinitereality]

People bouncing their nervous legs use to drive me crazy in college, especially if sitting close to me and starts vibrating my desk. To the point I'd have to move.

I have a thing with repetitive noses or movements.

 

[zinfamous]

People bouncing their nervous legs use to drive me crazy in college, especially if sitting close to me and starts vibrating my desk. To the point I'd have to move.

I have a thing with repetitive noses or movements.

I also dislike repetitive noses.

 

[infinitereality]

I honestly feel like I need anxiety medicine to cope with these people across the hall from me. I'm always tense at work because I'm cringing every time I hear these fools that don't know how to take medicine or blow their nose.